Joke-But-Not-A-Joke Review: Salonpas Pain Relieving Patch

Image: General stock photo of Salonpas Pain Relieving Patch found online
Credit: Here

Long story short: Boys and girls, don't use the Salonpas Pain Relieving Patch when you know you will sweat.

Anecdote time:

I woke up with aching shoulders the day I was supposed to do a marathon. Not wanting to feel the pain, I slapped a couple of Salonpas patches on, one on each shoulder and proceeded to head down to the marathon.

One of the worse decisions of my life.

Due to the nature of the marathon, I could not drop out halfway, not even if I was in agonising pain... Which I was. During the run, I had perspired a lot, and somehow the sweat had interacted with the Salonpas patches. The low heat which was soothing my muscles had transformed into some kind of super hot patches, and the heat was agonizing. I ripped off the patches when it first started, unfortunately there was more then enough residue left on my skin for the reaction to take place. After the run, when I took a shower, there were red patches where the Salonpas was located.

Just how did that happen??

Active Ingredients (each Salonpas patch, information as taken from here):

• Camphor 1.2%…..Topical Analgesic
• Menthol 5.7%…..Topical Analgesic
• Methyl Salicylate 6.3%…..Topical Analgesic

Inactive ingredients
Butylated Hydroxytoluene, Hydrogenated Rosin Glycerol Ester, Maleated Rosin Glycerin Ester, Natural Rubber, Perfume, Polybutene, Polyisobutylene, Silicon Dioxide, Starch Grafted Acrylate, Titanium Dioxide, Tocopherol Acetate, Zinc Oxide

Uses
For temporary relief of minor aches & pains of muscles & joints

Do not use:
-On wounds or damaged skin.
-If you are allergic to aspirin or salicylates.
-With a heating pad.
-With, or at the same times as, other external analgesic products.
-If you are allergic to any ingredients of this product.

So how did it happen?? There was absolutely no indication that you cannot exercise with the patches on!

In my (non)expert opinion,  the most likely culprit was all three of the active ingredients. Both menthol and camphor can be chemically triggered to produce either cooling or heating sensations. Methyl Salicylate is also a combination of menthol and salicylic acid, and salicylic acid is an NSAID (Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug). It was just my luck that either my sweat or my clothing or a combination of both, had made the patch ramp up its heating effects.

So, this review is a Joke-But-Not-A-Joke, because I don't think there are as many un-informed users out there who goes out running with a patch on. However, it really hurt. No joke.

 

My routine as of May 2015

It's been 3 months since my last routine post. It has been a while since I last updated, but I thought I might post it up again! So what is my routine now?

Morning (In order of light to heavy):

• First Essence: Secret Key First Treatment Essence
• Clarifying Toner: Etude House Wonder Pore 10-in-1 toner
• Essence: Skinfood Premium Tomato Whitening Essence
• Essence: Innisfree Green Tea Seed Serum
• Essence: Benton Snail Bee High Essence
• Eye Cream: The Body Shop Natrulift Pomegranate Eye Roll On
• Cream: Innisfree Green Tea Fresh Cream
• Sunscreen: Biore UV Perfect Face Milk
• Spot Treatment: The Body Shop Tea Tree Oil
• Other: Etude House Wonder Pore Corrector
• Other: Etude House Dust Cut Cream
• Other: Etude House Dust Cut Facial Mist

Night (In order of light to heavy):

• 1st Cleanser: Bioderma Sensibio H2O Micelle Solution
• 2nd Cleanser: Innisfree Jeju Bija Anti-Trouble Facial Foam
• Treatment: OST C20 Vitamin C Serum
• Treatment: COSRX BHA Blackhead Power Liquid
• First Essence: Secret Key First Treatment Essence
• Clarifying Toner: Etude House Wonder Pore 10-in-1 toner
• Eye Cream: The Body Shop Natrulift Pomegranate Eye Roll On
• Eye Cream: Laneige Water Bank Eye Gel
• Spot Treatment: Clintia Clarifying Spot Treatment Gel
• Spot Treatment: The Body Shop Tea Tree Oil
• Essence: Skinfood Premium Tomato Whitening Essence
• Essence: Odbo Aqua Soothing Silky Essence
• Essence: Innisfree Green Tea Seed Serum
• Essence: Laneige White Plus Renew Essence
• Essence: Benton Snail Bee High Essence 
• Essence: Tony Moly Floria Whitening Capsule Essence
• Cream: Innisfree Green Tea Fresh Cream
• Sleeping Pack: Laneige Water Sleeping Pack EX
• Sleeping Pack: Tony Moly Dual Effect Night Repair Sleeping Pack
• Other: Etude House Dust Cut Facial Mist

I have been including new items into my routine recently, notably the Bioderma Sensibio H2O Micelle Solution, OST C20 Vitamin C Serum, Innisfree Green Tea Seed Serum and the Innisfree Green Tea Fresh Cream. So far I have not reviewed any yet except the Bioderma.

Again, please rest assured that I do not use all these products in one day, that would minimise the effectiveness of these products as well as make me a grease baby. There have been new items added as I am slowly going through 'patch tests' and whilst some of my products are running low, they have not run out yet.

P.S. A proper patch test would actually involve trying out a new product on a patch of skin close to the face for 24 hours to test for allergies. After that, try the product on a less visible part of your face for 2 weeks to see if it reacts badly by causing pimples, clogged pores etc. My skin is so volatile that if a product works well on my forehead for example, it may wreck havoc in some other area. My 'patch test' is slathering on everything at the same time! Mwahahahaha.

Note: ^Not advisable