Hero is a skincare brand made for folks with acne-prone and sensitive skin. In addition to their Mighty Patches (which was their original product and what they’re probably best known for), they also have a variety of other skincare products, including spot treatments, cleansers, masks, and more.
I’ve tried many of their products and am giving you the rundown below. But here are my thoughts summed up in a nutshell:
Their Original Mighty Patches work really well and I do like them a lot. They are made out of just one ingredient: hydrocolloid (more on that below).
In general, Hero definitely has a lot going for it. Their products are available in stores like Target and they’re great for pretty much all genders and ages.
Ingredient-wise, Hero’s products are not the “cleanest” in the world, and I’ve explained why below. But they are free from all of the “worst” ingredients, like phthalates, parabens, etc., which I’m definitely happy about.
Personally, I don’t use Hero as my only skincare brand. I tend to use more natural skincare products for my everyday cleansing and moisturizing. But then I use Hero’s high-efficacy products for a more targeted approach when I need to quickly get rid of a couple zits or do a blackhead clearout!
If you struggle with acne and have a difficult time finding products that actually work (while also not overly-irritating your skin in the process), then I think Hero might be worth a try.
What This Review Includes:
This guide contains affiliate links, which means we may earn a commission if you decide to make a purchase. As always, we only make recommendations that are genuine.
First, here are some basics about Hero that you might be wondering about:
Vegan? Yes (but not certified)
Cruelty-free? Yes (but not certified)
Non-comedogenic? Yes
Reef safe (sunscreen)? Yes
Korean? No, but kinda. Hero was co-founded by Ju Rhyu, who is a native New Yorker but got the idea for the brand when she was living in Seoul, South Korea (where hydrocolloid pimple patches were already being used).
FSA Eligible? Yes, many product are (but not all). See this page.
Good for sensitive skin? Yes, for the most part. But some of the ingredients that make the products effective (such as salicylic acid and glycolic acid) may be irritating for some. So you’ll want to patch test and pay attention to your own reactions.
Products I’ve tried
Before I tell you more about my experience using Hero’s products, you should probably know a little more about my skin. I do not have a huge struggle with acne, so I use Hero more for the occasional pimple here and there.
That said, I do tend to have a lot of blackheads (I always have!), so that’s one of the reasons why I really like their face patches.
All of that said, here are the Hero products I’ve tried and will be covering below:
- Patches (Original, Face, Nose, Chin, etc.)
- Pore Release
- Rescue Balm
- Lightening Wand
- Superlight Sunscreen
Face Patches
Hero’s patches are my favorite of their products. I’ve tried a variety of Hero’s acne patches—The Original Mighty Patch, which is just your standard circular pimple patch, as well as their larger Face Patches (Nose, Chin, Forehead, etc.)
They definitely work. My personal favorites are: The Original Mighty Patch, which you can use to target single pimples as needed, and the Nose Patch, which helps my minimize blackheads on my nose.
I’m a millennial, and pimple patches are one of the things that I’m jealous of Gen Z for! Gosh, these things are sooo much better than any pimple-fighting products I had as a teen. They get rid of zits in a way that is so much faster and more gentle on the skin. (No squeezing or popping!)
You just put a patch over your zit before bed and then when you wake up, the gunk has been absorbed out of your skin and onto the patch (you can literally see it on the patch).
If you want to make it even more effective, you can add a little bit of salicylic acid onto your zit and let that dry before putting the patch on.
Look at how much gunk these patches pulled out of my skin! Gross, I know, but it just goes to show that they work.
The only ingredient in the patches is medical-grade hydrocolloid, which has been used for wound healing for several decades. It essentially creates a moist environment that helps gelling agents draw out liquids (like pus) out of wounds and zits and suspend them onto a surface (whether that’s a pimple patch or wound gauze).
Now, hydrocolloid patches in general can be made of out a variety of different things, which can be of natural, synthetic, or semi-synthetic origin. A “gelling agent” is usually used as one of the main ingredients, which is generally either gelatin or pectin. Hero specifies that they use pectin instead of gelatin in order to make the patches vegan-friendly.
