Healthy Peristomal Skin Can Pay Off, Ceramide-Infused Skin Barriers May Help

Learn about how ostomy skin barriers that are infused with an ingredient called ceramide may help maintain healthy skin, as demonstrated in a multi-country study called the ADVOCATE study.

Learn more about how ceramide-infused skin barriers may help maintain healthy skin

Maintaining healthy skin around your stoma can be a challenge, but not doing so can be costly – to your wallet, to your time, to your daily routine. Current estimates of usual ostomy supply cost in the US range from $100-$300 per month, depending on insurance coverage and usage. Problems with the skin around the stoma can create difficulty with keeping a pouching system in place and can lead to higher product usage and higher costs.¹ Difficulty with keeping a pouching system on could also mean less time spent doing things you enjoy with the people who are important to you.

We know that practicing ostomy care routines can help maintain healthy skin around your stoma. But could the ingredients in ostomy products themselves help contribute to skin health? Ceramide is one such example.

• Ceramide is a natural component of human skin
• It links together cells in the upper layer of the skin to form a waterproof barrier
• It helps prevent water loss through the skin that can lead to damage and dryness

To further understand the potential benefits of ceramide-infused ostomy skin barriers to help protect skin health around the stoma, healthcare professionals around the world conducted an international clinical trial. The results of this study, called the ADVOCATE study, were published in the Journal of Wound, Ostomy & Continence Nursing (January/February 2018 issue).

Here’s what the study found:

Compared to those who used skin barriers without ceramide,* people who used the ceramide-infused CeraPlus™ skin barrier experienced:

• Greater satisfaction with barrier performance, prevention of leakage, and prevention of itching
• Higher rates of skin complication resolution around their stomas within 4 weeks
• Lower cost of care

The CeraPlus skin barrier is infused with ceramide to help maintain healthy skin around the stoma. People who have tried the CeraPlus skin barrier have reported visible improvement in the appearance of their skin, and that they were satisfied with adhesion, ease of removal, and wear time.²

The CeraPlus skin barrier comes in a range of options including one-piece, two-piece, flat, firm convex, soft convex, tape border and tapeless. To request a sample of the CeraPlus skin barrier, click here.

* compared to Hollister Ostomy Care skin barriers without ceramide

¹ Colwell J, Pittman J, Raizman R, Salvadalena G. A Randomized Controlled Trial Determining Variances in Ostomy Skin Conditions (ADVOCATE). J Wound Ostomy Continence Nurs. 2018;45(1):37-42.
² Global User Evaluation. Data on file, Hollister Incorporated.