Updated November 2025: We’ve added Curology Emergency Spot Patch Holographic, La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo+M Multi-Target Blemish Patches, Hero Cosmetics Micropoint for Dark Spots, and Starface Hydrostar + Salicylic Acid as new picks. Pimple patches come in various formulas, with different ingredients for different breakouts, but the most popular are hydrocolloid acne patches. Although hydrocolloid dressings has been used for wound care since the 1960s (the dressings were originally developed in the 1930s by a dentist), it wasn’t until the early 2010s that pimple patches started showing up on skin care and beauty shelves.