COSRX Acne Pimple Master Patch for acne-prone skin
Hydrocolloid Dressing
Cellulose Gum
Salicylic Acid
Melaleuca Alternifolia Tree Oil Leaf
Liquid ParaffinHigh
- HighCombination Skin Fit
- HighEffectiveness
- HighSafety
A great choice for acne-prone skin; a few serums fit it even better.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with acne-prone skin: breakouts, blackheads, and post-acne marks. For scores and recommendations based on your full skin profile, including your 12D face scan results and any goals or preferences you have, please use the Lovi app.
Page built Nov 8, 2026How the Fit score works
Lovi Assistant explains
- Highly suitable for your combination skin, this product effectively treats acne blemishes with cellulose gum to absorb exudate and Polyisobutylene and Styrene Isoprene Styrene Block Copolymer to create a protective barrier for healing.
- The emollient action of Polyisobutylene and Petroleum Resin smooths intercellular lipids without being overly occlusive, further benefiting your combination skin type.
- The formulation is safe for your skin, with no risks of irritation due to the absence of prohibited or harsh ingredients.
How to apply
- Use your serum as part of your PM routine and start 3x/week before working up to daily use.
- Apply this treatment after cleansing and toner, and before your moisturizer.
- Gently press 2-3 drops of the serum into your skin and let it absorb for a minute.
- Apply the product on clean, dry skin to help manage your breakouts safely.
- Avoid the eye area and do a patch test before your first use.
People Say
★4.5Overall rating based on 110.0k+ reviewsBased on a very large amount of data, this hydrocolloid patch is highly praised for its ability to extract impurities from whiteheads and prevent scarring by discouraging skin picking. It is very effective for surface-level pimples with visible heads, though it is generally reported as ineffective for deep, cystic, or hormonal acne that has not yet surfaced.
Highlights
Extracts gunk effectively Mostly Mentioned
- “Sucked the whitehead right out overnight.”
- “Woke up to see the patch white with absorbed gunk.”
- “Flattened my pimple completely by morning.”
- “Visibly pulls out pus and oil.”
- “Works like magic on ripe whiteheads.”
Prevents skin picking Often Mentioned
- “Stops me from touching and infecting the spot.”
- “Keeps my hands off my face.”
- “Great physical barrier against scratching.”
- “Helps me break the bad habit of popping.”
- “Protects the wound while it heals.”
Speeds up healing Often Mentioned
- “Reduces redness and inflammation significantly.”
- “Pimple healed in half the usual time.”
- “Prevents scabbing and scarring.”
- “Calms angry spots overnight.”
- “Spot was nearly gone after one use.”
Ineffective on cystic acne Often Mentioned
- “Did nothing for my deep, under-the-skin bumps.”
- “Useless on blind pimples without a head.”
- “Wasted a patch on hormonal cystic acne.”
- “Only works if the pimple is already open.”
- “No effect on early-stage, deep blemishes.”
Stays on well Sometimes Noted
- “Stayed on through a whole night of sleep.”
- “Survived a shower without peeling off.”
- “Adheres strongly even on oily skin.”
- “Doesn't budge once applied to dry skin.”
Not truly invisible Sometimes Noted
- “Too thick to wear under makeup.”
- “Visible shiny circle on my face.”
- “Obvious yellow tint against my skin.”
- “Okay for Zoom calls, but not for going out.”
- “Hard to conceal due to thickness.”
Adhesion issues Rarely Noted
- “Peels off if I toss and turn at night.”
- “Won't stick if I have any moisturizer on.”
- “Edges lift up after a few hours.”
- “Slips off easily on very oily areas.”
Sources: lovi.care, iherb.com, amazon.com, ulta.com, sokoglam.com, dermstore.com, and more
Questions and answers
What makes COSRX Acne Pimple Master Patch a great fit for acne-prone skin?
COSRX Acne Pimple Master Patch is a great fit because it uses cellulose gum to absorb blemish fluid while creating a protective barrier for healing. Its ingredients help smooth the skin safely without causing irritation.
Journal of Wound Care, 2019Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2009
Which ingredients make this patch a good fit for acne-prone skin?
Cellulose gum helps this patch absorb fluid from blemishes while creating a protective barrier for healing, making it a great match for acne-prone skin. It is unlikely to cause irritation since the formula avoids harsh ingredients.
Journal of Wound Care, 2019International Journal of Pharmaceutics, 2021
What does Hydrocolloid Dressing do for acne-prone skin?
Hydrocolloid Dressing helps calm acne-prone skin by reducing overall breakouts, inflammation, redness, and oiliness. It works well for treating acne vulgaris and supports healing by managing sebum levels.
Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2006Journal of Clinical Medicine, 2025
What does Cellulose Gum do for acne-prone skin?
Cellulose Gum helps create safe, smooth topical gels that deliver ingredients effectively without irritating acne-prone skin. This type of product needs soothing ingredients and a lightweight, non-greasy formula to keep pores clear and calm.
Where does this patch go in a skincare routine for acne-prone skin?
This patch goes on in the evening after cleansing and toning, and before moisturizing. It is safe for acne-prone skin and is unlikely to cause irritation.
Can I use this patch with retinol, and in what order?
Yes, you can use this patch with retinol by applying the patch directly onto clean, dry skin before your moisturizer, while placing your retinol elsewhere in your routine to avoid overlapping treatments on active pimples. This combination is unlikely to cause irritation because the patch creates a protective barrier over the blemish while you treat the rest of your face.
How often should I use this patch?
Apply this treatment in the evening as part of your nighttime routine. It is safe for your skin with no risks of irritation.
Can this patch clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for acne-prone skin?
This patch is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts for acne-prone skin because it uses gentle ingredients that protect the area while absorbing fluid without harsh additives. The formulation has a safe profile with no risks of irritation.
