Skincare for Your Stoma – Vitamin E Elements Review

Skincare! Not for your face, but for your stoma…

Since I had my ileostomy formed in 2020, I had been warned about how easily irritated my peristomal skin could become. Pre-surgery I had no idea what to expect here. What the best course of action would be to take if my skin became irritated and whether the products would work correctly. I had been speaking to a few ostomates (stoma friends) who had told me about their skin problems their ulcers and what to look out for. I was little be apprehensive about this part of my stoma story. I had poor acne as a teen and my skin has always been incredibly sensitive.

Now I do not have the best skin care routine. Yes, my partner has shown me and encouraged me to have a similar routine to hers, with all the pre cleansing, moisturising etc, but I simply forget or I get too lazy and just want to get into bed as soon as possible. But I know the importance of making sure my peristomal skin is healthy and regularly checked. So, finding the correct products that would keep my skin calm would be essential.

Trying different stoma products

When I first started using stoma bags, I didn’t get on with all of them. Not because they wouldn’t hold to my skin as initially anticipated, but more around how they would interact with my skin. Some of the bags and products would cause my skin to become irritated and this worried me. I would either have parts of the skin that would come out in a rash due to the adhesive or it would make my skin feel tight and uncomfortable.

I tried several different bags and products to combat my skin issues. It did bring back memories of being a teen and struggling with my acne. Just like when I as a teen, I had a very much love-hate relationship with my peristomal skin.

Finding the right products for my skin

Fortunately came across Pelican Modavi bags and their Vitamin E range and since then my peristomal skin has never felt or looked better.

If I have not changed my bag for a few days or if I have completed a tough workout, my skin can become sore or red and this is where the Vitamin E products shine.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Ant 🖤 IBD&Disability Advocate (@ibdlife)

I tend to use the Vitamin E Barrier Spray if my skin is irritated. I will spray around my stoma, leave it for a while until it dries and then apply a new bag. I then tend to find the day after the affected area has gone back to normal. This is nothing like I had experienced before. With other products I would check the next day and my skin would either feel or look worse, often I would then feel uncomfortable putting a new bag on.

The Pelican bags that I use also have Vitamin E on the base plate, so I get a double dose of skin goodness.

The benefits of Vitamin E

You may be wondering what Vitamin E does for your skin? I’m not a scientist, but I believe Vitamin E acts as an anti-inflammatory towards your skin, which means it can reduce the redness around your stoma and help your skin maintain its normal look and feel.

After I started using the Vitamin E range, I was surprised to see how quickly my skin went back to normal. It’s now a staple of my prescription order and I feel happy with how this has helped me.

If you are interested in any of the Vitamin E range, click here to request your free samples today.

As always, if you have any questions, feel free to drop me a message on Instagram @ibdlife is my handle. Be more than happy to have a chat on there

Speak to you all soon and take care!

Ant @ibdlife