COSRX Acne Pimple Master Patch for oily skin
Hydrocolloid Dressing
Cellulose Gum
Salicylic Acid
Melaleuca Alternifolia Tree Oil Leaf
Liquid ParaffinAverage
- AverageOily Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- HighSafety
Works for oily skin; other serums fit it better.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with oily skin: shine, enlarged pores, blackheads, and blemishes. 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
- Offers moderate suitability for your oily skin due to the emollient action of Polyisobutylene and Liquid Paraffin, though it lacks sufficient ingredients for optimal oil control.
- The presence of cellulose gum provides excellent treatment for acne lesions by absorbing exudate and protecting blemishes, offering general skincare benefits like hydration and cleansing.
- The safety profile is excellent, with no risks of irritation for your oily skin due to the absence of prohibited or harsh ingredients.
How to apply
- Use this serum in your PM routine. Start by applying it 3 times a week and build up to daily use if your skin tolerates it well.
- Apply the serum after cleansing and toning, but right before your moisturizer for the best results.
- Gently press 2-3 drops of the serum into your skin. Let it absorb ⏱ for a minute before applying the next product.
- Apply the serum on clean and dry skin since your skin is not sensitive and you want to target oily shine. This helps control excess oil throughout the night.
- Avoid the delicate eye area and do a patch test before using the serum for the very first time.
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
How well does COSRX Acne Pimple Master Patch work for oily skin?
This patch works moderately well for oily skin by protecting blemishes and absorbing fluid, though it lacks ingredients to control oil. An ideal treatment for oily skin needs ingredients like niacinamide and zinc PCA to manage excess shine and pores without clogging the skin.
Which ingredients make this patch a good fit for oily skin?
This patch fits oily skin mainly because cellulose gum protects blemishes and absorbs fluid, while polyisobutylene and liquid paraffin help soften the skin. To work best for oily skin, a treatment of this type needs ingredients that control oil and shine, such as niacinamide, zinc, or soothing extracts.
What does Hydrocolloid Dressing do for oily skin?
Hydrocolloid Dressing is unlikely to provide the oil control and deep pore clearing that oily skin needs. Oily skin benefits from ingredients like salicylic acid and tea-tree oil to help reduce excess shine and manage breakouts effectively.
What does Cellulose Gum do for oily skin?
Cellulose Gum helps create a lightweight gel texture that spreads easily on oily skin without feeling heavy or greasy. It is commonly used to stabilize formulas and deliver active ingredients smoothly.
Where does this patch go in a skincare routine for oily skin?
This patch goes in the evening routine as a treatment step, and is also used on weekly routine days. It is unlikely to cause irritation on oily skin, but this type of product also needs ingredients for optimal oil control.
Can I use this patch with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this patch in your routine with retinol by applying the patch directly onto clean, dry skin before your moisturizer, while keeping it off areas treated with strong active ingredients to prevent unwanted reactions.
How often should I use this patch?
You can use this treatment in your evening routine, and a product of this type needs more oil-controlling ingredients for optimal oil control on your oily skin.
Can this patch clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for oily skin?
This patch is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts for oily skin, as it has an excellent safety profile without harsh ingredients. However, because it lacks strong oil control ingredients, oily skin types also need lightweight, oil-free hydrators and balancing ingredients to manage excess oil.
What the research says
Application 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, 2009Biocellulose 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, 2019Polymeric 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, 2021Daily 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
Why other serums fit oily skin better
A panthenol-enriched mask improved skin hydration, regulated sebum, and reduced redness and TEWL across dry sensitive, oily sensitive, and oily acne skin subgroups with excellent tolerance and no adverse reactions.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024Niacinamide and ferulic acid incorporated in a stable multiple emulsion successfully reduced melanin, sebum, and skin erythema while improving skin elasticity and hydration in human skin compared to a placebo.
BioMed Research International, 2022
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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