Need help from the ladies!!

Since I started on APAP last Thursday, I have not been using moisturizer at night(per mask maufacturer instructions) and my poor face is sooooooooooo dry. What do you other gals do to combat the lack of moisture at night??

So sorry, I am zero help.
My skin isn't so awfully dry plus I use the Swift LT nasal pillows. I don't have to worry about anything sealing except right at my nostrils.

I wish I could use the nasal pillows but I am a big time mouth breather!

Understand about the mouth breathing and need for full face mask. I am wondering if you could use a really good daytime moisturizer instead of night time regiment.... If you can crank up the humidity without getting rainout, that added moisture in the air might help somewhat. Or experiment with moisturizers that don't leave an oily residue and use it couple of hours before masking up to see if most of it gets absorbed so as to not give you a poor seal.

Use the moisturizer and create yourself a gasket out of an old t-shirt to put between your skin and the mask.

I use a very small amount of CeraVe moisturizing lotion on the parts of my face where the mask touches just before I put the mask on at night. I was getting quite a bit of redness in those areas. Someone on this forum suggested trying this moisturizer that had been recommended to them by a dermatologist and it's worked well for me. Just use a couple of drops, then in the morning after washing my face, I use another moisturizer for the day (nothing too greasy). It took awhile for the redness to go away. I wash my mask every other day with baby shampoo, and probably the wipes that are made for cleaning masks would be good to use also to. It's an "over the counter" product.

You gals have some great input. What truly is the worst that could happen with the seal if I just go ahead moisturize anyway? I do know my previous night time mosturizer is too greasy Cetaphil in the tub, but my normal daytime soaks right up, Olay for Sensitive skin. The CerVa sounds interesting, is it greasy at all?

OK, I'm WAY outta my pond in this discussion, but why is it that nipple grease improves the seal while greasy "moisturizer" is a bad thing?

katiemo wrote:What truly is the worst that could happen with the seal if I just go ahead moisturize anyway?

You will know it if the mask wants to leak in the middle of the night. Your daytime moisturizer might be enough and not create a problem. Won't know till you try and who knows, you might get lucky and it not make any difference worth talking about. So worst thing that could happen? Maybe a bad night from leaks but maybe not.

To Link regarding the nipple grease. It is lanolin based and thus an oil and pretty much pure oil. Bad for our delicate faces as oil clogs up the pores and in the quantities used on face like a moisturizer, would likely cause the mask to slide over onto the ears..... I don't dare add any oil to my face or I get zits like I was 16 again. Ladies moisturizers usually avoid oil based products..

I don't have my cpap yet but I'll have to use some moisturizer. I have rosacea and my skin would not do well without it all night. I figured I'd experiment and see what disturbs the seal the least.

- Maura

MauraAnderson wrote:I don't have my cpap yet but I'll have to use some moisturizer. I have rosacea and my skin would not do well without it all night. I figured I'd experiment and see what disturbs the seal the least.

- Maura

I have rosacea as well, the dry skin is making it flare up bad, I look like I am horribly embarrassed and my skin is burning from being dry, even after putting mosturizer on this morning

LinkC wrote:OK, I'm WAY outta my pond in this discussion, but why is it that nipple grease improves the seal while greasy "moisturizer" is a bad thing?

I am not sure why the nipple grease works lol...I do know they tend to put silicone in ladies facial moisturizers and this makes them skin slick.

I have mentioned before that I moisturize with coconut oil. Yep, plain old coconut oil, right out of the jar. I can't imagine anything that would be greasier than that. It doesn't seem to cause a problem with my FFM seal at all. I clean my face, then while it is still wet, apply a very thin layer of oil, then pat dry. (Aside from being moisturizing, it is reported to also be good for a multitude of skin conditions and contain anti-microbial properties.)

Just throwin' that out there.

Cassandra wrote:I have mentioned before that I moisturize with coconut oil. Yep, plain old coconut oil, right out of the jar. I can't imagine anything that would be greasier than that. It doesn't seem to cause a problem with my FFM seal at all. I clean my face, then while it is still wet, apply a very thin layer of oil, then pat dry. (Aside from being moisturizing, it is reported to also be good for a multitude of skin conditions and contain anti-microbial properties.)

Just throwin' that out there.

I have actually used coconut oil on my face and hair before. I currently don't have any

Hi Katiemo

I haven't been able to use moisturizer at night since I started Cpap in January. If I have a slightest drop on my skin, my nasal mask slips 'n slides around. I have tried several drug store brands - but they react the same. My skin is so dry, it feels like it is burning in the daytime, even with my regular moisturizer.

I am going to try the coconut oil, and hope it works for me.

Good luck to you.

Jan