Do Anti-Aging Skin Care Patches Really Work?
StriVectin Labs Anti-Wrinkle Hydra Gel Treatment, $62: This is a two-part system. First you apply the gel patches to any place on your face where you want targeted wrinkle reduction. They're paisley-shaped, so they work under your eyes, on your smile lines or on your forehead. (I chose my smile lines.) The patches are a bit, well, gel-y, but they're cooling and it wasn't a problem to keep them on for the recommended 15 minutes. Each contains StriVectin's proprietary skin care technology, NIA-114, which was originally developed to decrease stretch marks and which the company has since parlayed into anti-aging treatments. They also contain a whopping dose of hyaluronic acid, which moisturizes and helps fill in wrinkles temporarily. After you remove the patches, you follow up with a balm that contains even more NIA-114. During my trial run, I found that my skin looked smoother -- even the next morning -- and it definitely felt softer.
Biobliss Anti-Wrinkle Forehead Patch, $80: These patches are scary when you first see them, and my husband made fun of me for looking like a Vulcan while I was wearing them. Regardless, I was pretty impressed with my first trial, and am planning to finish a month's treatment. These patches are heavy duty, and feel like stiff, stretchy fabric. You're supposed to wear one for 30 minutes once a week. Each patch contains hyaluronic acid, okra plant extract, argireline and madagascan herbal extract -- all of which the company says are wrinkle relaxers. They also have vitamin B3 for skin brightening and vitamin C, which serves as a powerful antioxidant. This patch felt a little tingly to me, and there are some indentations on the sticky side of the mask, which temporarily left indentations on my forehead when I removed it. But I could visibly see improvement an hour later. Again, I can't say if they will do anything for my skin long-term, but I'm definitely finishing up my box. There is a version for eyes, as well.
Sulwhasoo Intensive Filling Cream and Patch, $195: This high-end Korean skin care brand is known for its amazing combination of natural and high-tech active ingredients, and this product is the perfect example. Like the StriVectin Labs product, this is also a two-part system that's specifically designed for smile lines. You apply the cream, which contains the now-familiar hyaluronic acid; red ginseng, used to promote collagen production; and lotus flower seed, which helps prevent degeneration of skin cells. You then apply a patch over the cream, which you can wear overnight twice a week. The patch is really thin and I barely noticed it was there. As with the other two patches, my fine lines seemed slightly finer after I removed the patch. My suspicion is that these patches really push the hyaluronic acid -- which is already a good wrinkle filler on its own -- to the next level.
