Do pimple patches really work?

Some patches include tried and true acne medications like salicylic acid, hyaluronic acid, and niacinamide, which are — obviously — intended to conjure up perfect skin. Other, perhaps more interesting, patch varieties include microneedles which are supposed to help by penetrating the skin and allowing the ingredients to get through and work their magic better. 

As much as we would all love to believe this little bandaid is the skin-saving miracle we’ve all been waiting for, there’s no peer-reviewed data on the efficacy of the patches. Dermatologists seem to have varied opinions about the products, but most were willing to admit that the patches would, at the very least, help prevent pimple pickers from making their acne worse. And beyond that, leaving your skin alone allows it to heal faster, so in a roundabout way they are working in some capacity. However, doctors warn that those with sensitive skin might be prone to irritation, and while microneedle patches do carry some risk of infection, those are relatively low (via Self).