Patch Me Up
Patches>pills 💊
As a beauty editor, all types of products get pitched to me as something that will change my life over night. But no other category of product promises to clear your debt, your skin and your mind quite like supplements. Now, I'm usually down to write about most beauty and wellness products but I don't really enjoy writing about supplements because I'm not a doctor or a pharmacist. I actually did study pharmaceutical science at university but that's a story for another day. Anyway, my point is that I always want to make sure that my articles sound more like recommendations rather than like prescriptions.
I’m now in my 30s and my body has let me know in the rudest of ways that I can't get away with the s*** that I used to get away with in my 20s. So yes, I have been trialling supplements—and some of them have worked and some haven't. After a short period of trialling supplements, I’m already experiencing pill fatigue with having to keep up with all of the pills I’m meant to be taking on a daily basis. So, I've been looking for alternative options and I think I've found one in transdermal patches.
What brand makes my favourite patches? Well, its The What Supp Co—a supplement brand founded by former Vogue Beauty Editor Kelly Gilbert. Which explains why everything from the brand’s packaging to its product copy is so inviting. Plus, Gilbert knows a thing or two about launching a successful brand as she's one half of beauty consultancy firm BCC Beauty. As a consultant, Gilbert has worked on beauty brands such as Decree Skincare, KLIRA and Dreem Distillery so launching a supplement brand is quite the pivot.
“I knew I wanted to be in the supplements space because even when I worked at Vogue, I just always felt like the supplements world felt a bit dry and a bit cliquey,” Gilbert explains. “There are people like me who want to kind of dial into being healthy but just don't want to obsess over it. The supplements world tends to present in a very serious way— and that's great—but I felt like I could make supplements that look and feel pleasurable and fun without it compromising on being efficacious and of good quality.”
Why patches over other forms of supplements?
Well for me, wearing a patch is a whole lot easier than taking pills or mixing a powder into my tea or smoothie. For Gilbert, she wanted to explore non-traditional formats as she could feel the market shifting. “I wanted to kind of offer something that wasn't just swallowing a pill as that can feel quite medicalised,” she says. “I didn’t want my brand to feel like medicine. I wanted to bring supplements out of the cupboard and make it part of people's everyday lifestyle.”
One of the top reasons I really enjoy The What Supp Co patches is because it cuts down on waste. Stop reading this newsletter and go open up your kitchen cabinets or look at your kitchen counter. How many pill bottles do you have that you haven't used up or haven't thrown out? With The What Supp Co patches, the backing sheet, card wallet and even the patches are all recyclable.
How do patches work?
The ingredients in transdermal patches are absorbed through the skin and into your bloodstream. Sounds simple enough, right? In actuality, it's a bit more complicated than that. Our skin is our largest organ and its outermost layer (epidermis) is our body's first line of defence from external threats like viruses and pathogens. This is great because it means many molecules do not make it past our skin barrier as they are too big. However, this does pose as a problem when it comes to transdermal delivery of drugs and compounds. To ensure that all of the ingredients in the patches would be absorbed into the bloodstream, Gilbert only used ingredients that have a molecular weight of under 500 Daltons. Scientists agree that for a compound to be effectively absorbed into the bloodstream without the help of penetration enhancers it must follow the 500 Dalton rule.
“There are certain ingredients that I would love to have used but I excluded them because I knew they weren't going to penetrate the skin,” Gilbert says. One example of this is vitamin B12, which is around 1300 Daltons so definitely too big to be absorbed through the skin and into the bloodstream. However, I have seen other brands include this ingredient in their patches. I won't name names. I'll let you the reader do a quick Google search.
With The What Supp Co patches, I usually wear it on my inner wrists for about 10-12 hours but Gilbert tells me you can wear them anywhere on your body 👀. The patches are made with an adhesive that is medical-grade and hypoallergenic so it's suitable for sensitive skin. I slightly adjust the position of my patch whenever I wear a new one to avoid skin irritation.
The What Supp Co’s current lineup
Recovery Mode Patches - great for those that have digestive issues. I also like to use them after I've had a bit of alcohol.
Ingredients: 13mg of Milk Thistle Extract, Zinc Citrate, NAC (N-Acetyl Cysteine), Glutathione + Peppermint Aromatherapy
Looks Good On You Patches - great support for skin and hair health.
Ingredients: 12mg of GHK-CU (Copper Peptides), Biotin, Zinc Citrate, Pomegranate Extract, Ginseng Extract, Green Tea Extract, Blackberry Extract + Jasmine Aromatherapy
Dip Out Patches - great for when you want to feel chill AF.
Ingredients: 13.6mg of Ashwagandha Extract, Hops Extract, L-Theanine, Magnesium Citrate, Passion Flower Extract, Valerian Root Extract, Vitamin B2, Vitamin D + Chamomile Aromatherapy
Protect Your Energy Patches - great for those that need an energy boost. Which is practically me every morning.
Ingredients: 14mg of Ashwagandha Extract, Caffeine, Glucuronolactone, 5-HTP, Green Tea Extract, L-Theanine, Taurine, Vitamin B3, Vitamin B5, Vitamin B6 + Sandalwood Aromatherapy
Each packet contains 15 patches and retails for £18/$25.
When can you expect to feel the patch working?
For me, it takes around 30-45 minutes but I don't know if that's some sort of placebo effect I'm experiencing. For some it could take hours, for others you may need to use the patches for a few days before you feel anything.
PS: This article isn't me telling you not to use pills. It's for those looking for an alternative.
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