Patchology Breakout Box | Pimple Patches

One of the best beauty trends that has recently caught in the west on are hydrocolloid aka pimple patches!  Hydrocolloid patches act as an absorbent second skin. You can put them on pimples that have come to a head to absorb the gunk, apply them on skin to prevent foreign matter like makeup, oil and bacteria from entering an infected pore.

The Patchology Breakout Box ($20 USD) not only includes 24 hydrolloid dots but 25 salicyclic acid dots and 3 nose strips.

I have tested everything out in this 3-in-1 acne treatment kit. Here's what I think:

Hydrocolloid Dots

I love these. I've had no issues with them worsening clogged or infected pores. They really do seem to absorb gunk and protect the skin. They prevent me from picking at pimples, therefore prevent deeper acne and PIH. I wish the dots were smaller because my pimples are not that big, so I cut them down.

Hydrocolloid Dots: Latex-free Hydrocolloid.

Salicylic Acid Dots

These feel like they are made out of plastic and coated with a solution. The patch itself is not the same material or feel as the hydrocolloid dots. After I slept in these, I noticed puss coming out of the clogged pore I had covered. The pore was initially not infected, it was clogged. I am suspicious this caused the pore to become full blown infected from preventing the pore from breathing or aggravating the clogged pore from the solution. Next theory is it exfoliated the skin to bring out the gunk? After reading the ingredients list, I am very suspicious that it aggravated the clogged pore I had though.

Salicylic Acid 0.5% Acne Treatment. Inactive Ingredients: Acrylates Copolymer, Vinyl Caprolactam/VP/Dimethylaminoethyl Methacrylate Copolymer, Water (Aqua/Eau), Alcohol Denat, Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Leaf Oil, Epilobium Angustifolium Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Volcanic Ash, Sodium Hyaluronate, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Extract, Sodium Metabisulfite, Butylene Glycol, Phytosphingosine, Phenoxyethanol, Polysorbate 80, PVP.

Nose Strips

These get a straight out no from me. They contain menthol which caused my nose to burn ferociously despite being lower on the ingredient list. It's such an aggravating ingredient, i'm not sure why so many nose strips contain it. Once I peeled it off, I noticed it didn't pull out any blackheads. The pores in my nose looked the same as always. It pulled out some peach fuzz, so thank you for that haha.

Nose Strips: PVP, VP/VA Copolymer, Water (Aqua/Eau), Glycerin, Bentonite, Charcoal Powder, Polyvinyl Alcohol, Titanium Dioxide, Kaolin, Phenoxyethanol, Butylene Glycol, Potassium Sorbate, Moroccan Lava Clay, 1,2-Hexanediol, Virginiana(Witch Hazel), Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Menthol, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate.

*Press sample provided for reviewing purposes skincare*