Those who struggle with acne will be all too familiar with the ordeal of dealing with stubborn flare-ups and the countless products and dermatologist visits that typically follow suit. So, when a new innovation promises to help soothe your acne virtually overnight, it isn’t surprising that beauty-lovers are taking notice. Today, a quick scroll on any e-tailing website will reveal a number of iterations of pimple patches — they include medicated and non-medicated variants, and come in a variety of shapes and colours, based on the time of the day they’re intended for use. “Pimple patches are made of hydrocolloid, a squishy, plastic-like material that absorbs fluid from a wound [or a pimple, in this case], forming a gel that gets trapped in the bandage,” explains Dr Soma Sarkar, a dermatologist and medical director of Skin Inn. Thus, in the case of oozing, pus-filled acne, these can work to shrink the size of the pimples.

Dr Sarkar says that while pimple patches are, by no means, a miracle solution for acne and do little to prevent future incidents, they can be occasionally used to spot-treat a pre-menstrual hormonal flare-up on the night before a special occasion.