While we wish that blemish patches would solve all our skin woes, unfortunately it doesn’t work like that. Don’t get us wrong, blemish patches are a pretty great tool for any acne-fighting routine (especially if you can’t keep your hands off your pimples) but your blemish care doesn’t end there.
If you’re an avid user of blemish patches then you may have noticed that sometimes you need more than just one patch, or sometimes you need to tackle a dark (or red) spot left behind from a healed blemish.
But, how do you deal with the aftermath of a healed blemish once you’ve removed the blemish patch?
There are a couple different things you can do depending on what you’re dealing with. Treatment can look different if you’re dealing with some dryness around the spot or if it’s discoloration you’re worried about.
If this is you, then follow our tips below:
Assess your post-patch skin
First off, you need to evaluate what your skin needs once you’ve removed the blemish patch. If you’re on your first patch and you notice some remaining gunk still in your pimple, then it’s best to clean the skin and apply a new, fresh patch to suck up that leftover fluids in the spot.
Pro-tip: Even if you do notice that your pimple still needs some more patches to heal, try not to keep a blemish patch on longer than advised (only use for 6 to 8 hours then discard). And never use topical spot treatments in tandem with a blemish patch. The blemish patch should be applied to clean, dry skin to avoid any unwanted irritation.
Post-Patch Tips
How to tackle dryness
If you have some dryness or flakiness even after the pimple has already healed, then you’ll want to repair and hydrate the spot.
After removing the blemish patch, cleanse and dry the skin with a gentle cleanser. Then you can apply a lightweight, hydrating moisturizer, serum, or spot cream to help bring some moisture back to the skin and diminish the look of flakiness.
Our newest Post-Blemish Corrector with Ceramide is made with restorative and hydrating ingredients like Ceramide, Peptides, and Aloe to help with this issue. These ingredients help support the skin barrier and moisturize the spot to replenish any lost moisture in the skin.
How to tackle post-blemish marks
Aside from dryness, when a pimple heals it can leave behind a discolored spot that is either red or brown/dark brown in color. These spots are post-blemish marks that result from inflammatory acne. The inflammation can trigger damage in blood vessels or result in too much melanin production that leads to post-blemish marks.
In this case, you can use a spot treatment with brightening ingredients to help fade the look of the red or dark spot. Once, you’ve removed the patch, cleanse and dry the skin then apply your brightening spot treatment.
Our Post-Blemish Corrector also has some effective brightening ingredients including Niacinamide and Tranexamic Acid to help target the post-blemish marks. The combination of 3% Niacinamide and 2% Tranexamic Acid helps even the skin tone and through consistent use also helps fade the look of post-blemish marks.
Final tips
Now that you know how to care for your skin post-patching, there are some other things to consider in your post-blemish care routine. For example, if you’re looking to tackle post-blemish marks it’s important to apply sunscreen anytime you step out to prevent any dark spots from getting darker.
And, if you are going to treat a pimple post-patching, make sure that the spot is not an open wound (aka it’s either bleeding or hasn’t scabbed over) before applying any topicals to the spot. Always wait until your blemish is healed to start treating any flakiness or post-blemish marks.
