Short answer: choose black plaster when your customers expect a strong, warming traditional Chinese patch; choose a cataplasm (water-based gel-paste) for a cooler, cleaner, re-positionable patch for mainstream retail; choose hydrogel when cooling comfort is the selling point. If the product must be sold through medical channels, look at a registered format such as a far-infrared therapy patch instead.
All three are “pain patches” on the shelf, but they are built differently, behave differently on the skin and suit different buyers. Below is how we explain the choice to brand owners who come to us for OEM production.
How each format is built
Black plaster (heigaoyao)
A dark herbal plaster core on a backing of non-woven, spunlace or PU film, protected by release paper and a pearl film. Our standard spunlace black plaster comes in 9×12 cm (6×8 cm core) and 13×16 cm (8×13 cm core); the hand-spread version has a 10 cm round core on 14×14 cm non-woven.
Cataplasm (gel-paste, “babu” patch)
A water-based hydrophilic paste spread on spunlace or elastic cloth. It feels cool, leaves little residue and can be lifted and re-applied. See our spunlace cataplasm and the stretchable elastic-cloth cataplasm, plain or perforated.
Hydrogel
A clear, high-water-content gel on a non-woven backing (ours is 8×8 cm). It is soft and cool and comes off easily, which makes it a good base for cooling and comfort patches.
Side-by-side comparison
| Black plaster | Cataplasm | Hydrogel | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feel on skin | Warming, firm adhesion | Cool, soft | Cool, very soft |
| Residue | Can leave some residue | Low | Very low |
| Re-positionable | No | Yes | Yes |
| Look | Traditional, dark core | Clean, skin-tone | Clear gel |
| Typical channel | TCM clinics, Asian pharmacies | Retail chains, e-commerce | Cooling and comfort lines |
| Backings we offer | Spunlace, non-woven, PU film | Spunlace, elastic cloth, PET, PU | Non-woven |
When to choose which
- Your customers already buy Chinese pain plasters: black plaster. The look and warmth are part of what they expect.
- You sell in supermarkets or online to a broad audience: cataplasm. It is easier to use, easier to remove and looks cleaner in product photos.
- The product will be worn on joints that move: elastic-cloth cataplasm or a die-cut knee or neck patch.
- Customers want to shower with the patch on: a PU film black plaster.
- You need a product for medical channels: a registered format such as our far-infrared therapy patch (China Class II).
What does not change between formats
Whatever format you choose, the herbal or warming formula, the size, the backing color and the packaging can be customized, and each formula should be checked against the rules of your market before sampling. Some classic plaster herbs are restricted in certain countries, so we confirm the formula first.
Request a quote
To get a useful quotation in one round, send us:
- The product (a link to our catalog is fine) and the size or volume
- Estimated quantity per order and per year
- Bare product, retail box or full private label
- Your target market and the documents your importer or regulator asks for
