Review: 3M Nexcare Acne Patches vs Target up&up Hydrocolloid / Blister Bandages

I can't remember where I first read about using hydrocolloid bandages for breakouts but they've been a crucial part of my acne care routine for years.  The idea is that patching a blemish (especially a broken / picked one) overnight with these sticky products will allow the pus and other inflammatory junk to be absorbed out of the skin and into the bandage, calming things down and speeding up healing.  Best of all there's this mesmerizing & gross visual payoff in the morning when I hold the bandage patch to the light and see just how much gunk is extracted overnight!  (See pictures at end of post ^_^)

My first forays into acne patches were through completely transparent sticker-like sheets (think Missha Speedy Solution Anti Trouble Patch, Lioele AC Control Trouble Patch, etc).  They were pretty much worthless except for covering up spots and preventing me from scratching while sleeping.  Those pretty ads that promised I'd clear a blemish overnight were unfortunately untrue for me... BUT I did find another use for them (details to follow) so all was not lost! =)

Hydrocolloid bandages, on the other hand, really live up to their claims and the first type I ever tried was made by Nexcare, a major player in wound care products. They're under 3M, a company that makes "more than 55,000 products" according to Wikipedia and as American as they come.  Interestingly, though, I've always bought my Nexcare Acne Patches through Asian eBay sellers because I can find the smaller-sized patches I need from Taiwan but not so much here in the US.

Over time I started looking at different brands because I run through these acne patches fast & I wanted to find a cheaper alternative.  Google turned me onto Target's up&up brand of hydrocolloid bandages (called "Blister Bandages") and after using them for nearly a year I've some thoughts to share on how the two brands compare.



Packaging

The Nexcare patches come in round/square shapes ranging from 0.8 cm diameter (the ones pictured below) to over 1 cm large.  They're arranged between 2 clear plastic sheets & enclosed within a sterile envelope that peels apart.  The cardboard box housing everything is a bit flimsy but these products aren't delicate so it hardly matters.  I always go for the smallest sized patches (50/box) but they're also sold in combinations of smaller + larger patches.

Target's version comes in a sturdier cardboard box but it seems wastefully large since it's only holding 6 flat bandages, large as they are.  Each come stuck to a backing with one edge pre-peeled (via an extra plastic strip), seen in the picture below as the side with the dark blue line.

It's immediately clear these 2.9 cm x 5.9 cm bandages require the extra step of being cut up into smaller pieces before use but, to be fair, this brand isn't marketing them for acne, just general wounds.  I keep my adorable little pair of Etude House Ribbon Scissors around for just this purpose.  (They're supposed to be for eyebrows but I only use them to cut my hydrocolloid bandages and nothing else so they stay clean and sharp!)

Application/Durability

Nexcare's patches are a bit slippery and don't adhere as well with layered skincare products (especially oily or heavy moisturizers).  Each patch has a sticky and non-sticky side (sticky side obviously goes towards the face) but I've found I need to press it firmly against the skin to create a good seal and even that's not a guarantee I won't find the patch on my pillow by morning.  If you sleep quietly on your back, face-up all night, that's great news but in my case I wiggle around so I have to get creative with ensuring these precious things actually stay close to the skin.  Enter the useless clear sticker patches I mentioned earlier!  By cutting them apart into strips I can use them as extra "tape" against the edge of a Nexcare patch and onto my face.  

I suppose regular adhesive tape would suffice but these clear acne patches probably have some skincare benefits and this way I feel like I'm getting all the use I can out of an unsuccessful product!  I also use another failed acne product (reviewed here) on the Nexcare patches as an extra holding "glue" whenever I can't replenish my "acne tape" in time.  (One dud serves as the back-up to another dud haha =P)

On the other hand, Target's version has great sticking power and I rarely feel like I need to reinforce it with "acne tape/glue."  Even after I cut them up into little squares or strips I can paste the Target bandages onto my face and 19 out of 20 times I'll find them in the same place come morning.  If anything, the adhesive is a bit strong and I have to be careful not to rip them off too quickly ("OW my facial hair!" ^_^)  Many might see this as a disadvantage but I prefer to exercise a little caution in removal versus deal with the disappointment of realizing the patch fell off overnight and didn't do squat for the blemish.

One small thing I need to mention: the Target bandages have a paper backing (not plastic) that annoyingly separates into 2 layers if I'm too hasty at peeling them off.  This sounds like a weird peeve but when it separates I'm left with a thin matte layer still stuck to the back of the bandage that negates the stickiness & makes it un-useable.  I've learned my lesson and now always make sure I'm grabbing the whole paper backing with my fingernail.

Performance

So how do these two perform/compare?  The Nexcare patch is thinner & more transparent than the Target version.  This means it starts bulging outward away from my face if it's tackling a huge blemish with loads of pus, oil and other fluids.  However, Nexcare's transparency gives more of a visual pay-off because it's so obvious what scary stuff comes out overnight.  

In comparison, Target's bandages are thicker so absorb slightly more goop.  They're also opaque so it's harder to tell in the morning what exactly got absorbed into them.    I have to squint at and hold up the Target bandages toward the light to see if they actually collected anything within.  When it comes to photographing the results it's way easier to convince someone of the Nexcare patches' efficacy versus the less transparent Target bandages.  (I had the worst time trying to photograph the Target ones so apologies for the quality!)

Price

Both brands end up about the same price if you have the patience to track down the cheapest sellers.  On eBay the least expensive Nexcare Acne Patches I've found are priced $8.50 for 100 (2 boxes).  Target's blister bandages are usually $3.64 (or less depending on sales).  There's more bandage provided but after using junior high trig (2πr for the win!) to calculate the area of material I'm getting from both brands it actually works out to about 3.5 cents /sq cm of bandage across the board so no clear advantage for either company.

So the verdict?

At the end of the day both are reliable acne fighters.  My cystic breakouts are less painful, less inflamed and flatter by morning each time I use either of these products.  Personally I'm going to give a small edge to Target's up&up brand because I like its extra stickiness.  Folks who sleep without too much tossing can probably use Nexcare just fine but me... I'm a pillow nuzzler!  Extra work is required in cutting apart the large bandages but I also prefer being able to customize the shapes for different parts of my face and different size blemishes.  I've tried cutting up the Nexcare patches and it's definitely possible but pie wedge shapes or semicircles are the end products, which aren't as flexible for me.  Plus, I have to slice up other stickers to secure the Nexcare patches onto my face and that's a little more annoying/delicate work.

Another bonus is that Target is a popular local store for me and I can pick up their Blister Bandages super easy instead of dealing with Nexcare & international shipping.  These last few months I've depleted my Nexcare Acne Patches and slowly converted to Target's brand. =)

Summary for 3M Nexcare Acne Patches

• Packaging:     5/5 (sterile; easy-to-remove plastic backings)
• Performance:  4/5 (absorbs well; not the stickiest)
• Value/Price:    5/5 ($8.50 for 100 small patches via eBay)
• Recommend? Yes (cheap; effective; better for tranquil sleepers =)
• Repurchase?  Not at this time

Summary for Target up&up Blister Bandages

• Packaging:     4/5 (sterile; okay paper backing)
• Performance:  4/5 (absorbs well; very sticky; hard to see gunky payoff)
• Value/Price:    5/5 ($3.64 for 6 large bandages)
• Recommend? Yes (cheap; effective; stays on all night!)
• Repurchase?  Already did!