Question For the Ladies

[Abby]

Hi,

I've been using the Quattro full face mask for almost a week now with great success, but I was wondering if you can use moisturizers on your face while using cpap. Will face creams affect the quality of the seal?

The cooler weather is coming and I usually rely on a nightly moisturizer to get me through the cold winter months

Thanks!

[Paul56]

Hi,

I've been using the Quattro full face mask for almost a week now with great success, but I was wondering if you can use moisturizers on your face while using cpap. Will face creams affect the quality of the seal?

The cooler weather is coming and I usually rely on a nightly moisturizer to get me through the cold winter months

Thanks!

Well, I'm not a lady... but I can tell you that moisturizers are a no-no in terms of life of the face cushion and obtaining a good seal.

The only thing I do before putting on the mask is wash my face to remove the oils which helps achieve a better seal.

[Babette]

Oh boy, yeah. You're not going to like this. No moisturizer. That's just death on your seal. Not only will you get leaks, but you'll degrade the silicone on the seal very fast.

Here's my suggestion - look into training yourself to use a nasal-only mask, in combination with a chinstrap and/or taping your mouth shut.

I was a confirmed mouth breather 24/7 before I started therapy. Within one night I learned to breathe through my nose.

If you are using a full face mask because you have a serious nasal obstruction, then you'll need to decide if your complection is more important to you than feeling rested.

Me, my cpap chinstrap irritates my already acne-prone skin. But at least I don't have to deal with the full face mask which not only gives me acne, but leaves me with exzema rashes.

If you'd be interested in trying the Nasal Aire II as part of this search, PM me. I run a test drive for the mask, and all it costs you to be on it is the cost of postage to mail it to the next person. You can read more about it in my signature line under "Nasal Aire II Tip Sheet".

Good luck!
Barbara

[Snoozy Q]

Abby,
The moisturizer thing is a real bummer, but you might find that the part of your face covered by the mask doesn't need moisturizer as much as before, since it'll be in relatively humid air (assuming you're using a humidifier).

I've heard that some ladies moisturize early in the evening (the theory being that your skin gets at least a few hours benefit from your moisturizer before having to rinse it off your face for mask time). My time management skills were never sufficient for me to do this kind of advanced planning.

I don't miss my moisturizer as much as I thought I would . The humidity inside my mask + switching to a really gentle cleanser makes up for it. But I do still miss it some.

[Marietjie]

Hi lady - Yes, we must change our habits - go to bed without creams and treat yourself during daytime with a nice face wash, facial and a good face cream. Good day, Marietjie

[bap40]

I had just discovered the miracles of anti-wrinkle cream before I started therapy....hmmmm now... I only use it in the mornings. I was trying to just apply it where my mask didn't come into contact with my face but that just didn't fly. Surprisingly now, I don't miss it. I live in a very cold part of the country mostly minus temps in winter so will have to see how it goes this winter. I use a very mild and natural soap called Kirk's and that helps keep my face from feeling too dry also.

[DreamStalker]

I'm not a lady either but maybe you could allow yourself to grow old. Fighting nature is always a losing battle in the end.

But on the other hand, I do understand that staying alive as long as possible is the main objective of this game we call life ... have fun with it!

[Hawthorne]

Of course, we will all get older whether we moisterize or not! Mositurizer makes the skin feel less tight and keeps is less dry looking and feeling so most women (I had better say some men do too - don't want to be sexist!), generally use some.

I find moisturizer in the morning is enough for me (I'm 69 years old and my skin is quite good). I have followed the "morning only moisterizing" routine all my adult life and my face is not dry. I may be just lucky that way. I've never been a big makeup wearer or into cosmetics that much. I like natural!

I do use a cosmetic cleansing cloth (the disposable type) every night, so that my mask will seal and it is also a skin toner. Since I started doing that, because of having to use cpap, my skin is better than it's ever been, and ,as I said, it has always been quite good. I live in Canada so no point in mentioning the cleansing cloth I use but is just a Pharmacy house brand one. That does the trick, for me. Skin feels good - mask seals well.

[Babette]

I find the less stuff I use on my face, the less my face NEEDS stuff. Switching to an extremely mild cleanser may be the key here. I recommend Cetaphil.

Hawthorne reminded me of a cleansing cloth I'm very fond of. Got it years ago at Bed Bath & Beyond. It's a white "shaggy" kinda cloth, and it feels like it's a poly material, but I think it's actually made from bamboo. It's brand name is "Miracle Cloth" and it really DOES take off all the makeup without having to use a separate makeup remover. You might look into that, paired with a very gentle cleanser, for your evening routine. Then moisturize away in the morning.

Good luck!
Babs

[gsbuck]

Looks like moisturizer is out with that mask! Maybe you could change masks? I'm a newbie and not familiar with the full face masks, but assume it's because you may be a mouthbreather. If so, you could use the ComfortLite 2 with the nasal pillows and a chinstrap. With the CL2 w/nasal pillows and you could use your moisturizer and not worry about getting a seal. Actually most any mask that uses the nasal pillows would allow your use of moisturizer. I use nighttime moisturizer with me CL2 w/np and have no problem with the seal leaking when I change positions. I have ordered a chin strap to go with it since my mouth drops open sometimes when I relax in sleep.

[AuntieNae]

I had been told that it was possible to use RoEzIt Dermal Care on your skin to help combat dryness the CPAP causes .. but not where the mask will seal to your face. It does not have petroleum in it which is what makes it safe to use with our masks. Is this wrong?