Barrier ring, skin barrier ring, ostomy seal, ring seal, washer and colostomy ring all describe the same product: a soft, mouldable ring of skin barrier material that sits between your skin and your wafer to fill uneven contours so output cannot get underneath. The name changes by manufacturer and by country, and the product does not.
This matters at the point of reorder. Search for washers and you get plumbing. Search for seals and you get one manufacturer's word for the thing your nurse called a ring.
One object, six names, and no difference in what it does.
In this article
- Why the names differ
- What it does
- What it is not
- Shopping across brands
- Flat vs convex
- Frequently asked questions
Why does the same product have so many names?
Each manufacturer trademarked its own word, and patients pass on whichever word their nurse used.
| Name you might hear | Where it comes from |
|---|---|
| Barrier ring | Hollister's term, used across the Adapt and CeraRing range |
| Skin barrier ring | The generic clinical description |
| Protective seal, or seal | The word Coloplast and several others use |
| Cohesive seal | Associated with the eakin brand of seals |
| Washer | Common in the UK and among longer-term ostomates |
| Ring seal | A blend of the two most common terms |
| Colostomy ring, ileostomy ring | Patient shorthand, named after the stoma rather than the product |
None of these words tells you anything about the product's quality. The differences that matter are shape (flat or convex), size, thickness and whether the barrier carries an additive such as ceramide.
What does a barrier ring do?
It fills the gap between uneven skin and a flat adhesive wafer. Hollister describes its rings as filling in or caulking uneven skin contours near the stoma to create a flatter surface, so drainage cannot get under the barrier.
Skin around a stoma is rarely a flat disc. There are creases that open when you sit, scar tissue from surgery, a dip where the abdominal wall pulls in, and softness that shifts through the day. A wafer bridges over all of it. Output finds those bridges.
- It seals at the stoma base, which is where leaks start.
- It protects skin by keeping output off it, which is the single biggest cause of peristomal damage.
- It extends wear time by stopping the wafer eroding from the inside out.
- It absorbs some moisture, since the hydrocolloid barrier swells slightly as it works.
Hollister 8805 Adapt CeraRing barrier rings, 10 pack. Mouldable by hand to fill creases and dips around the stoma, with ceramide infused into the barrier. FSA and HSA eligible.
What is a barrier ring not?
It is not the wafer, not paste, and not a barrier strip.
| Product | What it is | Where it goes |
|---|---|---|
| Barrier ring or seal | Mouldable ring of skin barrier | Between skin and wafer, at the stoma base |
| Wafer, flange or baseplate | The adhesive plate the pouch attaches to | On the skin, over the ring |
| Barrier paste | Paste in a tube, often containing alcohol | Caulking gaps, same job, messier |
| Barrier strips or extenders | Curved adhesive strips | Around the outer edge of the wafer |
| Stoma powder | Absorbent powder for weeping skin | On damaged skin, before the appliance |
| Barrier film or wipes | A protective layer on the skin | On the skin, under everything |
The confusion that costs people money is ring versus paste. Both caulk. Paste commonly contains alcohol and stings on broken skin, and it is harder to place accurately. Our comparison covers it: barrier ring vs ostomy paste.
SoftFlex skin barrier ring 7806, 10 count. A mouldable hydrocolloid ring with no alcohol, which is why many people move to rings after paste stings sore skin. FSA and HSA eligible.
How do you shop for one when the names differ?
- Search the item number first. Numbers such as 8805 or 7806 are unambiguous where words are not.
- Decide flat or convex. This is the one difference that changes the fit rather than the branding.
- Match the size to your skin, not the stoma. Wide rings give more material for creases, slim rings keep the profile low.
- Check the pack count. Most boxes hold 10, so compare cost per ring rather than cost per box.
- Ignore the word on the front. Ring, seal and washer are the same category.
Rings from one manufacturer work under wafers from another. Nothing about a ring locks you into a brand of pouching system.
Flat or convex: the difference that does matter
A flat ring lies level against the skin and fills contours. A convex ring curves outward and presses the skin down around the stoma, which coaxes a flush or retracted stoma to sit proud so output drops into the pouch instead of tracking sideways.
Flat suits a stoma that protrudes at or above skin level with reasonably even skin around it. Convex is for the shape a flat ring cannot solve, and it deserves a conversation with your stoma nurse, since sustained pressure on peristomal skin is not right for every abdomen.
Hollister 89601 CeraRing oval convex barrier rings, 10 pack. For a stoma sitting flush or in a dip, where a flat ring cannot stop output tracking under the seal. FSA and HSA eligible.
More detail in convex vs flat barrier ring and what an ostomy barrier ring is.
Frequently asked questions
Is an ostomy seal the same as a barrier ring?
Yes. Seal, barrier ring, skin barrier ring, ring seal and washer all describe the same mouldable ring of barrier material that sits between the skin and the wafer.
What is an ostomy washer?
Washer is an older and mainly British word for a barrier ring. It is the same product, sold under different brand names by different manufacturers.
What is a colostomy ring?
The same barrier ring, named after the type of stoma rather than the product. Rings are not specific to colostomies, ileostomies or urostomies.
Can I use one brand of ring with another brand of pouch?
Yes. A ring sits between your skin and the wafer, and it does not need to match your pouching system's brand.
What is the difference between a barrier ring and barrier strips?
A ring seals at the stoma base, where leaks start. Strips or extenders frame the outer edge of the wafer to stop the edges lifting. They solve different problems and are often used together.
Is a barrier ring the same as paste?
They do the same caulking job. Paste comes in a tube, commonly contains alcohol and can sting broken skin, while a ring is a solid, mouldable piece with no alcohol.
Whatever you call it, we stock it
Hollister CeraRing and SoftFlex barrier rings in flat and convex, FSA and HSA eligible, with free US shipping over $80.
Shop barrier rings →This guide is general information, not medical advice. Your stoma care nurse can confirm which shape and size suit your stoma.