After the acne patch became popular, the brand earned 600 million yuan a year

Turning an acne product into a fashion accessory and a new trend, Starface is a total hit!

When treating acne is no longer a shameful thing, but an avant-garde accessory for decorating the face, acne patches have become a new popular item. On TikTok, there are more than 500 million searches for "best acne patches" and more than 60 million posts specifically mention "Starface acne patches."

According to recent research from Sphere Insights , the acne patch market is expected to grow from around $500 million to nearly $1 billion by 2033.

This momentum is largely driven by Starface World, whose best-selling product is a star-shaped sticker containing hydrocolloid . More than 1 billion of them have been sold through independent sites, Amazon and other channels . By 2024, Starface is expected to bring in approximately US$90 million ( approximately RMB 650 million ) in revenue.

Subverting the acne patch market

Starface World ( “Starface”) was founded in 2019 by former Elle beauty editor Julie Schott and her business partner Brian Bordainick.

Kara Brothers, president of Starface, said that the purpose of acne products is to hide pimples, and Starface wants to completely subvert this concept so that people no longer have to hide pimples, but instead turn pimples into a more interesting and happier experience.

In 2019, Starface ’s five-pointed star-shaped Hydro-Star disrupted the acne patch market with its vibrant hues and fun designs such as bright yellow, deep black, magenta and even rainbow.

Decorative and playful , these pimple patches quickly became a fashion trend for Gen Z and Gen Alpha . The category was ripe for disruption , and suddenly pimples were no longer synonymous with “blemishes” but instead became a decorative wearable product and a skincare solution.

Especially as Gen Z and millennial celebrities like Millie Bobby Brown and Justin Bieber were photographed wearing these pimple patches while out and about , and legions of teenagers were vlogging on TikTok and YouTube about going to school with these patches on .

Starface products are sold directly to consumers through independent websites in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom , and are also sold through channels such as Target , Walmart and CVS . Brothers said that retail sales of products far exceed DTC, and about 60% of customers are Generation Z and Generation Alpha.

Starface is on track to generate $90 million in revenue by 2024, with sales growing more than 50% in channels such as Amazon, Target and Walmart.

“I wanted something that would treat my acne but also be a cute accessory so I wouldn’t be afraid to go out and be myself and worry about how I look, and that’s what inspired me to buy Starface products,” said Shahzaib Sultan, 25, of Montreal.

The Starface brand "really took off" during the COVID-19 pandemic , when more and more people stayed at home and wore colorful acne patches during video calls.

After the epidemic is over, Brothers saw all kinds of people carrying Starface products in public and no longer felt inferior about diseases such as acne . She believes that what they are doing is meaningful.

Using social media to define your brand

After the brand has gained a certain degree of popularity and favorability, Starface continues to capture Generation Z consumers through its marketing plans.

The overall tone of the brand's social media channels is young and lighthearted, constantly parodying memes and pop culture. Brothers believes that this brand concept distinguishes Starface from other acne brands and gives the brand an advantage.

Starface dominates social media for everyday users and has a highly active all-star community with 576,000 followers on Instagram and 2.7 million followers on TikTok, including celebrities such as Hailey and Justin Bieber, Florence Pugh and Willow Smith.

The brand’s message of inclusivity reinforces the idea of ​​making everyone feel seen, in a world where everyone is a star and deserves to shine.

To further connect with younger customers, Starface has partnered with cartoon characters such as SpongeBob SquarePants and Hello Kitty to launch limited-edition products. In 2019, Starface launched its mascot: "Da Huang", who comes from outer space and doesn't understand why people on Earth don't like acne, or people with acne, and is the embodiment of the brand's yellow star patches.

The Starface brand and its social media feeds are shared in the first person, with the iconic "Dahuang" (bright yellow powder/acne patch box) as the "I". Dahuang's tone is playful, fun and approachable, just like chatting with a friend.

Whether it’s a viral collaboration or a new Hydro-Star iteration, everything Starface does has community at its core, with the brand engaging a group of super fans at every stage of its development.

Today, the Starface brand has transformed acne patches from a skin care solution to a lifestyle attitude of bold self-expression.

An epic milestone for the brand: Starface was the first acne patch brand to walk a major fashion runway, elevating acne patches to the height of high fashion. This first happened at New York Fashion Week in 2022, when Brothers and her team launched a viral partnership with fashion designers Puppets and Puppets, and then in 2024, when its Earth Stars collection debuted at Paris Fashion Week.

Explore new categories

While developing its core business of acne patches, Starface is also trying to explore new categories, selling pore patches and lip balm.

Driven by this demand, Starface entered the lip care category with Star Balm, a moisturizing lip balm with shea butter, cocoa butter and coconut oil. Its colorful packaging is meant to inspire joy, while the star logo on the balm and the top of the lid is meant to bring moments of joy.

Starface also learned from the experience of acne patches in the marketing of lip balm . Before the product was launched, a TikTok video about lip balm was produced to stimulate consumers' purchasing mind. Star Balm has been loved by celebrities such as Pink Pantheres and North West.

At Starface, playfulness and joy are two of the brand’s key words, and under the leadership of the Kara Brothers, terms such as transparency, authenticity and optimism permeate the company’s communication channels and daily operations.

Perhaps because of its fashion-focused concept, some people have doubts about the actual effect of Starface, which is one of the challenges the brand faces.

As for whether Starface Hydro-Stars and more pimple patches can help pimples heal faster, the jury is still out.

Customer reviews for the product are mixed, with some saying the Hydro-Stars help remove gunk and excess oil from pimples, while others say the patches simply work better as a fashion accessory.

"I think pimple patches can play a role, more importantly as a barrier to protect a healing pimple," said Dr. Jeremy Brauer, a dermatologist in New York City . "They can minimize inflammation and the risk of infection, but I wouldn't say pimple patches are for everyone," he said, noting that these patches may be less effective for people with sensitive skin or cystic acne.

Starface has redefined a product with a bold and innovative attitude, and its bold expression of ideas has captured a large number of consumers. Thanks to the growth of the acne patch market valuation, Starface's future revenue still has a lot of room for growth.

Starface

Acne patch