Thrive Patch: Does Le-Vel’s Thrive Experience Work?

If you're curious about whether the Thrive Patch actually works, and whether Thrive products are worth your time and money, you've come to the right place.

In this Thrive Patch review, I'll dive into what the Thrive Patch is, how it's supposed to work, and what the science says about whether or not it actually does work. I'll also share my thoughts on the Thrive Experience as a whole.

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What is Thrive Patch?

The Thrive Patch is a weight loss patch that's applied to the skin like a sticker. It's part of the bigger Thrive Experience.

The Thrive Experience is a 3-part supplement system sold by the company Le-Vel. One part vitamin capsules, one part powdered shake, and one part topical patch.

The claims on the website are vague at best- with most of the marketing being along the lines of “just try it!” - which is the first red flag.

LeVel claims that their products could help with weight loss, support healthy digestion, promote healthy aging and improve brain and immune function.

We'll take a look at the science to see if there's any merit to these claims.

What is Derma Fusion Technology?

Derma fusion technology (DFT) is the name of the delivery system for the Thrive Patch.

The idea is that the active ingredients in the Thrive Patch are delivered through the skin using an adhesive sticker that you wear on the skin. The ingredients are then absorbed into the bloodstream where they are supposed to take effect.

Theoretically, this sounds like a good way to deliver nutrients and supplements. The skin is a semi-permeable membrane, so it makes sense that some substances would be able to pass through it.

However, there's no scientific evidence that this method of delivery actually works for the active ingredients in the Thrive Patch.

While some things can be absorbed through the skin (such as nicotine patches used to treat nicotine addiction), the ingredients listed in the Thrive Patch have not all been studied and determined to be able to enter the bloodstream or be beneficial after being applied topically.

It is also very concerning that there are no dosages of these ingredients listed on the package.

This is a double edged sword because on one hand, if these ingredients can be absorbed, you don't know how much of a dose you are getting and this can quickly become a dangerous problem and lead to situations such as vitamin toxicity.

On the other hand, you also don't know if you are getting enough of the ingredients to actually deliver on the benefits promised.

This renders the patch either useless or dangerous, neither of which I would advise to spend money on or apply to your skin.

The Thrive Patch Ingredients

The Thrive Patch contains a few different ingredients, all of which are commonly used in weight loss supplements in varying degrees. However, the efficacy of these ingredients varies greatly.

As I mentioned before, we don't know the dosages of these ingredients because they are not listed on the package. Lastly, none of these are proven to be absorbed through dermal fusion technology.

Forslean

Forslean is a proprietary ingredient that is extracted from the Coleus Forskohlii plant. This plant has been used for centuries in traditional medicine to treat conditions such as high blood pressure and chest pain (angina).

It's thought to work by stimulating the release of stored body fat, but there is no human evidence to support this claim. 

Green Coffee Bean Extract

Green coffee bean extract is made from unroasted coffee beans and is a popular weight loss supplement.

It's thought to work by blocking the absorption of fat and increasing metabolism, but there is no human evidence to support this claim.

Garcinia Cambogia

Garcinia cambogia is a tropical fruit that has been used for centuries in traditional medicine.

It's thought to work for weight loss by blocking the body's ability to store fat and suppressing appetite, but these claims have been shown to be false.

CoQ10

Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is a compound that is found naturally in the body. It's thought to be an important antioxidant that can help protect cells from damage.

While there is limited evidence to support this claim, the appropriate dosing is not possible in a topical format. Additionally, the differences when supplementing with CoQ10 are fairly insignificant.

White Willow Bark

White willow bark contains a compound called salicin, which is thought to be responsible for its effects.

These effects include pain relief, fever reduction, and anti-inflammatory properties.

While white willow bark may have some benefits when taken orally, topically it can act as an exfoliant similarly to salicylic acid. This may be irritating to the skin, causing skin rashes.

Cosmoperine

Cosmoperine is a proprietary ingredient derived from black pepper. It's thought to increase the absorption of other compounds through the skin.

