Has anyone tried the UV Patches?

[caligirltl]

I don’t know if anyone has tried the UV patches. Apparently they’re popular in Korea and I wanted to try them here in the states. They’re like UV blocking patches meant for outdoor activities and putting on high parts of the face like your high cheekbones while doing physical activity. If someone has tried them, can you let me know which one you tried and if they actually work? Thank you. 🙂

[SullivanMario]

When I tried using it during my outdoor workout sessions, I noticed that the adhesive wasn't strong enough to keep it in place on my high cheekbones, and it kept slipping off. I'm wondering if anyone else has experienced this issue and if there are any tips or tricks to ensure better adhesion. I really want to make the most out of this product, but it's frustrating when it doesn't stay put!

https://buddingbuddhist.com/

[Chris38]

@caligirltl I think the only possible utility for a protective patch would be if you’re trying to use some targeted treatment to a dark spot. Sunlight works to sort “bake” those into place… like no amount of niacinamide will work if you’re not also using SPF. 

So, I would say that if you have pre-existing spots you want to work on, and these things remind you to reapply SPF every two hours, go for it. 

But… these likely aren’t really necessary and for many people, would lull them into a false sense of security and actually result in less SPF use. 

[WinglessOne]

@caligirltl  UV patches confuse me because UV rays hit the entire face, not just the high points. In fact, UVA rays can bounce off surfaces (walls, pavement, etc.) to hit your face even if you’re wearing a wide-brimmed hat. I assume brands that sell UV patches intend them to be used alongside (applied on top of) sunscreen… eh, I can see how that’d be helpful for someone who needs extra protection on, say, a surgical site. Otherwise, UV patches seem gimmicky to me unless I plan to cover my entire face with them, so I haven’t tried them. 

Those patches are different from UV stickers, another thing I’ve seen lately. The stickers are designed to be used under sunscreen; they’re supposed to tell you when to reapply your sunscreen. I can see that being helpful for kids, and probably for grownups who lose track of time. 

[Chris38]

@WinglessOne I’m not positive, but I’m gonna blame this new “high point” trend on Gwyneth P. She did a TikTok about her new skin care line, and she “applied” the sunscreen like it was highlighter. 🤢

[WinglessOne]

@Chris38  Heh, I was trying not to invoke her name 😂 but yep, she’s exactly who I think of whenever I see UV patches (but not UV stickers/dots, which are smaller and serve a different purpose). 

That “where the sun really hits” video is from a Vogue video series of celebrities showing their full skincare and/or makeup routines. I won’t be surprised if Vogue still hasn’t removed or edited Paltrow’s video, despite all the backlash from doctors and regular folks. 🤦‍♀️ They should at least put a disclaimer in the video description, if they haven’t yet. 

[makeitup305]

@WinglessOne from what I've seen, they have to be applied on dry skin or they'll slide off. You'd have to apply spf after, on the areas not covered by spf. I think they're meant to be used to provide coverage on the parts of your face most likely to get sunburned when you're not dutifully reapplying (playing a sport seems to be the main example I've seen). I don't think they're something I'd use but interesting regardless. 

The UV spot patches are a great idea. I've seen them advertised to put on kids so you/they can tell when they need a reup. As a pale kid in the tropics, this would have been handy growing up. I was the kid in the ocean wearing a hat and a big shirt 😆 

[WinglessOne]

@makeitup305  That’s what I don’t get about UV patches: the concept of protecting just the high points of the face, particularly if you don’t reapply sunscreen. Sunburn’s not the only type of UV damage, and a sunburn can happen anywhere on your face and body that’s exposed to sunlight. Folks who play sports outdoors are probably better off generously applying a water-resistant sunscreen with the highest SPF they can find. It’ll still slide off skin thanks to sweat, but that’ll happen slower than it would with a typical sunscreen. Using UV patches just on the cheeks only protects the cheeks. Skin cancers can happen on the hairline, eyelids, jawbone—pretty much anywhere. 🤷‍♀️ So can other kinds of UV damage. So, hopefully anyone who uses UV patches is also applying sunscreen and remembering to reapply. 

Heh, one of my friends from college was, as she puts it, “the little ghost in a big t-shirt and floppy hat, haunting all the beaches” when she was a kid. She told me about wanting a tan one year in high school, and how laying out in the sun unprotected made her a very painful head-to-toe lobster instead. Even her toes were sunburnt. 😬 That experience was all it took to make her always remember to wear and reapply sunscreen. I’m sure she would’ve loved UV stickers back then, too. In fact, I wonder if she knows about them now… she has a middle school kid who might find these useful, if his mom hasn’t already drilled good sunscreen practices into his brain. 😂 

[makeitup305]

@caligirltl I haven't but they're so cool. I would assume that they work considering the ones I've seen are from reputable K-beauty brands like Mediheal. The ones I've seen that are not clear, they look almost like bandaids so there's a physical layer between your skin and the sun. The clear ones idk how they work tbh but they look super interesting!