Then sometimes a plastic backing is used for hydrocolloid treatments, which can be made of something like polyurethane or polyethylene. Hero told me that hydrocolloid is the only ingredient in their patches and that there is no plastic used.
Lastly, sometimes there is an adhesive that allows the patch to stick to the skin. Hero told me that there is no adhesive added to their patches, but rather, that one side of the hydrocolloid itself is sticky.
When I originally asked them about the full ingredients, Hero told me:
“The only ingredient in our Mighty Patch Original is hydrocolloid, which is what allows them to self adhere to the skin.”
When I asked for more info about the adhesive (“How is one side sticky and the other isn’t?”) they said:
“Hydrocolloid itself is sticky. Hydrocolloids work on the acne blemish by creating a protective seal over the skin, while absorbing excess fluid such as oil and pus. It has two layers so one is sticky and one is not.”
All that to say: as far as I can tell, the Hero Original patches are not made with any concerning ingredients or materials.
The other thing to note here is that Hero does have other varieties of the patches which contain additional ingredients (which they’re more clear about). The Micropoint patches, for example, contain a few other ingredients, like salicylic acid, niacinamide, willow bark, and a few other things. I haven’t tried those.
Now, the biggest downside to pimple patches in general is that they work much better for surface-level zits, and they’re not as effective for nodular acne that’s deeper underneath the skin. (They do recommend giving the Micropoint patches a try for early-stage cystic acne, though. Those can penetrate the skin a little deeper than the Original patches.)
Pore Release
This is a salicylic acid toner that’s meant to target blackheads.
As I mentioned, blackheads have always been an issue for me, so I was definitely excited to try it.
This toner is good, but the real magic for me comes when you combine the Pore Release with the Nose Patch.
I found them to work wayyy better together than either of them worked by themselves.
Ingredient wise, the Pore Release does contain a few ingredients that might be considered “harsh” on the skin—primarily salicylic acid and glycolic acid. But these are also what makes the product work. This is why I recommend using these types of acne-fighting products intentionally. Use them as-needed for target spots, and try not to over use them when you don’t really need them.
(Also, it’s worth noting that the Pore Release contains some other skin-calming ingredients to help balance out the acids, like aloe vera and lotus root.)
My biggest tip for you is to not use the Pore Release + Face Patches two nights in a row. It can easily dry out your skin. (I made this mistake!) I would recommend doing it once a week (or less if you don’t need it that often).
As I mentioned, salicylic acid is not without its potential problems, and I believe that if/when it’s used, it should be used intentionally. I do hope to provide a more in-depth breakdown on salicylic acid in the future! (If you’d be interested in that, consider becoming a member! Members get to vote on the topics I cover in my member-exclusive content.)
Superlight Sunscreen SPF 30
Okay, I’ve got major pros & cons when it comes to this sunscreen.
From a user perspective, I actually love it.
First of all: it lives up to its name, Superlight. It’s one of the lightest, least-greasy, best-absorbing non-toxic sunscreens I’ve tried.
Second of all, the shape and function of the bottle is great. It’s more of an oval-shaped bottle, which means it fits better in my small purse/fanny pack compared to a wider, circular tube.
And it’s got a pump dispenser, which helps you very easily get all of the sunscreen out of the bottle. You don’t have to sit there and hit the bottom of the bottle against your hand to get the last of the sunscreen to come out. Maybe a small thing, but I love it. I think it makes me more likely to actually re-apply the sunscreen when I’m out and about all day!
When it comes to active ingredients, it uses non-nano zinc oxide, which is one of the safest sunblock ingredient available on the US market. (You can get my full sunscreen guide here if you want to learn more!)
Now, when it comes to the inactive ingredients, this is where we get into a slight problem.
For the most part, it’s a much better option than a lot of other ‘conventional’ sunscreens on the market. It’s not only “reef-safe,” but it’s free from fragrance, phthalates, parabens, and silicones.
It also uses a lot of natural, skin-nourishing ingredients in it, such as moringa, green tea, turmeric, and more.
BUT… It does contain a few other *questionable* ingredients.
For example, C13-15 alkane and C15-19 alkane are both in the hydrocarbon family and could be potentially carcinogenic.
