Winie Coulanges

Managing Editor

Photo via Teen Vogue

Reminiscent of the sleepwear as outerwear trend of the 2010s, patches tow the line between what we find to be acceptable and unacceptable

 A typical acne commercial usually follows one of two tropes. The first being a gorgeous model with little to no acne, passionately splashing water on her face and smiling. The second one will be a teenager looking sad or disillusioned at the state of their face until they discover the perfect cream to magically make their acne go away. These commercials position acne as something ugly and something to get rid of despite it being natural and not harmful. In fact, the Canadian Dermatology Association reports that 20% of Canadians have acne, yet, perfectly clear skin remains the beauty standard. The popularity of decorative pimple patches and the use of them in public has somewhat diminished the cultural shame around acne and has emerged as a new trend amongst Gen Z.

One of the first iterations of pimple patches as we know them today were made using black velvet or silk with mastic (a form of resin) or saliva as an adhesive. Collectors Weekly reported that they were used by war veterans of the 18th century,  people seeking to cover up marks left by syphilis or smallpox and they were very popular among the aristocratic women in France. They loved how it accentuated their beautiful clothes and the contrast it offered to their pale face makeup. Since they were inexpensive to purchase, women of lower classes could participate in the trend as well, though there was a strict social code to follow, since these stickers could say a lot about a person. Wearing too many patches could come off as desperate while wearing too few was simply unfashionable. One must also not forget the importance of where the patch was placed. German professor of Social Sciences at the University of Barcelona, Peter Wagner explains these social codes:

 “Women who wanted to create the impression of impishness stuck them near the corner of the mouth; those who wanted to flirt chose the cheek; those in love put a beauty spot beside the eye; a spot on the chin indicated roguishness or playfulness, a patch on the nose cheekiness; the lip was preferred by the coquettish lady, and the forehead was reserved for the proud.”

The modern iteration of the pimple patch actually has healing properties because they are made with hydrocolloid, which the New York Times describes as “ an absorbent, gel-forming material that medical professionals have used for decades as a wound dressing.” More sophisticated brands like Mighty Patch or Cosrx will add acne-fighting ingredients such benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid to their patches, but either way the overall goal remains the same: protecting the blemish from bacteria.

 It’s important to note that in between patches being class signifiers in the 16th century and them appearing on Paris Fashion week runways in 2024, there was a period of time when the best thing a pimple patch could be was invisible.

When Ju Rhyu founded Hero Cosmetics, she was inspired by her brief time as a South Korean expat.In an interview with Fortune she revealed: “Korea is really known in the beauty industry to be very ahead of the curve in terms of beauty, innovation, and adoption. Back in 2012, people were already wearing them out in public. I would see people wearing them at the office, and I asked them what they were for and was told that they were for breakouts.” Hero Cosmetics launched in 2017 on Amazon with invisible, discrete patches that quickly sold out. 

If Hero Cosmetics gained their success by blending in, then Starface got it by standing out. Founded by Julie Schott and Brian Bordainick in 2019, Starface had a mission of making acne “fun”. Kara Brothers, the CEO of the brand said in an interview with Vogue Business : “ … the beauty industry was quite different than it is today, especially for acne.[…]How can we transform this conversation around acne and make it something you want to celebrate?” With cute collectible cases, a range of colours and shapes, celebrity endorsements, strategic collaborations with other brands like Sesame Street, Hello Kitty, and Glossier, and a strong social media following they’ve accomplished exactly that.

In a fast-paced world, pimple patches are contrary to what most acne treatments promise. They don’t offer immediate results; instead, you have to wear them for a couple hours for them to take effect. Reminiscent of the sleepwear as outerwear trend of the 2010s, patches tow the line between what we find to be acceptable and unacceptable. By refusing to succumb to the idea that acne is shameful and should be hidden, decorative pimple patches encourage us to take an unexpected pimple in stride and simply use it as an excuse to accessorise! As self-expression and authenticity become fundamental values in what we search for when shopping, embracing our so-called flaws might be the next beauty trend.