Limonene

Limonene is a compound found in citrus fruits. It's a citrus terpene, similar to an essential oil.

Thought to have anti-inflammatory and antiviral properties, Limonene is often used to make food products, cleaning products, and supplements.

Human research on the efficacy of its health benefits is lacking. Additionally, when applied directly to the skin it is known to cause irritation.

Aloe Vera

Aloe vera is a popular ingredient that is used in many topical products. It's thought to have soothing and anti-inflammatory properties.

While aloe vera may have some benefits when applied to the skin, there is no evidence that it can be absorbed through the skin.

It might be included as an ingredient to prevent any skin irritation from the Thrive Patch. If that's the case, this might be the only beneficial ingredient in the patch.

Although one could argue, not wearing the patch would be a better option to avoid skin irritation.

L-arginine

Lastly, L-arginine is an amino acid that is found naturally in the body. It's thought to be important for heart health, but the evidence on supplementation is conflicting.

There is some evidence that L-arginine can be absorbed through the skin, but again the dosing is not disclosed so when applied topically it is impossible to determine its potential efficacy.

It seems to be that Derma Fusion Technology is nothing more than a gimmick. The company behind Thrive Patch uses it as a way to hide the fact that there are few effective active ingredients in the patch.

Most of these Thrive Patch ingredients have little to no evidence supporting their use to aid in weight loss whether absorbed through transdermal methods or not.

The remaining parts of the Thrive Experience are incomplete.

We've determined that the patch is no good to use, but this still leaves the other two parts of the 3-part Thrive Experience system: the pills and the shake mix. The pills seem harmless at face value- they're vitamins!

But upon closer inspection of their label, these vitamins are incomplete and are lower quality than supermarket vitamins but with a much higher price tag. My expert opinion is to pass on this.

The shakes are the same thing- a boost of vitamins mixed into a flavored powder without much to offer you in terms of health benefits.

A cheaper and much more high-quality substitute would be to use full spectrum vitamins such as the 2/Day vitamins from Thorne Research.

Just look at the difference in the labels to see how much more you are getting for a fraction of the cost!

The Thrive Experience’s “Premium Lifestyle Capsules” Supplement Facts. The Thrive Experience costs $300 for a 4-week supply.

Thorne Research’s Basic Nutrients 2/Day Vitamins are a full spectrum vitamin and mineral supplement at about $28 a month.

Thorne Research's Basic Nutrients 2/Day Vitamins are a full spectrum vitamin and mineral supplement at about $28 a month.If you're looking for a vitamin supplement do yourself a favor and go with a more substantiated product like Thorne Research's Basic Nutrients 2/Day. You'll get more bang for your buck and be getting high-quality vitamins to boot.

Does the Thrive Patch Work for Weight Loss?

The short answer is no. There is no evidence to support the claims made by Le-Vel. The Thrive Patch is unlikely to do anything for your health or to help you lose weight. It's not the magic bullet it is claimed to be.

The truth is, there isn't a single supplement or vitamin in existence that will cause you to lose weight.

The mechanisms of weight loss are not triggered by a substance you can ingest- if there was a magic pill out there we could all take to promote weight loss we would all know about it!

But there isn't and there never will be because it's simply not how weight loss works.

Weight loss is dictated by the science of energy balance. And energy balance is dictated by how much we eat compared to how much we move; NOT what we ingest.

If there is ever a product, whether it is a pill or shake or what-have-you, claiming to cause weight loss that is a good sign it is completely bogus because it's not even how weight loss works.

While there are some products that do aid in the weight loss process, such as products that control appetite or improve mental clarity, it is better to not rely on them for sustainable weight loss.

The foundation of your weight loss strategy should be to learn good eating habits, prioritizing a healthy diet, and increasing physical activity.

If these health promoting habits are things you struggle to develop, it may be time to reach out to credentialed wellness professionals for help. Gimmicky supplements aren't going to get you there.

Potential Thrive Patch Side Effects

There are no studies on the safety of the Thrive Patch in humans, so it's difficult to know what side effects it may cause.

