skin care product ingredients---do I need to avoid these?

[robysue]

I've got to find something I can use on the *outside* of my nose, the bottom of my nostrils, the space between my nose and upper lip, and my lips to help with dry skin, irritation from both the silicone in the nasal pillows and the exhale air blowing on my lips, and (once winter comes) my wintertime chapping due to snow, cold, and dry inside air from the forced air heat in the house.

Prior to this year, I've used plain old Vaseline for chapped skin, dry skin, and chapped lips since it works and it doesn't cause any skin rashes for me. But now I've had to start using a CPAP and I know that Vaseline is out because it's 100% petroleum jelly which is bad for the silicone in the mask.

Now I've always been very, very sensitive to skin care products. Any added fragrance---I get a rash. Any gel-like consistency---I get a rash. Any alcohol-related ingredients---I get super-dry skin. Substantially long lists of unpronouncable ingredients---I get a rash or super-dry skin or both. You get the picture.

Well, I've read the ingredients on the handful skin care products that I have been able to use in the past without problems. Most of them contain petroleum jelly as one of their ingredients. And it's usually pretty near the top of the list of ingredients. So I can't use those without damaging my mask, right?

There are a few skin care products that I've been able to use that are petroleum jelly-free, but they do contain various plant-derived oils such as jojoba oil, avocado oil, grape seed oil, safflower oil. A few of them also contain bee-related ingredients such as honey, beeswax, and royal jelly. Can I use products with these ingredients without damaging my mask and nasal pillows?

[Julie]

Have you considered just using a room humidifier?

[nanwilson]

Lanisoh, (lanolin) you buy it in the baby section at Walmart. Nursing moms use it to keep their nipples from cracking. If its okay for new babes, its okay for us. Most of us use it, if your using pillows, you put it around the edge of your nares. I also use it on my lips before I put my mask on. You just need to use a tiny dab, it goes a long way.
Nan

[OutaSync]

100% pure lanolin. You can buy it online. Another good product is pure natural shea butter. Not a lotion that contains these products, but the pure form. And then, depending on what kind of mask you have, try a mask liner from http://padacheek.com/. You can put any product you like all over your face and the liner keeps it off the silicone.

Bev

[Emilia]

I second the Lansinoh cream....what a great product! I've used it from the first night with my Swift LT and have not had any irritations at all. One tube will probably last forever.....

[djr1215]

I have no experience with this product, but RoEzIt was recommended last night at the local AWAKE meeting. http://www.roezit.com/ or check with your local DME - some of the ones present last night carry this.

[Emilia]

Interesting.... the RoEzit is formulated with Aloe and Emu OIL....... hmmmmmm!!

[robysue]

I'll look for the Lanisoh. Does it have any added fragrance? Or is it fragrance free?

As for the room humidifier suggestion. Might work once heating season is in full swing, but last night the outside temp was in the 70s and the relative humidity was around 60% or 70% and we DON'T have A/C. Miserable sleeping weather. But my upper lip and lower nose feel really chapped today from the exhale air blowing on them all night.

[chunkyfrog]

I wonder if there is a table somewhere showing common oils and fats and their effects on mask silicone.
If lanolin is o.k., then why wouldn't some other low-viscosity non mineral oil work?
It seems that some folks would avoid lanolin for conscience reasons--what would they use?

[nanwilson]

Lansinoh has no fragrance and it is pure lanolin. If it keeps moms nipples supple and does not hurt a newborn babe, how can it hurt you or your mask. I have the tube here...says... soothes, softens and protects dry, cracked skin, hypoallergenic and completely safe. Lansinoh is recommended for use on sore cracked nipples. Lansinoh does not need to be removed prior to breastfeeding.
Ingredients..100% lanolin, the world's purest lanolin. If a newborn babe can injest it how can it hurt an adult, as to the silicone on our masks there is no petroleum jelly in it.
Nan

[robysue]

If a newborn babe can injest it how can it hurt an adult, as to the silicone on our masks there is no petroleum jelly in it.

The question isn't whether lanolin (which is chemically speaking a kind of animal-derived wax) will trigger a rash (lanolin usually doesn't do that for me), but rather which kinds of oils and waxes might damage the silicon in our masks. In other words, what is it about petroleum jelly and mineral oil that's bad for silicon, when apparently (some) animal or vegetable derived oils and waxes don't seem to damage the silicon? Both are chemically hydrocarbon compounds.

[Muse-Inc]

I use DermaE vitamin C serum (oil-free formula) and have for years under my mask's silicon with no negative effects. I have sensitive, easily irritated skin. I use their alphalipoic acid facial repair cream that also has green tea extract -- since I started using this (just daytime now, since July '09) I have not had to go to the dermatologist to leave bits of facial skin in his office or being biopsied...no more actinic keratoses & no more rosacea either.

As for dryness, I cut a red grape in half and rub it all over my face before washing (even over makeup)...eyelids too tho grape juice in the eyes stings--fair warning

Edited faces to face thanks Jeff!

[jdm2857]

As for dryness, I cut a red grape in half and rub it all over my faces before washing (even over makeup), eyelids too tho grape juice in the eyes stings...fair warning

I never suspected that you were two faced.

[jdm2857]

Here's an exhaustive link I posted earlier about the chemical resistance properties of silicone. Note that petroleum jelly is listed as petrolatum, and vinegar as (dilute) acetic acid.

http://www.cicoil.com/pdf/ChemC2.pdf

[Muse-Inc]

Here's an exhaustive link....

Uhh, no link ???