Dermatologists always say that picking at a blemish will make it worse. But what do you do when a big zit just won’t go away?
Hero Cosmetics’ Mighty Patch is a hydrocolloid sticker that visibly flattens pimples overnight without popping. These small, sticky patches are filled with plant-based hydrocolloid that absorbs fluid and naturally extracts impurities from a blemish.
Redness Reduction
The most common way to treat a zit is by washing it and using acne medication, but the problem with that approach can be the redness or dryness the spot causes. The acne-fighting ingredients in some cleansers can also irritate the skin around the blemish, leading to hyperpigmentation or irritation.
Unlike most pimple treatments, which contain chemicals and drying agents, hydrocolloid patches like Mighty Patch absorb excess fluid and oil from the blemish without drying out your skin. They’re especially effective on inflammatory acne, which is caused by your pores getting clogged with dead skin cells and excess oil and product buildup.
The Original Mighty Patch visibly shrinks whiteheads overnight (no popping necessary) with medical-grade hydrocolloid, a natural fluid-absorbing gel pad. The transparent stickers turn opaque white as they absorb the gunk of your zit, and the transparent design blends in with a variety of skin tones. Plus, the patches are gentle and skin-safe. They’re free of sulfates, parabens, phthalates, and alcohol.
Anti-Inflammatory Effect
One of the main benefits of mighty patch is that it reduces inflammation around your pimple. According to the Cleveland Clinic, this helps to prevent blemishes from becoming red or causing pigmentation changes in the surrounding skin.
For this reason, mighty patch is a great option for people with inflammatory acne (like cystic or nodule-type breakouts). These patches are also known to help keep you from picking at your blemishes which can lead to permanent scarring and dark spots.
While there are plenty of mighty patch options on the market, I’m especially loving Hero Cosmetics’ new Mighty Patch Surface, which is an XL hydrocolloid strip that covers larger breakout areas to visibly flatten zit clusters in six hours. The formula features the same gunk-absorbing power of Mighty Patch Original, but is formulated without benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid to avoid drying your skin. Plus, it has a super convenient sheet design to minimize fussing. (Another bonus: it’s cruelty-free!)
Absorption of Sebum
A key benefit of mighty patch is that it sucks up excess sebum, which is the oil that causes pimples to be red, inflamed and raised. This prevents blemishes from getting infected and promotes faster healing.
These patches do their best work if you use them on a freshly-popped blemish, ideally before it starts to ooze. That way the patch can suck out all the trapped impurities and reduce the chance of the angry bump becoming an ugly mark or scar.
And, if you do have a blemish that’s already visible, using a mighty patch can help keep you from touching it or picking at it (it will be covered and can’t be reached with your fingers). According to Mikailov, the more you pick, the longer the blemish takes to heal and the more likely it is to leave a scar. The mighty patch will suck up the sebum and reduce its appearance overnight, which is why it’s called your blemish hero.
Pigmentation Reduction
Designed to absorb pus and oil from an erupted pimple, this hydrocolloid patch speeds healing and keeps the inflamed spot clean and insulated so that it won’t get infected or leave scarring. It’s a bit like pore strips, but a lot better because you don’t have to deal with the sticky post-removal residue that often happens when you use pore strips.
These acne patches from Hero Cosmetics are formulated with niacinamide for that spot-zapping action, as well as hyaluronic acid to hydrate and offset potential irritation. Google reviewers love them, though they note that it might take a while to see results for the more stubborn, inflammatory breakouts.
These XL hydrocolloid pads from Hero Cosmetics can help clear up a breakout in six to eight hours. They’re also drug-free and non-drying. They’re the only acne patches with tranexamic acid, an ingredient that helps lighten dark spots and prevent future discoloration. It works by inhibiting tyrosinase, the enzyme that produces melanin.