The question is often asked if Flexi-Patch delivers anything through the skin into the body. A brief explanation follows but the short answer is that Flexi-Patch only has a physical effect so it cannot and does not deliver any ingredient into the body.  The ingredients in Flexi-Patch are Mandarin wood vinegar (in a powdered form), tourmaline and green tea. By far the most significant of these is our unique vinegar. When characterized from a traditional Chinese perspective, vinegar has 'warming' and 'drawing' properties. As such vinegar in traditional use can be used in a poultice form for local application to help circulation. In Flexi-Patch, we have taken this concept but placed it on the soles of the feet where reflexology zones are located. Reflexology depends on physical pressure applied to the zones as you would experience in foot massage but the idea is that stimulation of these points has broader benefits. Vinegar also has 'drawing' properties. Although this is a rather abstract Chinese idea, Mandarin wood vinegar in powder form does actually tend to draw moisture because it is hygroscopic. When placed against the skin, the tendency is therefore to pull moisture into the patch - not deliver anything. A small quantity of fine black Tourmaline crystal is added because it is a great absorber and emitter of far infrared energy. Infrared is simply heat (like the warmth from the sun) and far infrared is a narrow part of the total infrared spectrum that is of interest. This adds to the 'warming' effect of the vinegar above. Green Tea is an antioxidant but in this context, it is included to protect the skin (like in a cosmetic) as and when the patch gets wet.

Some may have noticed products on the market that bear a passing resemblance to Flexi-Patch but this explanation is not applicable to those products as Flexi-Patch is very different. The Mandarin wood vinegar used in Flexi-Patch is made to a food grade and can be consumed as a tonic. Other products usually contain Bamboo vinegar which is mainly available as a by-product of industrial production of bamboo charcoal and cannot be consumed orally. Mandarin wood vinegar packed in drinkable form is not available in the US but if it were intended for delivery into the body, then the vinegar could simply be taken orally. There is then the issue of patch design. If trying to deliver anything into the body, the way the patch is constructed would be a highly ineffective design because the ingredients are not in contact with the skin. It would be impossible to control the delivery, if such delivery were even possible. If looking for transdermal delivery, the ingredients should be in contact with the skin such as in a gel on a plaster - like in any commonly available OTC pain patch.

This highlights another significant difference between Flexi-Patch and other 'me-too' products. In those products, ingredients such as agaricus mushroom, chitosn etc are included for label claim - implying absorption through the skin. Ingredients like agaricus are excellent nutritional supplements but from our perspective, have no value in a patch and end up taking space that could have been used more beneficially or even worse, interfere with the patch action. Finally it should be noted that the skin is a protective barrier. It is not all that easy to get something to go in transdermally. The molecular size of what is to be delivered has to be small enough for instance. Many claims involving transdermal delivery are easily de-bunked because the ingredients are simply in a form where it can't happen!

Longer Lasting Effect During Use

The effect from the patch only lasts as long as the powder in the bag remains dry. Once wet, the patch is effectively “consumed”. Flexi-Patch is generally used before going to bed and the average user will sleep 7-8 hours. Flexi-Patch has been designed with 25 – 30% more (by weight) ingredients as compared to other me-too products. This is to extend the life of the product in-use to more closely match actual conditions.


Shelf-life Stability

Vinegar is a liquid and conversion to powder requires the use of a starch (dextrin) as a base. This powder is hygroscopic (tends to attract water). This means that products that contain a lot of starch and less  vinegar are more easily affected by humidity even during storage. The result is a reduced shelf life.  Aside from the relative stability of our pulverized Mandarin wood vinegar mix, Nutriworks has also  taken steps to ensure better packaging for improved storage stability.


Efficacy Trials

Flexi-Patch has been laboratory tested to measure far infrared effect. Thermal imaging tests originally used during product development in Korea have subsequently been replicated in Harley Street, London. This imaging allows for the observation of temperature changes in other parts of the body four hours after application of Flexi-Patch on the soles of the feet. Changes in  temperature demonstrate that the effect of Flexi-Patch is more than a simple “placebo”. 

Furthermore, two trials have been conducted in England on the benefit of Flexi-Patch for promoting natural sleep. The first was a double blind placebo controlled trial with 60 volunteers followed by a second baseline trial involving 141 volunteers. Results showed a clear improvement in several measures  of sleep quality.

Another clinical study on Lumbago incidentally provided data about Flexi-Patch’s safety and other double blind placebo controlled trials are now in the design phase.


Safety and Quality Assured

Flexi-Patch is manufactured using ISO and (Good Manufacturing Practice) GMP facilities. It is the only ISO14001 (environmentally friendly production) certified product. Flexi-Patch is regularly tested by an independent laboratory (SGS) for heavy metal and bacteria contaminants. It is also been derma-tested in Germany for topical use. Safety data emerging during the conduct of a clinical trial with Flexi-Patch also showed that the product was well tolerated.



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