Memes

Did you know that, when changing adult incontinence products, that you will sometimes run into feces that is stubbornly adherent to skin? One of the most convenient products to speed up removal of the feces, and thus cause less irritation to the skin from friction, is shaving cream.

Now, shaving gel will also work, but not as well as standard foaming shaving cream. I suspect this is due to the minor difference in water content and the lack of air pockets in the gel.

Finding a brand with good moisturizers is a plus, but even plain old barbasol contains a little help in that regard.

Shaving cream is superior to even dedicated products designed for cleaning body wastes. There used to be a brand (I cannot remember which) that relabeled shaving cream from a generic company and increased the price five fold (at least). That brand did not last because nobody in the supplies departments of nursing homes, home health, our hospitals was fool enough to reorder once the labels wore off.

Generally, the caregiver will apply a small amount of foam onto a gloved hand and apply it to the affected area. Allow it to sit while you make sure the washcloth is warm, then wipe gently. Reapply if necessary.

This is particularly effective for patients with high fat diets, those using sugar based laxatives, and when the feces is "mixed" consistency. But it works for any and all feces. Indeed, some caregivers will use shaving cream any time they clean a patient that has defecated because it reduces the amount of scrubbing necessary after the initial bulk of the feces is cleared. With elderly patients in particular, skin irritation is to be avoided.

There are products that are meant to be applied after cleaning is done, to provide a barrier between skin and any waste products. Those products are often costly. Shaving cream (and here is where gels tend to be a little better) often has ingredients that will stay on the skin unless rinsed away thoroughly. Those ingredients are an acceptable barrier to waste products, though they do not, and can not, last as long or protect as well as the thicker creams and ointments designed for that purpose. But, when a caregiver is following standard care, any incontinence briefs will be checked regularly enough that the extra time is not a significant benefit.

This changes if the patient has unusually acidic or alkaline waste. In those cases, the extra thickness of other products is a necessary feature, and shaving cream residues would not be adequate.

Because of this, many professional caregivers, particularly those who have remained in the field for decades, will ensure that they have shaving cream available at all times.