A woman saw her server walking up to take her order and noticed something strange on her face. She posts a now-viral video questioning whether restaurant workers should be able to wear pimple patches and undereye patches while on the clock, sparking much discussion.
TikToker Emma (@emmaceceliaa) sits in her car and recounts the interaction. She says she immediately noticed that the server was wearing star-shaped pimple patches and undereye gel patches with her uniform.
“Girl, do whatever you want, but is that kind of weird?” she asks. The TikToker admits that she also wears the pimple patches and undereye patches but says she wouldn’t wear them to work.
At the end of the clip, Emma questions whether the patches pose a food safety risk if worn by restaurant workers.
She continues in the caption, “Not to be rude but I just don’t really think this is what we should be doing.”
Should Servers Wear Pimple Patches At Work?
Pimple patches are small hydrocolloid bandages that can help speed up the healing of acne on the face. While some are flesh-colored, other brands make them in fun shapes to cover the breakout.
While there aren’t specific guidelines on using pimple patches at work, restaurants have strict policies on other cosmetic items and accessories that pose a risk of falling into food. These include earrings, fake nails, and false eyelashes. So, some employers likely discourage pimple patches while handling food.
On the r/SkincareAddiction subreddit, some workers debated whether pimple patches are an appropriate part of a uniform.
One worker said they picked a discrete patch and figured that no one noticed until the end of the shift, until the manager brought it up. They wrote, “I went all day and no one mentioned it, it must be invisible. Then my manager who is a bit more comfortable with me was like ‘what’s on your face’ within two seconds of seeing me and I was like well, I guess people just don’t care lol.”
Another suggested that pimple patches are no big deal, even if co-workers and guests notice. The commenter said, “F— the haters, if you feel better wearing them and it eases any physical pain from the acne or helps them heal faster, own it!”
However, others in the r/Starbucks subreddit said that anyone who handles food should avoid the patches. Yes, even the discrete ones.
“I think anything at risk of ‘falling off’ and landing into a drink is considered a no. But if you can wear a pimple patch and a mask to help cover it then maybe,” a commenter suggested.
“Please don’t. Please god. That’s so freaking gross. Pimple patches belong at home and for trips to Walmart,” a second remarked.
What Do Viewers Think Of The Patches?
In the comments, some viewers said they would be fine with pimple patches. But many draw the line at undereye patches, which are much larger and more easily fall off as they don’t have adhesive.
“Stars sure but eye patches absolutely not,” one insisted.
“The star patches are totally fine, but the under eye patches?? like why,” a second asked.
“The stars are acceptable and cute sometimes but the eye patch? no,” another commented.
However, others say that even pimple patches‚ especially star patches, seem too casual for work.
“These young people do anything,” a commenter remarked.
Another said, “Maybe to like the gas station MAYBE the grocery store but to your job is crazyyy.”
“It’s weird. We have gotten way too casual,” a third viewer wrote.
@emmaceceliaa Not to be rude but I just don’t really think this is what we should be doing
BroBible reached out to Emma via email and Instagram direct message for further comment. We will update the story when she replies.