I may have mentioned this in the past, but at some point, I was using isopropyl alcohol to clean the skin where my wafer would go on, and it made a huge difference to getting the adhesive to bond. But isopropyl alcohol is not safe or ideal for skin, so I stopped doing that. Unfortunately, since the one-piece appliances that I've been using don't come with tape borders (which rarely peeled), I do get edge peeling more often than not. This happens despite how well I clean my skin, or if I use soap to remove any reside. So, I've been using ethyl alcohol, which is safe for use on skin (same alcohol they use in hand sanitizer and hand sanitizing wipes). The results are excellent, but I would be cautious of the following: If you've got any broken skin, whether caused by the appliance or from shaving, it will sting! Also, I'd suggest letting the skin air out for several minutes after using the wipe, as I find that my skin temporarily gets sensitive soon after using the wipe. But edge peeling is minimized, and only happens days (not hours) after putting on a new wafer. If you've had issues with edge peeling wafers in the past, consider this as a possible solution. Tip: You can get bottles of this stuff cheap from any pharmacy (our grocery store even sells it), next to first aid supplies. While sanitizing wipes are convenient, a bottle of the stuff + a gauze pad is much cheaper and works the same. Just your friendly neighborhood ostomate. Are you using the sanitizing wipes? If so do you have to make sure the ethanol alcohol is the only ingredient? I am interested because I was using alcohol wipes before and still do sometimes. Like you said they are not good for our skin. I've never seen this ethanol in my drug store but ill have to look at the bottles more closely. I found the problem with alcohol for me is I could never get the alcohol fully washed off, even with soap and water and It would cause my barrier to melt. Are you using the sanitizing wipes? If so do you have to make sure the ethanol alcohol is the only ingredient? Currently, yes, because that's what I have on hand. But our local grocery store sells bottles for like $3.50, so I will be using that with gauze pads in the future. And yes, ethyl alcohol (75%) is the only ingredient listed. It's not a "wet wipe" with fragrance and moisturizers, it's solely for hand sanitization, so it's quite pure for this application. But I can see that wipes may include additional ingredients, so go with the bottles, if that's an option. I found the problem with alcohol for me is I could never get the alcohol fully washed off, even with soap and water and It would cause my barrier to melt. What concentration? The higher the percent, the less water, and the faster it becomes dry. For example, 99% isopropyl alcohol (NOT FOR SKIN!) dries so quickly that it's used for cleaning sensitive electronic components. 50%, however, takes a long time to dry, since half is water. With the wipes I use, that's the last thing on my skin (no rinsing), and that comes after using an adhesive remover wipe. Sometimes, I will take a moistened gauze pad (water only) and do a quick pass before letting my skin dry, but that's usually not necessary. Just your friendly neighborhood ostomate. @veganostomy let me see if i have this right. Your using an adhesive remover first and then the sanitizing wipe after and then maybe a wet gauze with water only? @veganostomy let me see if i have this right. Your using an adhesive remover first and then the sanitizing wipe after and then maybe a wet gauze with water only? Yup! The adhesive remover isn't always necessary, but that would be the order I do it in. More accurately would probably be: I'd really only take those steps if needed. For example, if I was using a tape border wafer, or my wafer wasn't giving me issues with edge peeling, I'd skip the sanitizing wipe. And if plain water cleans off the adhesive reside, I don't use the adhesive remover wipe. Just your friendly neighborhood ostomate.
~ Crohn's Disease ¦ Ileostomy ~
~ Crohn's Disease ¦ Ileostomy ~
~ Crohn's Disease ¦ Ileostomy ~
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