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Welcome to Skimm Tested, where we put products to the test and then give them a report card. (Check out all of our tried-and-tested faves here.)
The assignment...
To test if Starface’s cult-fave pimple patches ($10.99+) shrink blemishes. Even though the social media-clad patches look cool and trendy, do they actually work?
Straight A’s in…
Shrinking blemishes. They’re made with 100% hydrocolloid, which is known to absorb excess fluid and reduce inflammation. And because these patches cover your breakouts, they protect them from outside bacteria. All three testers agreed that their whiteheads and smaller pimples appeared way less red and angry the morning after wearing. One editor wore a patch on a more stubborn whitehead every night for one week, and it healed completely. Note: Another editor with cystic acne didn’t notice a huge difference in pimple size after wearing, so these patches seem more effective on whitehead-prone skin.
Ease of wear. Of course, shrinking blemishes can help with skin confidence, but what we love about this brand is that it destigmatizes the idea that acne is an unsightly thing. These patches are fun, adorable to wear, and almost feel like a cute accessory. Editors noted feeling confident around partners, family, and friends because of the happy shape and colors. Plus, because they’re opaque compared to typical pimple patches, people aren’t able to see the fluid and pus that’s being absorbed underneath.
Storage. You can buy just the pimple patches, but the brand encourages you to grab the starter kit where you’ll get the compact too. It has a built-in mirror, which we loved for application. Overall, it’s great for travel, storing in your bag, and most importantly, keeping the patches clean. We kept them in the compact even when in our medicine cabinets.
Room for growth…
Slippage. When used with our regular skincare routines (applying acne creams and moisturizers), these tended to slip and move around depending on where we placed them and how much previous product we lathered on. We suggest placing these directly onto your pimple without first moisturizing, and then adding your lotions around your Starface-covered breakout. PSA: They sometimes have a tendency to peel or move around especially on the nose crevice, chin, and jawline. All in all, we wish they were stickier. The brand has both a microdart version and an XL version that one editor noted felt a little more secure.
Opaqueness. Hear us out. One of the reasons we love these patches is because they cover our acne in a fun way, but what we love about clear pimple patches is that you can see the fluid and pus that’s being absorbed. Kind of gross, we know. But it’s nice to see that a product is working. It comes down to personal preference – you could use Starface for daytime and other brands for nighttime.
Plays well with…
Those looking for a quick way to lessen whiteheads overnight.
Anyone new to using pimple patches, or someone who wants to switch up their traditional ones.
Excessive pickers. Out of sight, out of mind.
Travel skincare routines and those looking for effective, on-the-go pimple solutions.
People who are prone to body breakouts.
Gets extra credit for…
Limited-edition drops. From Hello Kitty and “SpongeBob SquarePants” to fruit stickers and hearts, their one-off releases are exciting and sell out pretty fast.
Their skincare line. Starface is most famous for their pimple patches, yet their remaining skincare line is majorly slept on. We love these blemish-friendly cleansing swabs, these pore strips, and this body cleanser.
How we did our homework…
Three Skimm HQ’rs tested Starface pimple patches over the course of a month. They wore them on breakout-prone parts of the face, like the chin, near the nose, the T-zone, and more. They even tested them on body breakouts. Our editors tried wearing them on clean, dry skin without any other skincare, as well as with their moisturized everyday routines to check for any slippage. One HQ’r used them on a larger blemish, from the initial breakout stage to the multiple healing stages, making notes during the journey to better inform this piece.
Footnotes...
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