Silicone adhesives are real treasures for wound care. They are biocompatible and do not trigger allergic reactions. Best of all, they adhere without sticking to the wound surface and greatly reduce pain when removed. But wait, there’s more:

In a study, WACKER was able to demonstrate that plasters with silicone-based gel systems can release various active ingredients significantly better than conventional systems.

Frauenrücken, auf dem Sensoren an Kabeln mit Silicon-Pflastern befestigt sind.

Attaching sensors and wearables

Hände halten ein transparentes Siliconpflaster

Release active ingredients through the skin

Ärztin klebt ein Pflaster auf Patientenarm

Treat wounds gently and safely

How can silicone gels improve wound care?

People with sensitive or damaged skin in particular benefit from the fact that their skin is not further irritated or even injured when dressings are changed. Wound healing is accelerated and scarring minimized because the gel promotes a moist wound environment. This prevents wounds from forming scabs. In addition, they are permeable to air and vapor and provide an optimal healing environment.

Long-term care of chronic wounds is therefore an ideal application. One area of treatment that benefits particularly from this is stoma care, explains Dr. Thomas Gröer, Head of Application Technology at WACKER:

Smart applications: Secure adhesion for sensors and wearables

Silicone gel adhesives are also opening up new possibilities in the field of portable medical technology. Sensors, plasters, and wearables often need to adhere reliably to the skin for long periods of time - without causing irritation or losing adhesion due to sweat and movement. This is where the soft, breathable, and repositionable properties of silicone gel systems come into their own.

They also enable stable connection of sensitive electronic components without putting strain on the carrier material or the skin. This makes them particularly suitable for applications in the continuous monitoring of vital parameters, such as heart rate, glucose, or temperature measurements. In combination with biocompatible sensor structures, this creates an interface between the body and technology that remains comfortable and safe in the long term – an important step towards a new generation of smart, body-worn medical devices.

Study with groundbreaking results: release of active ingredients

Silicone gel systems score highly not only in wound care and smart applications, but also when used as carriers for active ingredients. In its white paper "Transdermal Therapeutic Systems" (10/2025), WACKER has just published study results that demonstrate the particularly efficient release of active ingredients from patches with silicone gel adhesives.

Graphic showing the layers of a wound dressing containing active ingredients; copyright: Wacker Chemie AG

Example: Retinol delivery

The study tested caffeine, vitamins and ibuprofen, among other substances. Compared to commercial reference products, it was possible to achieve above-average active ingredient delivery. Another active ingredient tested was retinol. The following graph clearly shows the differences in release rates compared to similar products:

Graphic Delivering Retinol; copyright: Wacker Chemie AG

Advantages of silicone gel patches

Higher active ingredient release
2–10 times more within the first few hours, and in the case of vitamin E, even 500 times higher than with comparable patches.

Particularly suitable for lipophilic/hydrophobic active ingredients
e.g., retinol, vitamin E, curcumin
Skin-friendly
painless removal, repositionable, anti-allergenic, breathable
Stable embedding
of active ingredients without decomposition
Customizable profiles
that are difficult to achieve with classic patches

Medical opportunities

Pharmaceutical
targeted drug delivery (e.g., painkillers such as ibuprofen, corticosteroids such as dexamethasone, sleeping aids such as melatonin).
Long-term therapies
Maintain constant blood levels without gastrointestinal stress, better compliance

Pediatrics & Geriatrics
Patches that can be removed painlessly → better acceptance among children and older people
Orthopedics/Prosthetics
Patches with skin-soothing ingredients (e.g., aloe vera) for skin irritation caused by prostheses

Cosmetics & Wellness
Beauty patches with retinol, vitamin E, caffeine, plant-based ingredients

Sustainability: Silicone adhesives with a lower carbon footprint

While silicone adhesives are capable of performing an increasing number of functions, environmental considerations are becoming increasingly important. WACKER is working to ensure that all its products meet defined sustainability criteria by 2030.

That is why silicone products are already being converted to biomethanol, which saves fossil resources. In the field of silicone adhesives, there is now also a product with a lower carbon footprint. This means that companies using this silicone gel in their products can better achieve their sustainability goals. And they don't even have to change their production methods to do so!

Silicone-based gel systems impressively demonstrate how closely materials science and medical technology are linked today. Their special properties enable more precise delivery of active ingredients, stable adhesion, and gentle application to the skin.

Astronaut auf der Raumstation ISS hält eine Durckerkartusche in der Hand; Copyright: Auxilium Biotechnologies

Smiling woman with brown hair - Natascha Mörs; Copyright: beta-web

Author: Natascha Mörs | Editorial team COMPAMED-tradefair.com

Multimedia editor Natascha Mörs has been writing and filming for COMPAMED.de for almost 20 years. She enjoys providing insights into the details of materials, miniaturized components and talking to suppliers of all the components that make medical technology possible.