If you feel confused about barriers and adhesives, you are not alone. Many ostomates receive mixed advice about when to use each product. This article provides straightforward, practical guidance on how to use barriers and medical adhesives to protect your skin without compromising adhesive performance.
What a Barrier Really Does (and What It Does Not Do)
Barrier sprays and wipes serve two primary purposes:
1) They form a protective film over the skin
Barriers create a thin layer that shields skin from direct contact with irritating substances. If your ostomy wafer or adhesive system is causing irritation, a barrier may help by preventing direct skin contact. However, a better long-term solution is often finding a wafer system that does not irritate your skin in the first place.
2) They promote a gentle release
For fragile or damaged skin, barriers can reduce the risk of Medical Adhesive-Related Skin Injury (MARSI) by allowing the appliance to release more gently. Think of it like a non-stick cooking spray – barriers prevent adhesives from sticking aggressively to compromised skin.
Why Not Always Use a Barrier?
Barriers significantly reduce adhesive strength.
The Skinister team has conducted ASTM peel testing using pig skin and hydrocolloid materials to simulate ostomy use. Barrier sprays were found to reduce peel strength by approximately 25% to 75%.
Reduced peel strength means:
- Increased risk of leaks
- Reduced wear time
When Barriers Are Appropriate
Barriers are most helpful when the priority is skin protection, including:
- Fragile, thin, or aging skin prone to MARSI
- Damaged, irritated, or weeping peristomal skin
- Sensitivity or reaction to wafer or adhesive materials
Barriers are not recommended when the primary issue is:
- Leaks
- Insufficient wear time
Although barriers are often marketed as protecting skin from leaks, we have found this not to be the case. In practice, barriers compromise adhesion, making leaks more likely. When leaks occur, failure typically happens at the barrier-to-skin interface, allowing fluid to reach the skin.
For leaks, we recommend first checking wafer fit and then considering a high-quality silicone ostomy adhesive.
Best Practice
Based on our research, we recommend targeted barrier applications only when and where needed.
Apply barriers to areas of fragile, irritated, or damaged skin and avoid applying them to surrounding healthy skin. Coating the entire area unnecessarily weakens adhesion.
Once the skin has healed, you may discontinue barrier use to restore full adhesive strength, leak resistance, and wear time.
What Is a Medical Adhesive?
Ostomy adhesives are used to increase adhesion, improve wear time, and reduce leaks.
In Skinister Medical lab testing, Skinister Medical Adhesive spray was shown to increase adhesion by 50% to 100%. Most ostomates report 2-3 additional days of wear time when using adhesive appropriately.
Skinister Medical Adhesive is:
- Silicone-based
- Extremely water resistant – resists stoma output, perspiration, and bathing
- Aerosol-free and safe for direct skin application
How Adhesives Actually Work
Pressure-sensitive adhesives (PSAs) are soft and flexible. When pressed against the skin, they flow into intimate contact with the surface to establish a mechanical bond. That’s why it’s important to apply your ostomy bag or wafer with pressure.
Skinister Medical Adhesive spray is a high-performance silicone PSA that may be applied to your ostomy wafer, peristomal skin, or to both surfaces for additional strength, leak resistance, and wear time.
Effective Application Method:
- Squirt a small amount of adhesive next to the stoma
- Spread it around the peristomal skin with a fingertip
- Allow it to dry until tacky
- Apply the pouching system as usual
For even more strength, also apply Skinister Medical Adhesive to both the skin and device. Pressure sensitive adhesives are up to 50% stronger when applied to both surfaces.
The Bottom Line
- Use a barrier spray or wipe to reduce adhesion and protect fragile, damaged, or weeping skin
- Apply barriers as a spot treatment, only when and where needed. Discontinue use on healthy skin to restore adhesive performance.
- Always apply your ostomy appliance with pressure to aid in adhesion
- Use Skinister Medical Adhesive spray to increase adhesion when experiencing leaks or short wear time
- Skinister Medical Adhesive may be applied to the skin, the device, or to both surfaces for maximum strength
- Remove Skinister Medical Adhesive with a silicone-based remover, such as Skinister Medical Adhesive Remover
The MEDICAL MONKS STAFF brings to the table decades of combined knowledge and experience in the medical products industry.
Edited for content by JORDAN GAYSO.