However, the patch does contain some ingredients that could potentially cause side effects.

Green coffee bean extract: May cause headaches and dizziness. May also cause an increase in heart rate and blood pressure.

Garcinia cambogia: May be associated with liver damage. Garcinia Cambogia may also cause headaches, diarrhea, nausea, and stomach cramps.

Forslean: May cause headaches and dizziness. May also cause flushing, low blood pressure, and rapid heart beats.

White willow bark: May cause a skin rash or gastrointestinal issues like nausea, stomach ache. May also cause headaches and dizziness.

CoQ10: May insomnia or irritability as well as headaches, dizziness, and skin rashes.

Limonene: May cause irritation when in direct contact with the skin. May cause skin rashes in some people.

Because the Thrive Patch doesn't have any of these ingredients in the appropriate doses to be effective, it is unlikely that the doses are high enough to cause side effects.

However, it is good practice to understand the potential risks of any supplement you use.

Most likely, the worst side effect would be dermatitis or irritation of the skin from the adhesive and other ingredients on the Thrive Patch being in contact with the skin.

Is Thrive a Pyramid Scheme?

Le-Vel is the company that sells the Thrive Experience and it is a multi-level marketing company (MLM). There is a fine line between an MLM and a pyramid scheme.

Multi-level marketing is a type of direct selling in which people are recruited to sell products, and then earn a commission on the sales of their products and by recruiting people into their downline.

Pyramid schemes are illegal and are characterized by promising participants payment or services, primarily for enrolling other people into the scheme.

So while Le-Vel may not technically be a pyramid scheme, it does share some characteristics with one. Namely, the company relies on recruitment to sell its products and grow its business.

Just because the company is not a pyramid scheme, doesn't mean it is an ethical business model. MLMs are hugely problematic in their own right.

Statistically, most people who join an MLM company end up losing more money than they invest. So even if Le-Vel is not technically a pyramid scheme, it's still not an ideal business model to get involved in.

Keep in mind that LeVel is an MLM company and the people that are promoting it and leaving positive reviews of “thriving” by using these products are the same people that are being paid to sell more of it!

I asked around on different public internet forums for people's honest stories after trying the Thrive by LeVel and the Thrive Patch reviews were FAR from good:

Conclusion

The bottom line is that the Thrive Patch is not supported by science and there are potential risks associated with using the products. Don't buy into it.

At best it is a very expensive gimmick to lure you into an MLM scheme. At its worst it is a serious health risk.

There are better ways to pursue weight loss than using Thrive products. Save your money and don't put your health at risk by staying clear of these products and the MLM companies that sell them!

• References

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  Cosmoperine® by Sabinsa Cosmetics—Personal Care & Cosmetics. (n.d.-b). https://www.ulprospector.com/en/na/PersonalCare/Detail/604/195979/Cosmoperine

  Dietary Supplements. (2011, November 1). Consumer Advice. http://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0261-dietary-supplements

  Garcinia Cambogia. (n.d.). NCCIH. Retrieved May 22, 2022, from https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/garcinia-cambogia

  Home—ForsLean®. (n.d.). Retrieved May 21, 2022, from https://forslean.com/

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  Onakpoya, I., Terry, R., & Ernst, E. (2011). The Use of Green Coffee Extract as a Weight Loss Supplement: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomised Clinical Trials. Gastroenterology Research and Practice, 2011, 382852. https://doi.org/10.1155/2011/382852

  Overview—ForsLean®. (n.d.). Retrieved May 21, 2022, from https://forslean.com/forslean/overview/

  THRIVE by Le-Vel | Le-Vel Premium Lifestyle. (n.d.). Le-Vel Brands LLC. Retrieved May 22, 2022, from https://www.le-vel.com/

  Vieira, A. J., Beserra, F. P., Souza, M. C., Totti, B. M., & Rozza, A. L. (2018). Limonene: Aroma of innovation in health and disease. Chemico-Biological Interactions, 283, 97–106. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cbi.2018.02.007