Why BooBoo Cooler® Uses a Silicone Adhesive
Medical-grade silicone means:
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Gentle removalLets go softly instead of stripping skin
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No pulled hairReleases cleanly from fine arm and leg hair
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No sticky residueNo gray outline to scrub off tender skin
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HypoallergenicTested non-irritating and non-sensitizing
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Latex freeOne less allergy to check for
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Freezer-readyStill sticks straight out of the freezer
Typical bandage vs. BooBoo Cooler®
Most bandages are built to stay on for days. BooBoo Cooler® is built to cool for about 15 minutes and then come off, so the adhesive was designed around that moment.
Why silicone feels so different
It comes down to how each adhesive holds on.
In a study of 88 volunteers, silicone medical tapes removed fewer skin cells and left the skin's protective barrier unchanged. Acrylate tapes measurably disrupted it.
Tested, not just promised
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Independent lab testing
Finished bandages and packaging were tested under California Prop 65 and the federal CPSIA children's product rules. No lead, cadmium, or phthalates were detected.
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Latex free
Natural rubber latex can trigger allergies. BooBoo Cooler® doesn't use it.
Made to stick straight from the freezer
Cold makes most adhesives stiff and glass-like, so they lose their grip. Silicone stays soft far below freezing, so it's ready to stick the moment it touches skin.
Want the full science?
What's in a typical bandage adhesive?
The sticky layer is a blend of polymers, tackifiers that make it grab, and additives that keep it stable. A review of more than four decades of research found the main allergens in medical tapes and dressings are rosin (colophony) and its derivatives, acrylates, and isocyanates.
Rosin is the sticky sap of pine and spruce trees and can cause allergic contact dermatitis. Modified rosin shows up in tapes, plasters, and bandages and may be an even stronger sensitizer. Acrylates are known skin sensitizers, usually because of leftover unreacted pieces in the finished glue. Case reports have also traced bandage reactions to formaldehyde resin, epoxy resin, benzoyl peroxide, rubber preservatives, and antioxidants.
Parents usually can't check, because bandage packaging rarely lists adhesive ingredients. Even some adhesives sold as rosin-free and "hypoallergenic" have been found to contain limonene, a known skin sensitizer once it oxidizes.
Why is kids' skin more at risk?
Damage from pulling off an adhesive has a medical name: medical adhesive-related skin injury, or MARSI. Strongly gripping acrylic adhesives raise the risk, largely through skin stripping, and they tend to grip harder the longer they're worn. Research has found children face a higher risk than adults because of differences in skin structure and sensitivity.
How does silicone hold on so gently?
Silicone is soft, so it follows the contours of the skin and creates a large contact area. Each contact point holds lightly, but together they add up to reliable adhesion, and very few skin cells come away on removal. It also releases cleanly without pulling on skin or hair and doesn't leave a sticky film behind.
Silicone adhesives are built from a different chemistry than acrylic ones, a silicone polymer paired with a silicate resin, and don't rely on rosin or acrylates to stick. International guidelines for newborn skin care now recommend silicone-based products when feasible, and adult and pediatric studies show lower skin trauma with silicone.
Why does cold make adhesives stop working?
Every adhesive has a glass transition temperature, the point where it shifts from flexible and rubbery to hard and glass-like. Once it's too cold, it stiffens and loses its grip, which is why ordinary tape feels less sticky below about 40°F. Silicone's glass transition temperature is extremely low, and silicone adhesives keep working down to about -100°F, far colder than any home freezer.
Ready for the next boo-boo?
Keep a box in the freezer so it's cold when you need it.