I swear I’m the last person in the world to learn about the acne busting wonder that is the 3M Nexcare Acne Patch. In my defence, I did not have much need for this in recent years. Spots were obediently not prominently present and even if they were, popped and healed very quickly without incident. Until recently that is.
My recent bout with chin acne came to a head recently and with a few reader suggestions pushing me to try the Nexcare acne patches, I stopped by a pharmacy and picked one pack up. It was while poring over the box that I remembered lots of raves about this product about a year or two back when almost everyone had something good to say about this.
I must however add my praise to the chorus. This acne patch thingy is a right acne buster!
I had a painful cystic sort of acne spot on one side, and an unerupted painful spot on another. It was as good a time as any to see how the Nexcare acne patch would work. I must also confess to some excitement – sad I know – because I would not at another time, purchase or try this 😀
I got the small packet which has 7 patches – 3 larger ones and 4 smaller ones. You can see the approximate sizes on the packet above and in my hand. This is a used pack, naturally 😛 The patches are sandwiched between 2 pieces of plastic which are then sealed in a sterilized pack. I appreciated that but it is worth noting that once you open it, its no longer sterilized. This is also the reason I opted for the small pack as opposed to the large one (even if the large box gives better value)
The slightly opaque silicone patches are sticky on one side – the side you stick to your face. I found it hard to find the sticky side because it appeared that both sides are a little sticky and if you manhandle it too much, it loses its stickiness. The larger one was easier (one side is smooth) but the small one was tricky.
Tips on using Nexcare Acne Patches
- Ensure your face is clean and dry
- Do not apply moisturiser or toner after cleansing or it will not stick properly
- Ensure your hands are clean when handling these patches
- Try to use your nails to peel the patch off the plastic sheet so it does not lose the stickiness
Once applied over the pimple or cystic acne spot, the translucent colour blends right into my skin so it isn’t very noticable. The instructions called for the patch to be worn until it turns white. I however had no intention of wearing a patch under makeup so I only wore it at night and removed it in the day.
I did notice that when I removed the patch in the morning, the spot that covers the pimple or acne will be white or opaque. It might be the ingredients at work busting acne? I’m not sure.
But what I noticed was that when I woke up, the unerupted spot on my chin was markedly flat. 2 nights of use and it was basically gone. The other more painful one took a few more patches but its also now flat and no longer painful nor a spot. I now only have to take care of getting rid of the mark.
I think these patches are wonderful for spot treatment and would heartily recommend anyone to give it a go if you have an isolated painful pimple or spot that needs treatment because these things work!
And I’m probably the last person to find out 😛
Paris B
Nexcare 3M Acne patches come in different packages with the smallest being 7 patches. I purchased the 7 patch pack for RM4.30 and this is available at most pharmacies.
this review came just at the right time.. I’m having a random bout of breakout now! thanks!
Ooh go get a pack and stick them on tonight. It flattens them quite quickly 😀
I find demented pleasure in seeing the white stuff sealed within these patches in the morning! Hehehe!! 😀
During my recent acne bout i was ripping through the large pack at lightning speed. I must be quite a sight walking around my house with more than 10 patches all over my face! T_T
HAHA I know what you mean – I get up and think “Ooh I wonder if its sucked out all the bad stuff already?” 😛 Its quite pricey I feel, considering most of us only use it in the night and not for the whole day.
I always keep a spare box of this in case…the thing is I always waste some of the patches. Found that the bigger size ones work better than the smaller ones in my case. Hope your acne is under control now. For most cystic acne, it is an internal issue. If it’s chin, it’s definitely your hormones. Could be stress related.
I find the big patches work better for cystic acne and small patches for pimples with a head. And yes, everything’s under control now, thanks for asking 🙂 I believe it might have been caused by the Clarisonic and things seem to have settled down now that I’ve stopped using it.
i love it! i picked up 2 packs from robinson’s when they were having sale at 50% off for that. LOL. ^_^
They have 50% sale?! At Robinsons?? Ok next time tell me!
nope. looks like i am the last one to find out 🙁
must buy quickly cos i have one huge pimple on my chin…
I used to overlook it before but do try it – seriously works man!
Haven’t tried it yet myself. I have a bad habit of popping zits whenever they pop out. >.<
According to some readers, used after popping a zit, it helps it heal faster. I think it might be because it seals it so bacteria doesn’t get in and it then works to calm down the skin.
LOL I found out about this wonderful thing in Seoul actually! A lot of korean girls do have some of these patches on their face even with their makeup on! So there you go! Glad it works on you too 😀
Oh my seriously?! I don’t remember seeing anyone with it on, but I do remember that in the main, Korean girls had lovely lovely skin!
LOL Yes, serious 😀 Perhaps at that point of time, summer just started. You hardly take the train right? They do have lovely skin, so apparently, with just 1 or 2 patches on their face, it’s very obvious but it’s a norm for them though 😀
So then I went to get a box from Olive Young pharmacy at Myeongdong, I did the same, placed 2 patches on both my huge pimples, nobody cares LOL But back here and Singapore, people start to give me some odd stares :p LOL
Sorry, I mean I saw most of them with the patches on whenever I am on the train in Seoul 😛
i too, cut these patches into quarters, as i usually have small pimples, and stick them on my face when i go out. they help take away swelling too!