There are also a couple of other ingredients, like t-butyl alcohol and arachidyl glucoside, that have use restrictions on them. This basically means that if you’re using a lot of products with these ingredients over and over again, that’s when they could start to cause problems. (And considering the fact that you might be re-applying sunscreen over and over again, I think this is worth considering.)
So, this sunscreen definitely isn’t the cleanest on the market, but it’s not the worst either. I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it with flying colors, but if you have very acne-prone skin and have a really hard time finding a light, non-toxic sunscreen that doesn’t clog up your pores and make your acne worse, then I think this one might be worth a try.
If you do decide to try this sunscreen, what I would recommend is using this one on your face, and then using a ‘cleaner’ brand for the rest of your body. (See my guide for a lot more brand recommendations.)
Rescue Balm
This ‘post blemish recovery cream’ is meant to reduce redness and help blemishes heal faster. It’s meant to target red spots, bumps, scaly patches, and dark marks with a combination of antioxidants and peptides.
I have to say: I do think it does work! I think when I remember to apply it, the post-zit redness isn’t as noticeable and doesn’t last as long.
Ingredient-wise, this is another one that’s not the cleanest in the world, but overall, it’s pretty good.
It’s free from fragrance, phthalates, parabens, irritants, etc.
It does contain a couple of PEGs, which is not ideal. (There can be contamination concerns with PEGs and other types of ethoxylated ingredients.) I’m not super worried about this though because of the fact that you’re putting the tiniest amount of this product on your skin. Ethoxylated ingredients are very common and can be hard to avoid completely, so if you do want to minimize them, I would prioritize a product you use a lot more of (like body lotion or something like that).
Lightening Wand
I’m going to be honest with you: I have no idea why I bought this product.
I don’t really struggle with dark spots (it’s redness that’s more of a problem for me), which is what this Lightening Wand meant to help with.
It’s a serum that you apply with a roller ball to blemish spots after they’ve healed.
This one does contain glycolic acid, which can be irritating to the skin for some folks. This is a type of alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) that’s used in chemical peels. It’s found in foods like oranges, grapefruit, and sugarcane. Glycolic acid removes dead skin cells, which increases the rate of exfoliation and promotes cellular turnover. So as you can imagine, this is a big part of what makes the Lightening Wand work! It’s just worth being aware of the potential irritation, so that if you experience any negative effects, you can discontinue using it and see if that helps.
Other Hero Products
Hero has a lot of other products, many of which I haven’t tried:
- Various kinds of Micropoint patches, which basically help to gently penetrate the skin for even more effectiveness.
- Several different kinds of cleansers, moisturizers, masks, and other skincare products.
They also have a quiz to help you decide what products are best for your specific needs.
Like the products I’ve discussed above, most of Hero’s formulations are pretty clean. Many of them contain glycolic acid and/or salicylic acid, which I’ve discussed above. Some of them contain a few other ingredients that some folks may be allergic or sensitive too, like limonene. And a few of the products contain ethoxylated ingredients, which can come with contamination risks.
Some of their products contain a few other ingredients that I would recommend avoiding. Their Gentle Milky Cleanser, for example, contains cetrimonium chloride, which is an antibacterial quat. (If you want to use one of their cleansers, I would recommend going with the Dissolve Away cleansing balm instead.)
All of that said, Hero’s formulations are free from a lot of other problematic ingredients that are found in conventional skincare. On each product page, you’ll see a drop-down that says “Clean + Conscious,” which will give you a list of common toxicants that the product does not include. Here’s an example from the Dissolve Away cleanser I just mentioned:
No PEGs
Dye-free
No silicones
No mineral oil
No added fragrance
No parabens
No artificial color/dye
No sulfates
No phthalates
They also say they restrict over 2,400 ingredients that could cause irritation.
If you have any other questions about my experience using Hero’s products or the ingredients they contain, let me know in the comments below and I’ll try to address them!
Or, if you’ve used Hero in the past, I would love to know what your experience was like, especially if you have struggled with acne more than I have! Feel free to comment below and let others know which products have worked for you and which ones didn’t.
And if you’d like to learn more about low-tox skincare and other lifestyle tips, news, and more each week, sign up for my Friday newsletter or consider becoming a member for even more exclusive content.
