Moleskin at a glance
- What it is
- Adhesive-backed cotton pad
- Best used at
- The hot spot stage
- Before a blister forms
- On a formed blister
- Cut into a ring around it
- Helps it stick
- Tincture of benzoin
- On clean, dry skin
What does moleskin actually do?
A blister is friction damage. Skin rubs against a sock or a boot until the layers separate and fill with fluid, and the warning before it happens is a hot spot: a patch that feels warm, tender or slightly raw. Moleskin goes over that patch so the rubbing happens against the pad instead of against you.
It's thicker than tape, and that's the point: it pads as well as covers, so it helps where a seam, a lace or a lump in a footbed is pressing on one spot. The trade-off is that it can peel at the edges in a wet boot.
How do you use moleskin on a blister that has already formed?
On a blister that has already formed, moleskin goes around it instead of on top. The American Academy of Dermatology describes cutting the padding into a doughnut shape with a hole in the middle and placing it around the blister, so the raised ring takes the pressure and the blister itself sits in the gap. Then cover the blister loosely with a bandage.
Clean, dry skin is what makes any of it stick. Some hiking first aid kits include tincture of benzoin or an adhesive wipe for exactly this job, because both help tape and moleskin grip a sweaty foot.
Moleskin, tape or a hydrocolloid dressing: which should you carry?
They do different jobs, so the right one depends on the stage the blister is at. Thin athletic or medical tape lies flat under a sock, which suits a spot you know gives trouble. Once something is already sore, moleskin pads it better. A blister that has drained or torn open is broken skin, and the American Academy of Dermatology's advice is to keep it clean and covered; hydrocolloid blister dressings are made for covering one.
Pre-made kits often carry a single sheet or a handful of pre-cut pieces, which is a day's supply on a bad day. If you're prone to blisters, pack more than the kit came with.
What this means when you're choosing
- Pre-cut shapes if your kit has no scissors to cut a sheet
- Enough of it: one sheet doesn't last a multi-day trip for blister-prone feet
- A small pair of scissors or a knife blade in the kit to shape a ring
- Tincture of benzoin or an adhesive wipe to help it stay on
Moleskin vs Hydrocolloid blister dressing
| Moleskin | Hydrocolloid blister dressing | |
|---|---|---|
| Best moment | A hot spot, or padding around a blister that is still intact | A blister that has torn open and needs covering |
| What it does | Pads and takes friction off the skin | Seals the wound and cushions it while it heals |
| Where it goes | Over a hot spot, or around a blister as a ring | Directly over the blister |
| Staying power | Can lift at the edges in a wet boot | Designed to stay on for days |
Which to pick: Use moleskin to stop a hot spot from turning into a blister, or to take the pressure off one that has formed. Once the skin is broken, the job becomes keeping it clean and covered, which is what a hydrocolloid dressing is built for.
The common mistake
Waiting for the blister
It's easy to keep walking until the blister has already formed, and by then moleskin can only manage the damage. The time to stop is the first warm, tender patch, and two minutes on a trailside rock at that point can save days of limping.
Common questions
Should you put moleskin directly on a blister?
Not on an intact blister. Cut a ring with a hole the size of the blister, place it around the blister so the padding takes the pressure, and cover the blister loosely with a bandage.
Is moleskin better than tape for blisters?
For padding a sore spot, yes. For a spot you know gives trouble, thin tape is the lower-profile option because it lies flat under a sock. The American Academy of Dermatology suggests adhesive moleskin or other soft bandages for problem areas, so either is a reasonable choice.
Why won't my moleskin stay on?
Usually because the skin was sweaty or dirty when it went on. Wipe the area clean, let it dry, and use tincture of benzoin or an adhesive wipe first if your kit has one.
Where this is defined
- How to prevent and treat blisters, American Academy of Dermatology
- Ten Essentials, National Park Service