The Scoop on Supplement Patches – Are They Worth It? 🩹

It’s Kate Mahoney, your food-first supplement expert and founder of the Supplement Academy, popping by with what is hopefully a helpful Supplement Scoop about a relatively newer supplement delivery method I've gotten a lot of questions about over the past half-decade: Supplement Patches.  

To start things off… 

Like always, any supplement links I share are clean links [aka affiliate-free] to ensure I continue to provide you with comprehensive supplement information, free from affiliate bias or brand influence, as is in alignment with my integrity. 💜

Now let's dive in! 😀

Based on what I’ve seen thus far, supplement patches are not something I choose to use personally or in my clinical practice. To summarize, there are a lot of improvements that need to be made before they’re something I would consider using.

My hope is this summary will help you make a better-informed decision about whether you choose to use this delivery method.  

I’ll use the following brands as examples. 

Let’s start with an essential component of identifying what are likely better supplements: Transparency!

Unfortunately, when I did my sleuthing on supplement patches, Vitamin Patch Club wasn't transparent about the forms of the nutrients they use AT ALL.

And as I often talk about, lack of transparency is always a red flag.

In this instance, the lack of transparency about the nutrient forms being used means it is 100% impossible to determine the effectiveness of any Vitamin Patch product that contains vitamins and/or minerals.

Let's take a look at their product label to see what I mean.

When I looked at Vitamin Patch Club's B Complex supplement, they only list the nutrients included in a product, not the nutrient forms themselves.

Here is a copy-and-paste from their website as a visual example for context. Active Ingredients:
B1 1.2 mg,
B2 1.1 mg,
B3 10 mg,
B5 5mg,
B6 1.3 mg,
B7 3 mcg,
B9 400 mcg, and
B12 2.4 mcg 

What I mean when I say, "they don't list their nutrient forms" is that transparent companies list the actual form of a nutrient used in a supplement on the Supplement Facts label.

For example, when you look at the "Supplement Facts" on a supplement label, what you should ideally see listed is something along the lines of:
 
• B1 Thiamin (Cocarboxylase chloride)
OR
• B1 Thiamin (Thiamine Mononitrate)
OR
• B1 Thiamin (Thiamin HCL)

...for EVERY. SINGLE. NUTRIENT in a supplement - full stop. 

When you don't see the nutrient forms listed/included on a supplement label or website, it’s an easy-to-identify indicator of a non-transparent supplement company.

In other words, a huge red flag and time to find different supplements! 🕔 

Yes, the bioavailability/effectiveness of each B1 nutrient form I shared above varies (only one of them is optimally bioavailable/effective), and that is true about EVERY. SINGLE. NUTRIENT used in a supplement .

It is such a vast topic that it required me writing the 20+ hour SQS certification course to address it. 😬

Now that this important context has been covered, let's get back to the actual topic: Supplement Patches! 😊 

In contrast to some other companies that make supplement patches, Vitamin Patch Club are slightly more transparent about the adhesive they use.

From what I could find out from their website, they use a "polyacrylate adhesive," aka an acrylate polymer. This is a type of plastic known for transparency (in this case, being able to see through it), resistance to breakage, and elasticity. Acrylate polymers are commonly used in cosmetics such as nail polish, and as an adhesive on things like bandaids.

If someone reacts to the adhesive used on bandaids, these supplement patches are probably contraindicated. 

While some people may think, "Oh, it's just the adhesive used on bandaids? That should be fine..." we really need to consider the potential long-term toxicity effects of regular skin contact with a plastic known for increasing transdermal absorbency.

This is because any toxins present in the plastic adhesive [polyacrylate] will ALSO be absorbed into the bloodstream through the skin.  

So while bandaids are only used as needed for a relatively short period of time (a few days), supplement patches are marketed to be worn DAILY.  

And not just one patch a day, but *multiple* patches a day.  

That's a big consideration when it comes to unknown potential long-term side effects and toxins from plastics made to increase transdermal absorption. Ya know, like endocrine disruptors, which most people already have too much of due to the chemical cacophony we're currently living in. 

PatchAid is another company making supplement patches that a Supplement Academy participant wanted to get my opinion on.

While the PatchAid company is more transparent about the nutrient forms they're using (which can be seen by checking out the supplements on their website), I haven't been able to track down any info on the adhesive they use. While I suspect it's likely a polyacrylate adhesive commonly used on bandaids as well, who knows? Because they sure aren’t transparent about it (aka big red flag). 

What PatchAid shares about their supplement patches is: "Lactose-free, gluten-free, and sugar-free. The PatchAid vitamin patches are hypoallergenic and latex-free. Premium, hypoallergenic 3M fabric is specially designed for transdermal applications. The multidirectional elasticity lets you move while the vitamin patch continues to stick."

In my short sleuth, I was unable to find information that directly addressed what, exactly, "3M fabric" is.

Additionally, as I deciphered the bioavailability of the nutrient forms in PatchAid supplement patches, the following quickly became clear. 

That concludes this Supplement Scoop!

Though this summary barely scratches the surface of all there is to cover on this topic, it's still a lot of information and hopefully digestible [heh 😉]!

I sincerely hope this shorthand version of my thoughts about dietary supplement patches is helpful. 💜

Until next time, remember that critical thinking + discernment is a SUPERPOWER. 🌟

Warm regards,
Kate 💜 

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The Supplement Scoop blog is written by Kate Mahoney, a food-first dietary supplement expert, functional nutrition practitioner, and former international functional nutrition instructor with 30 years of experience. In 2020, she founded the Supplement Academy, where she helps health professionals and consumers around the world learn to evaluate supplement quality and effectiveness, free from affiliate bias and brand influence.  

Her mission is to empower everyone to identify the less than 15% of supplements worldwide that are worth using so they can confidently make informed choices.  

In her free time, Kate is a Muppet whose inner spark is rejuvenated by nature, dancing to super loud music with friends, caring for her rescued feline furbabies with her beloved spouse, and enjoying delicious homecooked food with loved ones.