Welcome back to Is It Worth The Faff?, our weekly series honestly reviewing beauty and health products, treatments, and techniques based on the actual faff involved and whether the results make it all worth it.
This time around I’m sharing my experiences of the BeYou Monthly Patches, which are sticky strips you can stick on your body to relieve pain and cramps.
BeYou, who also sell CBD products and menstrual cups, say the patches are dreamy for reducing period pain, as well as chronic pain such as that caused by endometriosis and PCOS.
But does this product actually do the trick? We tried the patches out so you know it all before you hit buy.
What are the BeYou Monthly Patches?
BeYou Patches are long sticky strips that you can stick on your abdomen, lower back, or anywhere else that’s feeling a bit sore.
They claim to release essential oils over 12 hours, providing natural, pill-free pain relief for period pain, lower back pain, and any other aches you need them for.
The primary oils are menthol and eucalyptus, and the patches’ USP over traditional balms or your average hot water bottle is that they stay put for ages and, BeYou says, continue to release the oils over 12 hours, meaning you can stick the patches on then sleep, go about your day, whatever.
Faff involved
So first things first, these patches smell strongly of menthol and eucalyptus – a bit like Tiger Balm and Vicks VapoRub. It’s not an unpleasant smell, by any means, but you’re hit by the scent the second you open the packet. If you’re sensitive to smells or just hate minty scents, that faff alone might put you off.
Once you’ve open the sachet, you pull out a strip and peel off the backing like a plaster. The backing is in three sections, so you can stick the main body before the sides to avoid the awkward patch-sticking-to-itself scenario.
The patches are super easy to apply – unless you’re trying to stick them to your lower back or shoulder, which are the exact two areas that I need them for. In that case, you’ll need a pal to help you out.
Once the patches are on, they do stay put throughout the day. Mine didn’t budge or feel irritating for an entire day or through sleep, so once they’re on you don’t feel conscious of having the strips there.
Money-wise, it’s £7.99 for a pack of five, or you can get a monthly subscription for £5.99 a pack.
The results
Putting the patches on my lower back, they provide the kind of tingle you’ll be familiar with if you’re a regular Tiger Balm user – it feels the way mint tastes.
Did it work to reduce my chronic lower back and shoulder pain? Absolutely. The patches aren’t a miracle fix by any means, and I wasn’t totally pain-free, but the they did work to significantly reduce the ache and allow me to get work done.
I like that the patches are in patch form. This is a lot less messy than balms and pastes, and as promised by BeYou, the patches do stay put for hours without budging, riding up, or feeling annoying.
My one gripe is with the ‘essential oils are released over 12 hours’ claim, which I didn’t find was the case for me. The pain relief felt really strong at first, but after a couple of hours I was reaching for the painkillers.
As a result, you might find you need more than a few patches to get all the way through your pain flare-up, whether that’s to do with your period or just a regular occurrence.
Are the BeYou Monthly Patches worth the faff?
And at around £1.50 a patch, you’re spending quite a bit more than you would on just using a paracetamol.
That being said, I do think the BeYou Patches are worth a punt, especially if you’re someone who’s reluctant to be constantly popping pills or who regularly finds themselves curled up in bed with a hot water bottle pressed on your tummy in desperation.
The same goes for those who are regular users of Deep Heat, Tiger Balm, or other similar products. If you’re always using various goos and potions, the patches make a far more practical alternative as you can just stick them on in the morning and not worry about them ’til you get back home.
Are BeYou Patches worth the faff? Yeah, I’d say so. But buy one pack first and see how they work for you before going straight for a subscription.
Do you have a story to share or a product you want us to try out?
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