Choosing the Right Wipes for Stoma Care

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Ostomate & woundr
Apr 20, 2023 6:23 am

Please, please, please do not use baby wipes and beware of what wipes you do use to clean your stoma area before applying your next appliance.

Baby wipes all have some sort of skin protectant product embedded in the wipe so that after it's used on baby's skin or even adult skin, it leaves behind something protective of the skin below in the form of an oil or lotion or grease, or in other words, a form of moisture barrier product.

Please read the label. Most commonly, you will see oil-based products on the ingredients list. These include:

Dimethicone

Paraben

Sodium laureth sulfate

Glycerin

Tocopheryl, form of vitamin E

Decyl glucoside

And this is just a partial list of the most common ingredients that could be a problem when they are leaving an oil residue behind, even micro millimeters thin, that then prevent your wafer or faceplate from sticking to your skin.

You'd think that something advertised as: WaterWipes Plastic-Free Original Baby Wipes, 99.9% Water with a drop of fruit extract Unscented Hypoallergenic for Sensitive Skin,

https://a.co/d/he3eZFM

Would be safe to use on your stoma, and you'd be wrong. The "drop of fruit extract" is actually grapeseed oil and olive oil.

I've frequently been asked, "Well, Julie, what about using wipes designed for the maintenance of piercing and tattoos or other wound care?"

Well, I say, read your labels. And if at all possible, get an ingredients list before you spend any money.

For one example:

Steri-Wash Aftercare Piercing Wipes 100 Count https://a.co/d/b8DpIcR

Clearly wasn't sterile and didn't have enough preservatives to prevent them from growing mold.

Most parents and grandparents have heard of boogie wipes. The most notable feature being that they do not sting when they wipe a raw nose. As much as they are touted as a saline wipe though,

Boogie wipes Ingredients include Water/Eau (Naturally-Derived Ingredient), Sodium Chloride (Naturally-Derived Ingredient), Aloe (Aloe Barbadensis) Leaf Juice (Naturally-Derived Ingredient), Chamomile (Chamomilla Recutita Matricaria) Flower Extract (Naturally-Derived Ingredient), Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E), Levulinic Acid

Here, I want to caution you against products containing aloe. The trouble with aloe juice or derivatives of the aloe plant is that they leave behind a thin film. It is not per se an oil, but it does make a barrier between the wafer (face plate) and the skin and frequently easily allows the wafer to simply fall off.

Because new versions of wipes are emerging all the time, I cannot say with certainty at any given time what may be available to you. However, two products I feel like I can confidently recommend are:

Steri-Wash Aftercare Piercing Wipes 4x6"100 Count https://a.co/d/hqE09u8

These are sold as aftercare wipes for piercings, tattoos, and wound care; they actually are nothing more than normal saline that has been sealed and sterilized the same way something would be in the operating room.

Finally, here's the product I most usually recommend, and there are a couple of reasons why. The first reason is that they do contain preservatives, which means once they're open, they do not have to be sterile to do their job. Secondarily, they are sold as adhesive remover wipes. I suspect this is due to the fact that in the US, Medicare will reimburse for them based on the name of the product, whereas Medicare will not reimburse for any other wipes on this list. This may not always be true in the future, but as of the date of my writing this, April 20, 2023, they are covered by United States Medicare.

Safe n' Simple Adhesive Remover Wipes - 50 Large No-Sting Skin Prep Wipes Medical Skin Adhesive Remover - Adhesive Removing Wipes for Skin - Non-Alcohol https://a.co/d/2afJD9m

There, and now you know more about wipes than you ever wanted to.

Daisy2023
Apr 20, 2023 10:17 am

This is what I was doing wrong for so long. Thanks for the information.

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ron in mich
Apr 20, 2023 12:58 pm

Hi there! I've had my ileostomy for 30 years and only use warm water and a washcloth to dry around my stoma with toilet paper, and I've never had a wafer fall off, whether doing yard work or swimming, etc. I use Convatec 2-piece system and change it every fourth day.

jeanneskindle
Apr 21, 2023 2:26 am
Reply to ron in mich

We are ConvaTec twins, Ron! Jeannie

jeanneskindle
Apr 21, 2023 2:27 am

What is the product you recommend? No link.

 

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IGGIE
Apr 21, 2023 9:20 am

Warm water and then dry. Full stop.

Ostomate & woundr
Apr 21, 2023 1:02 pm
Reply to jeanneskindle

Apologies, it must have gotten cut off when I cut and pasted from Google Docs. I try to do more proofreading than I've done in the past before I post. I edited the original to add it back in and put it here as well for you.

Safe n' Simple Adhesive Remover Wipes - 50 Large No-Sting Skin Prep Wipes Medical Skin Adhesive Remover - Adhesive Removing Wipes for Skin - Non-Alcohol https://a.co/d/2afJD9m

jeanneskindle
Apr 22, 2023 3:39 am
Reply to Ostomate & woundr

Thank you!

Ostomate & woundr
Apr 22, 2023 7:57 am
Reply to Daisy2023

Please let us know if this change in your routine makes a difference in your wear time.