I know i've read posts here in the past about people who have stopped using rings and said it was a game changer that it was so much better.

I am at my wits end with these bags not holding up and these rings melting. I know sometimes they say less is more. So I am trying without a ring today. I know i've done it in the past and it didn't work out but i'm trying again.

For those of you that stopped using them, are you still able to rinse?  And to rinse up around the stoma, without degrading your seal? I mean, I have to because of pancakes, and it's a catch. 22, the water can make it degrade, but then so can the output. So I always feel safer just rinsing.

Also, if you can tell me everything that's better. Since you stopped using the ring and also, do you have a little space in between the stoma and the hole of the bag, or did you have it cut exactly to fit. 

I'm still in the process of trying out those new rings from eakin but i only had one box last month so I haven't fully got to test them out full time.

I just kinda feel like if you keep packing things up onto the barrier. It's just stacking it up higher. Like its just going to make the stoma go lower inside the bag. This is the problem I keep having.Is it keeps sinking down into things as the rings melt.

I'm still also having a problem with soaps that use in the shower. They have changed all the soaps to moisturizing and you cant find one thats not anymore.  I shower with the bag on now but when i go to change it some of the residue still gets dragged over to the area. Anything that I was able to use in the past, I can't use anymore because of these changes. I've started to try body washes, but they're even worse. Ialso tried  castile soap that Eric suggested. But it leaves a bad residue. It could just be my certain skin.I have no idea. 

I asked my nurse about it, and she said, people have actually been calling in complaining about the same thing that they can't find anything to use because it's degrading their seals. She also told me that others it's not bothering that they are still able to use the stuff and get by. 

They tell us to use water only now, but how can you do that? When you're using adhesive remover that has to be cleaned up before you put your pouch on otherwise, the adhesive remover is gonna melt the pouch. Not only that, the area does need to be cleaned once in a while.I mean come on.

If you use a silicone based remover, yes it does a great job of getting big chunks of adhesive off your skin but it also has a quick drying time , so therefore your just putting a coating of slippery siicone on top of any adhesive residue thats on your peristomal skin. Therefore i still favor the alcohol based ones. 

Anyone any thoughts or ideas ?