SokoGlam founder Charlotte Cho has access to all the latest skin care innovations that first prove successful in South Korea before hitting the U.S., so we’re always on the lookout for her favorite discoveries. Today, the K-beauty guru took to Instagram to reveal a new product that’s caught her eye, which she says works wonders on her cystic acne: Acropass Trouble Cure ($18).
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Different from other “pimple patches,” Trouble Cure contains tiny microneedles that penetrate the skin and then dissolve to help infuse it with ingredients that are specifically designed to help treat cystic/hormonal acne. “Existing acne patches on the market do not contain these dissolving microneedle structures, which work to calm and treat the breakout,” Cho says. “Additionally, Trouble Cure is made to target cystic acne—the breakouts that occur underneath the surface of your skin—rather than surface-level pimples.”
The product requires a two-step process, which Cho has been testing for months and seen results from. “The first step involves rubbing a pad that is drenched in tea tree oil and salicylic acid on the area to clean out the pores and the infected/inflamed surface,” she explains. “The second step is applying a round, transparent hydrocolloid patch with microneedles that contain ingredients such as hyaluronic acid, peptides and niacinamide. The microneedles dissolve into your skin when you apply the patch, so that the ingredients can treat the inflamed area underneath the surface. Each dissolving microneedle is thinner than one-third the width of a hair, so it’s painless and effective.”
The ingredient lineup is another point of difference, according to Cho. “Many acne products are designed to dry out your blemish—benzoyl peroxide often strips the skin barrier—but Trouble Cure sticks to the Korean beauty philosophy when it comes to treating acne, which is to hydrate and calm the inflammation down through ingredients such as hyaluronic acid and peptides (wound-healing ingredients).”
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We’ve seen microneedle patches for other purposes—there are some inspired by mesotherapy that smooth fine lines and even one that purportedly dissolves fat on the body—but not one specifically made for this type of acne, which can be difficult to treat. “Admittedly I was skeptical about Trouble Cure first, until I saw that it completely flattened out my painful, bumpy, cystic acne and reduced redness and inflammation within one day,” says Cho. “About 12 hours after application, you’ll see a reduction in redness, inflammation and the overall breakout will have diminished in size!”
You can apply the patch at night on clean skin and let it work its magic while you sleep, or if you prefer to use it in the morning or any other time of the day, make sure to allot at least two hours to leave the patch on so the ingredients can really sink in. We can’t wait to get our hands on them!
