On August 22nd, 10 UK based organizations summarized a workshop held to discuss the topic of incontinence in a freely available report. Something that was emphasized again and again in this report is the need of organizations, researchers, and companies to talk openly and honestly about the issue of incontinence and remove the stigma of shame and embarrassment around its treatment. This also means educating care givers and patients about ways to treat incontinence.
This is a topic that has been near to our hearts for a long time. Our mother (and grandmother) was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s in the mid-1990s (you can read more about that here) and since that time we have released several lines of products that are specifically formulated to help clean, treat, and protect damaged skin, especially skin that has been damaged because of incontinence. While formulating these lines we strive to create products that are pH-balanced and appropriate for delicate skin but are not institutional in appearance, color, smell, or texture. Here are a few things we’ve learned.
One of the easiest wounds to care for is a wound that isn’t there
This is especially true of skin that is at a higher risk because of prolonged exposure to feces, urine, and moisture, so make sure to find products that help protect your skin as well as help treat damaged skin. We have several different BoaVida offerings. Some are designed to help treat damaged skin while others are designed to help protect healthy skin and help prevent denuded skin. During a 31-day clinical assessment at a 127-bed Long Term Care Facility, BoaVida decreased denuded skin in patients by 45%.
Research the product before you buy
The most obvious place to start is the ingredients in the product. Research the ingredients of any products you use. We looked at many different types of moisturizers before we settled on Cupuacu Butter. We were sold on this incredible ingredient because of the outstanding moisture retention that kicked Shea Butter and Lanolin to the curb.
Also think about viscosity. If a product is too thick, even if it works well, it’s messy to apply and can leave embarrassing stains, streaks, or actually tear the skin when applying. Thicker doesn’t always mean better. Effective products should coat the skin thoroughly to protect against fecal and urine exposure but also go on smoothly.
Provide Options
We have a cleansing cream, a foaming cleanser, and traditional shampoo and conditioner that are all made with quick and thorough incontinence cleansing in mind. Rather than being forced to choose one product and stick with it, we want to provide options so that customers can choose what works best for them.
Fragrance is another way to provide options and fragrance doesn’t always mean that the product will be harsh on your skin. Scent is an amazing opportunity to create a luxury experience and promote dignity without sacrificing quality. Creating scent options is a way to communicate that incontinence treatment doesn’t have to sacrifice quality for effectiveness. Scent is a very personal and subjective choice from one person to another. Our lines of BoaVida & DermaCen products offer several different aromatherapy scent options, which provides the user the opportunity to select the fragrance most appealing to their personal taste.
"My bladder and bowel own my life.” A collaborative workshop addressing the need for continence research' was generously made available by the following organizations:
For additional questions about our product offerings or how they can help with incontinence please e-mail us at sales@centralsolutions.com