What the research says
Biocellulose and carboxymethyl cellulose wound dressings significantly reduced healing times and wound areas compared to normal saline dressings in epidermolysis bullosa skin wounds.
Journal of Wound Care, 2019Application of an o/w emulsion containing 8% hydrogenated polyisobutene significantly elevated skin moisture, reduced TEWL by approximately 33% against a control formulation within 3 hours, and was 5-10% more effective than the CCT formulation.
Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2009Polymeric bioadhesive microparticles composed of sodium carboxymethyl cellulose and Soluplus and loaded with 18beta-glycyrrhetinic acid form an in situ hydrogel upon contact with wound exudate, enabling controlled drug release that stimulates keratinocyte growth.
International Journal of Pharmaceutics, 2021Twice daily application of a multitargeted dermocosmetic cream provided comparable efficacy to benzoyl peroxide 5% gel in reducing inflammatory, non-inflammatory, and total lesions in 150 Caucasian subjects with mild-to-moderate acne over 56 days, while demonstrating superior skin tolerability.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024The use of a salicylic acid-based dermocosmetic significantly reduces the needed quantity of benzoyl peroxide without impacting efficacy in mild to moderate acne, and as maintenance post-benzoyl peroxide allows a significant reduction of acne relapse compared to vehicle.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2023Daily application of hydrocolloid dressing completely prevented nasogastric tube-related pressure injuries, whereas skin care interventions showed no significant preventive effect compared to the control group in intensive care unit patients.
Journal of Tissue Viability, 2024Hydration of scars for 2 months resulted in significantly reduced itching, somewhat reduced pain, and increased pliability by 10% for both hydrocolloid dressing and moisturizer treatments in patients with keloids or hypertrophic scars, with no change in physical parameters.
Dermatologic Surgery, 1996Adjunctive hydrocolloid dressing with 0.1% mometasone furoate cream significantly increased treatment efficacy and cost-effectiveness compared to topical steroid alone in patients with moderate to severe lichen simplex chronicus.
Skin Health and Disease, 2023Cross-linked carboxymethyl cellulose hydrogel provided excellent correction of facial defects, high tolerance, and absence of side effects or migration issues in 84 healthy volunteers.
Clinical Interventions in Aging, 2010Biodegradable wound dressings functionalized with silver nanoparticles showed >99% pathogen growth inhibition, bactericidal effects, free radical scavenging, reduced inflammatory response in macrophages, and accelerated wound healing in animals.
International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 20223D-printed carboxymethyl cellulose/ε-polylysine hydrogels exhibited 95% antibacterial inhibition against E. coli and S. aureus, removed excessive reactive oxygen species, and promoted wound healing with increased VEGF and CD31 expression compared to Tegaderm film.
International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 2021Cryotherapy with liquid nitrogen achieved a higher cure rate (39%) than salicylic acid (24%) and a wait-and-see approach (16%) for cutaneous warts at 13 weeks in primary care patients.
CMAJ, 2010A moisturizer containing licochalcone A, 1,2-decanediol, L-carnitine, and salicylic acid significantly reduced noninflammatory, inflammatory, and total acne lesion counts compared to a vehicle control in Thai patients during a 12-week maintenance phase.
BioMed Research International, 2020Treatment with 2% supramolecular salicylic acid hydrogel resulted in a regression and markedly improvement rate of 51.01% compared to 43.10% for Adapaline gel in patients with mild to moderate facial acne vulgaris, showing no significant difference in efficacy.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024A cream combining propolis, tea tree oil, and Aloe vera reduced erythema scars, acne severity index, and total lesion count better than erythromycin cream in sixty patients with mild to moderate acne vulgaris compared to placebo.
Clinical Pharmacology, 2018Tea tree oil nanoemulsion containing adapalene gel demonstrated significantly greater reductions in total, inflammatory, and non-inflammatory acne lesions as well as acne severity index compared to adapalene marketed gel in 100 patients with acne vulgaris over 12 weeks.
Archives of Dermatological Research, 2022Topical 5% tea tree oil gel significantly improved total acne lesions and acne severity index compared to placebo in 60 patients with mild to moderate acne vulgaris, showing 3.55 times and 5.75 times greater efficacy respectively.
Indian Journal of Dermatology, Venereology and Leprology, 2007Repeated application of concentrated water-in-oil emulsions over four weeks caused no skin irritation, positively affected skin properties, and delivered almost 50% of the applied fluorescein sodium, with isopropyl myristate showing superior penetration performance compared to liquid paraffin in healthy volunteers.
International Journal of Pharmaceutics, 2019
Ingredients
Cellulose Gum, Styrene Isoprene Styrene Block Copolymer, Polyisobutylene, Petroleum Resin, Polyurethane Film, Liquid Paraffin, Tetrakis Methane
Behind this fit score
Lovi calculates every fit score from the full ingredient list with brand-independent rules our dermatologists and cosmetic chemists build and review, and personalizes every pick with AI trained on the real results of millions of users. Lovi trains its fit score models on a proprietary dataset built from more than 10,000 expert-labeled products and more than 100,000 simulated examples, following an internally consistent methodology presented at Cosmoprof, AMWC, and Skin of Color Update.
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Co-founder, Medical Director
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetologist, aesthetic products developer
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Co-founder, CEO and CTO
PhD in computer science, 3x US patent holder, ex-Google, ex-Yandex
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Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc
Medical Board
Aesthetic medicine practitioner, MSc in Longevity and Anti-Aging Medicine
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Medical Board
Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD
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Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, SCS, IFSCC member
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Medical Board, Medical Advisor
Dermatology MD
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Elina Nazarenko, MD
Medical Board
Dermatology and diagnostic consultant
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Victoria Derkova, MS
Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetic development technologist
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