Delivering micronutrients into the bloodstream transdermally — or through the skin — is efficient. Although the transdermal patches don’t satisfy the U.S. FDA’s definition for dietary supplements, they may deliver micronutrients better than pills. However, do vitamin patches work? How effective are they? Do they have any side effects?

The B+M team takes a deep dive into the novel world of transdermal vitamin patches to explore the valid cases for and against them.

How Do Transdermal Vitamin and Mineral Patches Work?

Vitamin and mineral patches use transdermal technology — a method of administering substances through the skin’s layers into the bloodstream.

The stratum corneum, the outermost layer of the skin, absorbs vitamins or minerals, allowing them to enter the capillaries. Eventually, the substances reach systemic circulation, a segment of the cardiovascular system that carries oxygen-rich blood from the heart’s left ventricle to the rest of the body. Capillaries deliver oxygen and nutrients to tissues and organs, ensuring all body cells receive what they need to function properly.

Usually, orally taken vitamins and minerals pass through the gastrointestinal tract and the liver before reaching the bloodstream. Transdermally absorbed micronutrients take a different route and bypass these organs.

What Are the Benefits of Transdermal Patches?

Many people gravitate to transdermal mineral and vitamin patches for various reasons. These benefits appeal to individuals who seek alternatives to pills.

Avoiding the First-Pass Effect

The first-pass effect is when an active substance’s concentration decreases after being metabolized in the liver before reaching systemic circulation. It affects the bioavailability of vitamins and minerals, causing the body to absorb and use only smaller amounts. Oral supplements tend to have higher doses of active ingredients to compensate for those the body would digest before reaching the bloodstream.

Transdermal vitamin and mineral patches are not subject to metabolism because they circumvent the gastrointestinal tract and liver. Penetrating the skin enables micronutrients to reach the bloodstream more efficiently. Transdermal delivery leads to high bioavailability of substances, allowing better absorption and utilization by the body.

Delivering Nutrients Steadily

Transdermal patches steadily deliver vitamins and minerals into the bloodstream using passive diffusion — the movement of particles across a membrane from a place of higher concentration to one of lower concentration without any external energy input.

This mechanism allows mineral and vitamin patches to release substances onto the skin in a sustained, controlled manner. Substance properties, patch design and skin characteristics affect the rate of diffusion.

Increasing Micronutrient Absorption Postsurgery

Patients who undergo maladaptive bariatric surgery and experience nutrient malabsorption may benefit from transdermal patches. This procedure alters digestive processes, often leading to long-term deficiencies in vitamins D, E, A, K and B12.

Nutritional deficiencies may hinder postsurgery healing, creating a vicious cycle. Vitamin and mineral patches may support dietary management, helping achieve health goals more quickly.

Helping People With Swallowing Difficulties

Swallowing disorders affect about 20 million people in the United States. They can result in slight discomfort, malnutrition and dehydration.

Receiving vitamins and minerals transdermally may prevent nutritional deficiencies and avert complications due to swallowing problems. Patches are supplements at best, so it’s important to address the underlying condition behind swallowing disorders.

Managing Complicated Dosing Schedules

Transdermal patches can help busy individuals stay healthy. Although consistency is more important than exact timing when it comes to dietary supplements, people with hectic lifestyles can struggle to take oral supplements correctly. Some may forget and take too many pills, while others may skip some doses because getting water is occasionally inconvenient.

Ingesting vitamins and minerals through the skin can simplify micronutrient intake. Patch administration requires minimal effort. Avoiding the first-pass effect helps prevent underdosing, and releasing active substances in a controlled way can reduce the risk of overdosing. Discontinuing the delivery of nutrients is straightforward, as you can gently peel it off anytime you want.

Providing a Noninvasive, Less Intrusive Alternative

Some people dislike the idea of swallowing pills. People with an aversion to swallowing dietary supplements may prefer transdermal patches instead.

For individuals who experience anxiety when swallowing pills, transdermal patches may offer a less stressful way to alleviate nutritional deficiencies. However, anxiety is a separate matter. Seek medical assistance to deal with this mental health condition, as it could stem from chronic mouth breathing, a malfunctioning lower esophageal sphincter or something else.

Do Vitamin and Mineral Patches Work?

Vitamin and mineral patches offer a potential solution to nutritional deficiencies, but their effectiveness remains underexplored.

Some studies have evaluated how well these transdermal patches deliver micronutrients compared with pills. One of them was a small 2019 study on gastric bypass patients. The researchers evaluated 44 subjects — 17 used transdermal multivitamin patches and 27 took oral supplements for 12 months. All of them were at least one year postsurgery.

Blood work results revealed that more multivitamin patch users had at least one deficiency than those in the pill group, 82.35% versus 40.74%. Transdermal patch wearers had lower serum concentrations of various vitamins and minerals, and 81% were deficient in vitamin D.

Moreover, a 2020 study explored the efficacy of transdermal iron patches versus oral supplements on 28 endurance-trained runners with suboptimal iron stores. The first group, consisted of six males and eight females, took oral iron supplements for eight weeks, with 98.7% compliance. The second, composed of three males and 11 females, applied iron patches for the same period, with 99.5% compliance.

The researchers found that pills boosted the iron levels of athletes, especially among males, whereas patches had no meaningful impact on iron deficiency.

It’s worth noting that one participant from the pill group withdrew from the study due to debilitating gastrointestinal side effects. Six other complaints of adverse effects of oral supplements included nausea, cramps and constipation. Meanwhile, no patch users reported any serious side effects.

These studies suggest limited effectiveness of transdermal patches. However, the body of research covering them is limited and inconclusive.

Some transdermal patches may work better than others. Products with fat-soluble vitamins have a higher chance of absorption through the skin, which lacks specific proteins to absorb water-soluble ones, such as B complex vitamins, efficiently.

In theory, vitamin C-rich foods may aid iron absorption through patches. These two nutrients work well together, which is why many experts recommend pairing oatmeal with strawberries or spinach salad with tomatoes.

Are Transdermal Vitamin and Mineral Patches Safe?

Adhesive patches may cause skin irritation, although the risk may be minor. A 2022 study found that applying transdermal vitamin D patches for eight weeks was safe. The participants who experienced slight skin problems wore larger patches, suggesting that the irritation was due to patch size, not adhesive. 

Transdermal Vitamin and Mineral Patches Need More Research

While current evidence doesn’t definitively prove the efficacy of transdermal patches, further research is needed to fully understand their potential benefits and risks. Consult your health care provider to determine if these patches may suit your individual needs and to manage your expectations.