@ Alene: Huh? I don’t cut it anymore, I guess your pimples must be super smaller than mine 😀
I took the train quite a bit. Perhaps they were less spotty in Spring 😉
LOL I guess I am too observant 😛
I used to use Nexcare. Not bad really and I stick it on before I go to bed. Problem was when I wanted to continue the ‘treatment’ in the day time, I realized I can’t be having a yellow blob on my face when I go and see my clients so I switched to Nature Republic’s Trouble Spot Clear Patch. Works not as well as the acne sticker but it’s a transparent and comes in 7 x 12 patches for only RM19.90 =P.
It doesn’t ‘suck out’ the impurities like Nexcare but it brings the oil seed to the surface so it’s easier to pop. So I use Nexcare at night and the Trouble Spot Clear Patch in the mornings XD;;
Hmm… thanks for letting us know about Nature Republic 🙂 Might come in useful some day too 😀
You’re not the last one, I promise. I’m embarrassed but glad to say, I’ve never heard of it… My one skin allergy experience aside, I do have a huge one that pops up and says hello sometimes. And it goes away just as quickly. Maybe I should get a pack as back up!
Haha… maybe this patch will stop that solo pimple from popping up to say hello 😀 Its good to not have to have use of this 😉
I love these patches! they’re getting a bit harder to find, but still work like a charm.. 🙂 there’s one thing I can’t stand though – at the height of the hype, there were ladies walking around with these patches on their faces during the day and even applied their makeup over them! :O since the patch is quite thick, obviously it looked rather ridiculous… :p
Are they really getting harder to find? Darn… just when I discovered them too 😛 I did find it hard to find in the pharmacy. How was I to know it was put together with lipbalm? I mean lip balm and acne patches aren’t exactly of the same product family 😛 I’ve seen one of those too! In KLCC – makeup over patch. Not a good idea
I used this before too.. nice one! =D
Good to know! 😀
I love these Acne patches! been battling hormonal acne for the longest time, and I hate to say this, but I prick my acne.. then I use this for absorbing and promote healing.. I’ll check the Nature Republic’s..
I’ve heard it works well too for those who prick their spots. I think it helps cover up the area so bacteria doesn’t get in and then it does it little magic thing 🙂
I had NO idea these were made… I feel like I am living in the past. These would probably be great for pimples under the skin that are just hard to get rid of.
Haha Actually its not your fault at all 🙂 I don’t know how popular this is outside of Asia or our part of the world to be honest. I did find that it helped with the stubborn acne under the skin. It flattened it and took the pain away
I’ve never used any acne buster like this before. Most of my pimples and spots, like yours, can be popped and healed within days, so I didn’t bother to use any tools. So, acne isn’t quite a problem for me. What really troubles me is the marks. They usually take more than days to see them fade.
Ah yes, marks are a whole different kettle of fish. Its part of the reason I try not to squeeze because squeezing just makes the marks worse and lasts longer. I find the Clinique Repairwear Laser Focus helps reduce my acne marks more quickly.
Wow Paris, never knew such a product existed even though I get breakouts from time to time. Will definitely buy a few packs and keep it for those troubled days.
I’m so glad to know I’m not the last to know about these! 😀 Do try it the next time you sport a pimple – it helps keep itchy hands away from it too 😉
this is my HG product! i find whenever i dig out a blackhead, my skin is so sensitive that it will turn into a pimple. so now whenever i dig out any blackheads, i just paste this over, and voila! it will suck out all the white pus thing, so no pimple!
word of warning, this nexcare thing doesnt go thru quality control or something, so if u buy the bigger boxes, which i do, u will notice that they have a plastic window for u to see the patches. now, please notice that some patches are a lighter beigey gluey color, while some are a darker, -i-dont-drink-enough-water urine color. the darker ones DONT work! instead they make the pimple worse!! so be warned, i have been using these daily for more than 1 year, so i’m an expert, lol.
BTW, another tip. cut them into quarters if u like, depending on size of pimple, so u dont waste. =)
Its close to HG now too LOL! I just picked up the big box at the pharmacy for just in case moments, and I took your advice and checked the window first! Yay!
I need me some of those. But unfortunately, I like popping my own zits too much. There’s nothing more satisfying than seeing pus on the mirror from my zits which I burst myself LOL 😀
As a few readers have suggested, slapping these on after popping pimples works just as well too! 😀 I popped one and slapped on a patch and the next day, redness was nearly gone and there was no swelling. Very good stuff!
I’ve never heard of such a miracle product!! I need something like that to keep my hands from touching those pimples all the time because I can never, ever resist popping them. =p
Yes there’s that too 😀 The patch keeps you from touching it and making it worse 😉 I don’t know if they sell it outside of Asia – perhaps on sasa.com?
Aah, I’ve just ordered one over Ebay (free shipping woot)! I’m really hoping this will bring all those temperamental zits down! =p
Good luck! Hope they work!
They did! 🙂
I bought similar ones but different brand, would you believe? I woke up with all those cute circles on my pillows instead? hahahah 🙂
HAHA! Guess there’s the difference then. 3M is famous for their stickability 😀 They hang on like crazy to the skin till morning. Amazing! But just don’t apply moisturizer because then it won’t stick.