Cavilon is a barrier product applied to skin to protect it from moisture, urine, stool and adhesive damage. It is used around stomas, under dressings, and for people who are incontinent or bed-bound. It is a skin protectant rather than a medicine, which is why it does not appear on the medicine register.
What is Cavilon?
No product called Cavilon appears on the South African Medicine Price Registry. That register lists SAHPRA-approved medicines and their prices. Cavilon is a medical device and skin protectant rather than a medicine, which is why it is absent — not because there is anything irregular about it.
Cavilon is a 3M product range, and the forms most often used are:
- No-Sting Barrier Film — a liquid, spray or wipe that dries within seconds into a transparent, breathable protective layer. It is alcohol-free, which is why it does not sting on broken or sore skin.
- Durable Barrier Cream — a concentrated cream that stays on the skin through several washes.
- Advanced Skin Protectant, for severely damaged skin.
How the barrier film works. It forms a very thin polymer layer that is waterproof from the outside but breathable from the inside, so it repels urine, stool, wound exudate and sweat while letting the skin transmit moisture normally. It also lets dressings and adhesives stick to the film rather than to the skin, so removing them does not strip the skin surface.
Two things distinguish it from an ordinary barrier cream such as zinc and castor oil:
It is transparent and very thin, so you can see the skin underneath — which matters for pressure areas, where the whole point is monitoring for early damage.
It does not interfere with adhesives. Thick greasy barrier creams stop stoma bags and dressings sticking; barrier film does not, which is why it is standard around stomas and under adhesive dressings.
It lasts around 48 to 72 hours per application, considerably longer than a cream.
What is Cavilon commonly used for?
- Incontinence-associated dermatitis — the red, sore, sometimes broken skin caused by prolonged contact with urine or stool. Its commonest use.
- Protecting skin around a stoma, where output is corrosive and the bag adhesive is applied repeatedly.
- Protecting skin under adhesive dressings and tape, particularly in older people and anyone on long-term steroids, whose skin tears easily.
- Preventing medical adhesive-related skin injury, where repeated dressing changes strip the skin surface.
- Around wounds, drains and fistulas, protecting the surrounding skin from exudate.
- Preventing pressure injury in bed-bound or immobile people, alongside repositioning.
- Under casts, splints and braces, at friction points.
- Around a feeding tube or catheter site.
- Protecting skin during radiotherapy, in some protocols.
What it does not do is treat infection or heal a wound. It is a protective layer. A broken, infected or non-healing area needs proper assessment — barrier products protect intact and mildly damaged skin, and are not a substitute for wound care.
The measures that matter most alongside it, particularly for incontinence and pressure damage:
- Change and clean promptly after episodes of incontinence — the barrier reduces damage but does not remove the need.
- Use a gentle, pH-balanced cleanser rather than soap, and pat dry rather than rubbing.
- Reposition regularly if someone is immobile. No barrier product prevents pressure injury on its own — relieving pressure does.
- Check the skin daily, particularly over the sacrum, heels, hips and elbows.
How Cavilon fits into this medicine category
| Type | Examples | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Barrier films | Cavilon No-Sting Barrier Film | Transparent, breathable, adhesive-compatible |
| Barrier creams | Cavilon Durable Barrier Cream, zinc and castor oil, petroleum jelly | Thicker; may interfere with adhesives |
| Topical steroids | Clomaderm | Inflammation — not a barrier |
| Antifungals | Canex V | Fungal rash, common in moist skin folds |
| Antiseptics | Chlorhexidine, povidone-iodine | Cleaning, not protecting |
| Dressings | Foams, hydrocolloids, films | Wound management |
One distinction worth making. Skin that is red and sore from moisture is not necessarily infected — but moist, warm skin folds very commonly develop thrush, which looks similar and needs an antifungal rather than a barrier. A rash with satellite spots at the edges, or one not improving with barrier care, is often fungal.
See the skin and wound care medicines hub.
What to check before using Cavilon
- Clean and dry the skin first. Applying barrier film over urine, stool or moisture seals it against the skin, which is worse than nothing.
- Do not apply it to infected skin without advice.
- Let the film dry fully — around 30 seconds — before applying a dressing, bag or clothing.
- Do not apply it to deep or open wounds, only to the skin around them.
- Reapply as directed, typically every 48 to 72 hours, or after each bag change around a stoma.
- Do not layer barrier products. A cream on top of a film, or two creams together, stops both working and interferes with adhesion.
- Check for allergy if you have reacted to adhesives, dressings or skin preparations before.
For a stoma specifically, follow the guidance of your stoma therapist — barrier film, powders and paste are used in a particular order, and getting that order wrong is a common reason bags leak.
For someone at risk of pressure injury, barrier products are one part of a plan that must also include repositioning, pressure-relieving surfaces, nutrition and daily skin inspection.
Possible cautions and when to ask a pharmacist or doctor
Cavilon products are generally very well tolerated. The no-sting formulation is alcohol-free, so it can be applied to sore or broken skin without the burning that alcohol-based films cause.
Occasional problems: mild stinging, redness or itching, and build-up if reapplied too often without cleaning.
Seek medical or nursing advice for:
- Skin that is broken, weeping or not improving after a few days of barrier care.
- A rash with small spots at the edges, or in skin folds — possible thrush needing an antifungal.
- Increasing redness, warmth, swelling, pus or a bad smell — possible infection.
- Any area of skin that stays red after pressure is relieved, or feels boggy, warm or hard — this is early pressure damage and needs acting on immediately.
- Any broken area over a bony prominence — sacrum, heels, hips. A pressure sore is far easier to prevent than to heal.
- Persistent leaking from a stoma bag, or sore skin around a stoma — a stoma therapist can usually solve this.
- A rash or reaction to the product itself.
Get emergency help for a rapidly spreading red, hot, painful area with fever, a widespread blistering rash, or facial swelling with difficulty breathing.
A closing point. Skin damage from incontinence and pressure is common, painful, expensive to treat and largely preventable. Barrier products help genuinely, but they work as part of a routine — prompt cleaning, gentle drying, regular repositioning and daily skin checks. If you are caring for someone at home and unsure how to do this, ask. Community nursing services and stoma therapists exist for exactly this, and getting the routine right early prevents a great deal of suffering later.
Related medicine guides
Frequently asked questions
What is Cavilon used for? Protecting skin from moisture, urine, stool, wound exudate and adhesive damage — around stomas, under dressings, and for people who are incontinent or bed-bound.
Is it a medicine? No. It is a skin protectant and medical device, which is why it does not appear on the medicine price register.
How is it different from a barrier cream? The film is transparent, very thin, and does not interfere with dressing or bag adhesives — so you can see the skin and things still stick. Thick creams stop adhesives working.
Does it sting on sore skin? The No-Sting formulation is alcohol-free and does not. That is the point of it.
How often do I apply it? Typically every 48 to 72 hours, or after each stoma bag change. Follow the product instructions.
Can I use it on an open wound? No — around a wound, not on it. Open wounds need proper dressing and assessment.
Can I put a cream on top? No. Layering barrier products stops both working and interferes with adhesion.
Will it prevent bed sores? It helps protect the skin, but repositioning is what prevents pressure injury. Barrier products are one part of a plan.
The skin is still getting worse. What now? Get it assessed. It may be infected, it may be thrush, or it may be early pressure damage — all of which need something other than a barrier.