Combating ostomy odor is a daily struggle for many people who have a stoma, and the problem with stool getting stuck on the top of an ostomy bag is something that many ostomates also find challenging.
Lubricating products can help, and I got my hands on a bottle of Gel Plus Lubricating Deodorant by Montreal Ostomy!
Disclosure: I purchased this product myself for the review.
Table of Contents
About Gel Plus Lubricating Deodorant
Product name: Gel Plus Lubricating Deodorant
Manufacturer: Montreal Ostomy Inc.
Product #: MOC GELPLUS8 (for 8oz bottle)
Size: 8 fluid OZ (240ml); a 1oz travel size is also available.
Quantity per package: 1 bottle
Gel Plus is one of two pouch deodorants manufactured by Montreal Ostomy, and it’s intended primarily for colostomates or people with thick output.
This product, like many other pouch deodorants, is colored blue; while I’d normally say that blue deodorants come with a risk of staining your clothes if you aren’t careful, the color does help you to know how well you’ve coated the inside of your pouch.
Gel Plus has the consistency of syrup, but it’s obviously not sticky, since it’s a lubricant!
It’s also free of animal ingredients, which is a bonus! The ingredients are listed below:
Purified water, copper complexes, citrates, purified absorbent, DMDMH*, natural enzymes.
*DMDMH caught my eye, and upon further research, I’ve discovered that it contains formaldehyde. This may or may not be alarming, since formaldehyde can also be found NATURALLY in our food and bodies, but I have requested an MSDS sheet for this product, and will post it when I receive it.
There is no odor to this deodorant, but it does contain antibacterial properties to help kill any odor-causing bacteria in your pouch.
The bottle has a folding top that allows for easy dispensing of the product into your pouch, but I find that the tip does get “gunky” after several uses, and needs to be cleaned off.
How I Use This Product
Lubricating deodorants should be used each time you empty your appliance, or right after an appliance change.
Like other products, lubricating deodorants work best if they are smeared all over the inside of your pouch, so you do need to use enough to coat the bag for maximum effectiveness. The instructions say to use several “squirts”, and that does sound about right, but this means that you’ll be using quite a bit at a time compared to several DROPS with some liquid deodorants.
For a colostomate who isn’t emptying their pouch more than a few times a day, this likely won’t be too problematic, and the daily cost will remain low. But because I have an ileostomy (with thick output), I find myself using this product 7+ times a day, and at that rate, a bottle only lasts a few weeks tops.
As I mentioned in the intro, the blue color helps you know where you’ve applied the gel, and you can work it around with your fingers to get better coverage. Of course, this assumed that you’re using a clear pouch! If you aren’t, simply rubbing the gel around in your pouch should be good enough (you will feel it in your pouch).
Does It Stink? (no pun intended)
Gel Plus does a great job in reducing odor – I’d say it eliminates odor, more than simply reducing it! It does a good job, but doesn’t last more than one application, so using it with every pouch change is necessary.
My results might be better due to the fact that this gel mixes well with my output; I can’t speak to how well it’ll work with other output consistencies.
My output is usually thick (like toothpaste), despite me having an ileostomy, but I don’t find that this product made much of a difference when it came to emptying my pouch.
I’m not too surprised, since it’ll work best with firm, dry stools, but some ileostomates might find it easier to empty their pouch while using this.
Conclusion
At the time of this writing (Jan 2022), Gel Plus sells for around CDN$24 (240ml) and Montreal Ostomy states that this product is sold in both Canada and the United States through distribution partners.
My previous insurance company (Green Shield Canada) covered all pouch deodorants, so this one is covered, too.
As far as I know, samples aren’t available, but you’ll likely be able to find the travel size pretty cheap.
Pros:
- It works well for eliminating pouch odor.
- Contains no animal ingredients.
- Easy to dispense.
- Comes in two convenient sizes.
- The blue color comes in handy if you’re wearing a clear pouch.
Cons:
- I found that it didn’t offer much in the way of lubrication, but it should work better with dry, formed stool.
- Limited availability (distributed in the USA and Canada)
- Requires you to use more than liquid deodorants.
- Bottle tip needs to be cleaned every so often.
- Needs to be reapplied every time you empty your pouch, since it doesn’t stop odor for longer than one application.
Recommended for odor control only
Gel Plus works great for neutralizing odor, but I had limited success as a lubricant. Colostomates might find that this will do just fine for their needs, but ileostomates might want to stick to a liquid deodorant if all they need is odor control.
Note: For more information, please visit: https://montrealostomymanufacturing.weebly.com/
Question: Have you used this product? How did it work for you?
This is how I clean my pouch: I use a plastic cup (like an old yogurt container) that holds at least 16 ounces of liquid and either a small plastic water bottle or another cup or a squeeze bottle to pour water into pouch; I open pouch and add tap water and fill about 50%, then empty pouch in cup. Empty cup into toilet. Repeat until the bag is pretty clean. I do use deodorant but only a squirt and add water to mix. In the US a 16 ounce bottle deodorant is $25.00. Rip off, if you ask me. Anyway, This is how I clean my bag daily. If I didn’t use water to clean pouch, my bag would stink. *** I keep spare bottle and cup in bag in my car to use when I’m away from home.
Hey Inge! I also rinse my pouch with water when I’m at home, however, deodorants can be an excellent option if you can’t rinse conveniently or while traveling.
Costs can be high, but it depends on how much product is needed and often you need to use it. Plus, these are almost always covered by insurance.
Hope you’re doing well!