JB Skrub’s Pimple Patches Boost Confidence

Back when Jill Biren, cofounder of trendy tween skincare brand JB Skrub, was a teenager in the 1980s, she’d employ her fingernails and a bottle of astringent to break open an unsightly pustule. In retrospect, in lieu of assuming the role of Dr. Biren to pop her own pimples, she wished she had her skincare brand’s latest Pimple Patch innovation to deter further inflammation and scarring.

“If I could bring something back to the ‘80s when I was a teen, I’d choose my iPad over my clunky typewriter, and JB Skrub Pimple Patches over Sea Breeze and my pimple-popping fingernails!” she told Happi. “My school photos would have looked better, and my confidence would have been higher. Even today, I occasionally get breakouts, and these patches have saved me during important events — like last week, at a school Open House or a business event.”

JB Skrub was founded in 2022 by Biren, a past advertising executive with Condé Nast, and actress Julie Bowen, acclaimed for her reprisal of her role in “Happy Gilmore 2” with Adam Sandler, Travis Kelce and Eminem. The brand was established to nix the stink of teen and tween boys — of whom the friends are both mothers to — by providing plant-based personal care products from shampoo to body wash and face pads, which offer the convenience of a quick cleansing after sports practice. In the last three years, the brand has engaged with a community of more than 60,000 parents and their children to gauge the needs of this overlooked demographic. Earlier surveyants were tweens who are now teens and said pimple patches were the next necessity of their evolving, horomonal skin.

JB Skrub’s Pimple Patches were developed in collaboration with its advisory dermatologist and lab to create a safe and effective pimple patch utilizing hydrocolloid to absorb pimple fluid, niacinamide to support hydration and balance sebum accumulation and salicylic acid as an exfoliant to dissolve oil.

Open-Mouthed Results

In terms of trying out the product, boys were gaga over the packaging (it’s block lettering and blue-and-yellow bottle is a nod to the ‘80s) followed by an open-mouthed result.

“Their first reaction is often to the cool packaging,” said Biren. “Our exterior packaging is bright and friendly, reflecting our brand’s spirited personality. For some kids, this is their first time using a pimple patch. They are amazed and relieved to see and feel the difference once their blemish is healed.”

The pimple patches are ultra thin — 0.35 millimeters thick — and feature a translucent matte finish that discreetly covers the zit while blending with surrounding skin. Contrary to other such offerings on the market, JB’s come in three sizes 8-, 10- and 12-mm depending on the size of the pore. Within six to eight hours, the patch gently absorbs gunk from the pimple, helps to flatten the bump and reduces redness and inflammation. Given the skin’s nightly recovery process, the patches are recommended for evening use after washing the face with JB Skrub’s Face Wash. In the AM, the patches, which can also be used by girls, can be worn beneath skincare or makeup to help camouflage the blemish to deter the urge to pick. One user, a hockey player in JB’s focus group, had them stashed in his travel kit. Upon applying one after a game, fellow curious players prompted him for one too.

“This a great example of how friends can be positive influences and support each other’s confidence,” noted Biren.