California Woman Shares a Pimple Patch Saver Tip: ‘You’re Being Robbed Blind’

With so many skincare drops from Sephora and Ulta, there’s almost always a new product trending on TikTok every week. But Kate (@kates_news), a student from California, shared a skincare hack that could save people hundreds of dollars.

“You’re being robbed blind by pimple patch companies,” Kate told TikTok, adding, “It’s a gimmick.”

Pimple patches are hydrocolloid stickers meant to absorb oil and pus from a pimple. Teens, and even adults dealing with surface-level acne breakouts, would usually hoard pimple patches to treat acne and prevent further infection. But Kate claims that the cost of buying pimple patches is not commensurate to the number of patches people receive in boxes.

“The brand I used to use, 72 [pieces], was the biggest number I could get,” she explained. Kate mentioned that it was priced at $30—a steep price to pay for acne treatment. Then, she showed what looked like a roll of tape on camera. But it wasn’t any regular scotch tape.

“This is the exact same thing. Pimple patches are made of hydrocolloid bandages or tape,” Kate said. “This is a 16-foot roll of hydrocolloid tape.” The price of the tape was just $12.

Kate then pulled out a hole puncher.

“This is a hole puncher that I’ve had since I was 17.” She also claimed that the puncher was just worth $2. In total, she spent $14 on her DIY pimple patches.

“You are paying an up price, times a thousand,” she said, demonstrating how she makes her DIY patch. Her puncher broke in the process, but she defended her method, saying that it could be replaced. Using tweezers, she plucked out her perfectly round patch for TikTok to see.

A viral pimple patch hack on TikTok

It seems that social media users are buying into Kate’s suggestion with some of their own ideas in mind.

One commenter said, “Hear me out: get one of those scrapbooking punches with the cute shapes. Boom.”

Someone else commented, “I’d put entire sheets of it on my face.”

But another wrote, “You’re definitely right…. But I do like covering the pimples on my face with little colorful stars.”

These days, pimple patches don’t just come in round shapes—some of them are shaped as flowers and stars with color. It’s not impossible to do with DIY pimple patches, but some would still prefer the store-bought patches for aesthetic purposes.

Nevertheless, the prices of pimple patches are notoriously steep. One comment reads, “I gave my niece $50 to spend at Ulta. She bought 2 boxes of pimple patches.”

As seen on Kate’s video, punching holes out of hydrocolloid tape may be a difficult task for some people. This is a price people pay for convenience.

But it’s not the only product people pay for out of convenience or branding. As one TikTok comment puts it, “Also magic erasers. Mr. Clean sells like 10 for the same price you can get 50 without the brand name.”

It’s all a matter of needs and means. Standard hydrocolloid tape can do the trick—and while some social media users raised concerns about Kate’s method being unsanitary, the tools used to cut the tape can be disinfected with alcohol beforehand. For those hoping to save some hard-earned dollars while treating a breakout, Kate’s method is an alternative they can try. But those who aren’t keen on DIY-ing their pimple patches can go into their local Ulta and call it a day.

(featured images: kates_news)

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