Sleep better! Be more productive! Have more sex! These and other come-ons and wellness trends can be pretty overwhelming, especially when they are accompanied by drinks, mixes and capsules to swallow on schedule. Who has time, what with work/family/wine o'clock? So I was intrigued to discover BonPatch, the new collection of transdermal supplements from Australia that seeks to deliver nutrients and extracts to people by asking them to do no more than slap on a little two-inch transparent sticker. I had to try it out, because on its face, this is too good to be true, right?
Smart, Sleepy, Horny—Can a Patch Really Change Your Mood?
I tested the Bon Patch transdermal stickers
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Published Nov 28, 2025
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Original Photo by Dana Dickey
What Is a Transdermal Patch?
Basically, a transdermal patch is a bit of plastic or paper impregnated with chemicals that seep into a person's body upon contact. Similar to time-released capsules, transdermal patches slowly release their chemical payload rather than bombard the system all at once. The tech hit consumers in the 1970s with Scopolamine patches, which prevented seasickness. Subsequent decades have seen other prescription-only use cases, such as morphine or fentanyl patches for terminally ill patients, estradiol patches for hormone replacement therapy. (I apply them for HRT and really feel a noticeable difference when I don't wear them.) And OTC pimple patches are a viral hit for breakouts.
Can Non-Prescription Transdermal Patches Really Do Anything?
I was at first amused by the concept of what amounts to a vitamin supplement to be worn on the skin, until I remembered how beneficial my estradiol patches are. I scanned the list of all the BonPatch offerings, which include Clarity, Relax, Metabolize, Menopause, Vitality, Love, Glow and Sleep. Not expecting much, I peeled off a Vitality patch from the sheet of six that come in a packet, slapped it on my inner ankle where there is a hairless expanse of smooth skin, and then promptly forgot about it. I felt energized whizzing through my morning tasks and noticed I was feeling a bit shaky right before lunch. "Welp! Must be the caffeine anhydrous, taurine glucuronolactone, green tea extract, B vitamins, and peppermint extract buzzing me up. Unusually for me, after eating a solid meal, I found myself not sluggish but instead peppy and worked without a break the rest of the day. That night, as directed, I took the patch off and set it aside, and the next day I reapplied it. (The patches are recommended for 24-hour use and not while sleeping.)
Original Photo by Dana Dickey
Any Other Tests?
I especially enjoyed the effects of the Clarity patch, which made me feel less buzzy but very wide-eyed. It is imbued with ginkgo biloba, magnesium L-threonate, and B and D vitamins, along with a stimulating rosemary essential oil. I felt like I was relaxed but alert, which made brainstorming and organizing my schedule easier than usual. My third test was the most fun—the company says you can double up on patches, so I put on the Vitality and Love patches, thinking I'd turn into a sort of Tasmanian Devil of Lust. The Love patch, infused with ingredients meant to support mood, arousal and libido, has to be a joke, right? Well, reader, I'm not going to lie—I felt a little giggly and sort of flirty, as well as tingly, from these two patches. Maybe that was the energizing Vitality patch meeting the ingredients of the Love patch (fo-ti extract, ginseng, damiana, gotu kola, saw palmetto and more, with a top note of rose essential oil). Since I was alone in my home working on a deadline, it wasn't like I could really stress-test the effect; however, I can see this as being a great pre-date mood elevator.
My Takeaway
While I didn't perform any scientific tests of the patches, I really enjoyed using them. I'm enthusiastic about using the Sleep patch (with valerian, passionflower, hops, purified hemp extract and lavender essential oil aroma) when I'm experiencing time-zone sleeplessness, since I tried it and was out within 20 minutes. And I don't expect the world from these little patches—I've seen TikToks criticizing other brand patches that name themselves GLP-1s, as though they are a Mounjaro-strength appetite suppressant. No, I love these little guys for the little extra lift I get from them, which helps me have the mood or wellness effect I'm looking for at a certain time. And unlike with many expensive supplements, these can be ordered in six-sticker sample packs ($15) to experiment with. So for less than the cost of an Erewhon smoothie, I recommend you treat yourself to a BonPatch.
