Do vitamin patches really work?

Vitamin and herbal skin patches have become increasingly mainstream in recent years. 

Marketed as convenient fixes for common complaints such as low energy, fatigue, anxiety, weight management and period pain, the patches typically contain a mix of vitamins, herbs and essential oils. 

With shiny packaging and appealing promises, they offer a tempting ’peel, stick and go’ alternative to pills - so much so that industry researchers forecast the global vitamin patch market will reach around $714.96m by 2031. 

But health experts say there’s little good evidence that wearable patches deliver nutrients into the body in meaningful amounts. 

We asked the experts how they stack up against edible supplements, and if any are really worth the cost. 

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Vitamin patches and vague wellness claims

Wellness patches broadly fall into two camps. The first are vitamin-based patches, which are frequently sold for issues such as low energy and immunity. These typically contain combinations of B vitamins for energy and focus, or vitamin C and zinc for immunity.

There are also herbal or essential oil-based patches, often marketed for mood, period pain and stress, containing ingredients such as lavender oil and eucalyptus oil.

At Boots, for example, you’ll find Kind Patches for focus, energy, immunity,and a multivitamin ‘boost’ as well as an essential oils patch for period pain. 

Superdrug stocks similar offerings, including Wonder Patches, which include a product for joints containing glucosamine and turmeric. 

Is there any evidence that skin patches work?

‘Patches are mainly used for drug delivery,’ says Dr Carrie Ruxton, a dietitian from the Health & Food Supplements Information Service (HSIS).

‘Think about HRT, contraceptives and nicotine - patches work well there. But when it comes to vitamins, the molecules of many water-soluble vitamins are larger, so they can’t pass through the skin.’ 

Our skin is designed to act as a barrier, and it is very effective at keeping things – including vitamins and minerals - out. 

Water-soluble vitamins commonly found in patches include vitamin C and B vitamins. Fat-soluble vitamins -  A, D, E and K - are smaller and more likely to penetrate the skin, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re absorbed effectively into the bloodstream.

‘Most of the available research on vitamin patches focuses on vitamin D, because it's fat-soluble and tiny,’ says Dr Ruxton. ‘Some studies suggest small amounts can get through the skin, but oral supplements still work better. So if you take a food supplement in the morning with a breakfast that contains some fat, such as yoghurt,  you’ll get more reliable absorption because it’s going straight into the gut.’

So far, there are no large, completed randomised controlled trials showing vitamin patches reliably improve nutrient levels. One small 2019 study compared multivitamin patches with pills in people who had undergone gastric bypass surgery - a group that typically needs nutrient supplementation. 

After a year, 81% of those using skin patches still had vitamin D deficiency, and reduced levels of other key vitamins like B12 and minerals in their blood, compared with a far lower 36% in the group taking vitamin D pills. 

Another small 2022 study found that average vitamin D levels did rise modestly after eight weeks of wearing a patch, but it didn’t compare patches with oral supplements. 

A separate 2020 study examined iron, another ingredient sometimes found in wellness patches. In athletes with low iron levels, oral supplements significantly improved blood iron, while the iron patch did not - although it caused fewer stomach side effects. 

As for patches containing essential oils, Dr Ruxton says their effects are likely to be due to the aromatherapy rather than absorption: ‘Essential oils contain tiny molecules that can enter the skin, but what happens to them in the body isn’t clear. What we do know is that smell can influence relaxation and pain perception, so any benefits may come from other reasons.’

Some patches also contain herbs such as ashwagandha, which has some evidence for reducing stress when taken in pill form. However, the FSA has not yet approved this claim, and has also asked its Committee on Toxicity to review the herb’s safety. There is no research showing it can cross the skin barrier. The same applies to turmeric, an anti-inflammatory herb with modest evidence in supplement form.

‘Turmeric isn’t well-absorbed even through the gut' says Dr Ruxton. 'It’s best eaten as part of a meal with fat — for example, in a curry — rather than relying on a patch.'

Are patches regulated?

Patches containing vitamins, essential oils and herbs currently sit in a regulatory grey area. Unlike supplements in capsule or pill form, they’re not classified as food supplements because they’re not ingested. 

This means they’re not regulated by the Food Standards Agency (FSA). Similarly, unless the patches make a medical claim, they are not regulated as medicines, which is why many brands use vague language and promises. 

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Is it worth buying vitamin patches?

Vitamin and wellness patches may come in tempting packaging, but they typically cost significantly more than standard supplements, despite far weaker evidence that they deliver nutrients effectively. 

Take multivitamins: Kind’s Boost Patch costs £12 for 30 patches, roughly a month’s supply. A Boots multivitamin pill, by contrast, costs £6.60 for six months' supply, meaning one month of patches costs roughly the same as a year of pills. 

For joints, the difference is a little less stark but still notable. Wonder Patches Joint Patch (Superdrug) costs £19.99 for a month’s supply of 30 patches, compared with £12.99 for 30 pills of a similar Superdrug supplement containing glucosamine and turmeric.

When it comes to essential oils, it’s a similar story. Breatherapy sleep patches, containing lavender and Roman chamomile, cost £2.65 each. By comparison, a 10ml bottle of lavender essential oil costs around £6.50 and contains roughly 200 drops- enough for 50-100 baths or diffuser sessions, depending on use. 

There may be limited circumstances where patches have a role. Dr Carrie Ruxton notes that a patch containing fat-soluble vitamins such as vitamin D might be better than nothing for someone unable to swallow, for example, after a stroke. 

For most people, however, there’s no clear advantage over cheaper everyday alternatives, and there are chewable gummies, liquid sprays and soluble options to choose from for those who struggle with swallowing pills.

Dr Ruxton says: ‘It’s worth trying well-established options before rushing out to buy an expensive patch.’

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