Coloplast Brava
Coloplast Brava is a line of ostomy accessories designed to provide a strong seal between you and your pouch, as well as protect your skin from output. If output comes in contact with the skin around your stoma, it can cause irritation or skin damage. One thing that sets Brava ostomy products apart from others is that they all are alcohol-free. This means that they will not sting or dry out your skin. Brava makes a variety of ostomy supplies like barrier rings, stoma powder, and more.
An ostomy barrier ring is placed under your ostomy wafer to fill in any gaps between your stoma and the wafer. The ring is made from a flexible material that expands when it is exposed to output or other liquid. This keeps output from coming in contact with delicate stomal skin and also prevents leaks. Barrier rings can be placed directly on the skin around your stoma or you can apply them to the ostomy wafer. Because the material is malleable, you can shape the ring to perfectly fit around your unique stoma.
Coloplast Brava also offers ostomy barrier strips. These are made from the same material as ostomy barrier rings, but the strips are placed on top of your ostomy wafer instead of under it. The purpose of the strips is to provide extra security to hold your wafer in place. They increase the surface area of your wafer. Barrier strips are available in straight, curved, and wider widths to suit your needs. The straight strips are ideal for use with ostomy wafers that are square shaped. The curved barrier strips are best to use with a circular or oval-shaped ostomy wafer. For the best results, make sure that your skin is clean and dry before applying ostomy seals.
Stoma paste provides similar benefits as barrier rings and strips. Despite its name, this product is not a paste. It is a caulk that evens out any skin contours around the stoma and creates a flatter surface for you ostomy wafer to stick to. This improves the fit of your wafer, which reduces the risk of leaks. Improving the fit means that you get a longer wear time our of your ostomy pouch. Brava offers stoma paste in a squeeze tube as well as strip paste. The strip paste is a firmer, more solid consistency that is ideal for deeper folds or scars. Both of these Brava products are alcohol free, so they will not sting or irritate your skin.
Brava stoma powder is designed to absorb moisture from stomal skin that is raw or weepy. If the skin around your stoma is not dry, your wafer may not adhere properly. Applying stoma powder helps your pouch wear longer because it absorbs moisture throughout the day. Another benefit of this product is that it is easy to use. Simply sprinkle the powder over the affected area and dust off any excess. You can then follow up with any other skin care products and apply your ostomy wafer or pouch. Keep in mind that stoma powder is medicated, making it very different from baby powder. Other skin powders should not be used in place of stoma powder, as these could cause irritation to the delicate stomal skin.
The skin around the stoma can become irritated due to the constant exposure of adhesive or if output leaks onto the skin. One popular ostomy care product is skin barrier wipes. They form a thin, transparent layer on the skin to protect against output and adhesive. Coloplast Brava offers skin barrier products in the form of pre-saturated, individually wrapped towelettes as well as a spray bottle.
Stoma powder and skin barrier solutions can be used in conjunction with one another to perform what is known as the "crusting" technique. The process involves applying a light layer of stoma powder to the skin around the stoma and then dabbing over it with a barrier wipe or spray. Doing so helps seal the powder in place and improves the adhesion of your ostomy wafer. Skin preps should only be applied to the surrounding stomal skin and not directly on the stoma itself.