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General product information for researchers, clinic staff and supply teams. It is not medical advice and does not replace an ostomy nurse’s assessment of an individual person’s skin.
Short answer
“Ostomy adhesive” is not one product. The pouch or flange is attached to the skin by an adhesive material that is part of the device itself, which US regulation classifies as a Class I device. Adhesive removers (sprays and wipes) are a separate accessory used to ease removal. A remover or “releaser” spray is not a glue and does not stick a pouch on.
Definition and scope
Under 21 CFR 876.5900 (checked 2026-11-01), an ostomy pouch and accessories device “consists of a bag that is attached to the patient’s skin by an adhesive material and that is intended for use as a receptacle for collection of fecal material or urine” after an ileostomy, colostomy or ureterostomy. It is Class I (general controls) and exempt from premarket notification (510(k)), subject to the limitations in 21 CFR 876.9. The regulation’s accessory listing is discussed in our stoma powder guide.
In everyday searches the phrase covers several different things, so this page separates them:
- The adhesive on the pouch or flange: part of the regulated device described above. See what an ostomy bag is and one-piece ostomy bags.
- Adhesive removers: sprays and wipes used when taking the appliance off.
- Chemistry of the adhesive itself: covered in what silicone adhesive is.
What adhesives and removers are for
The United Ostomy Associations of America (UOAA) states on its Maintaining Healthy Peristomal Skin page (checked 2026-11-01) that “adhesive releaser spray and remover wipes can make pouch changes easier”.
The NHS prescribing body PrescQIPP describes the purpose of removers in its bulletin B189, Stoma and continence: Adhesive removers (March 2018, version 2.0, England and Wales context; checked 2026-11-01). Removers are “designed to facilitate easy, non-traumatic removal of adhesive dressings and appliances” and also remove adhesive residue. The bulletin ties this to medical adhesive-related skin injury (MARSI), which occurs “when the skin to adhesive attachment is stronger than the skin cell to skin cell attachment”. Loss of layers of the stratum corneum is called skin stripping.
For the separate question of allergy to tape or adhesive, see allergic reaction to medical tape.
Types of remover
PrescQIPP groups adhesive removers into three chemical categories. Every row below comes from that bulletin (2018).
| Category | What the bulletin says |
|---|---|
| Alcohol or organic-solvent based | Can be drying, stinging and irritating to skin. |
| Oil based | Skin must be thoroughly cleansed and dried afterward so that appliances will adhere. |
| Silicone based | Temporarily alter the surface chemistry of skin and adhesive; “generally do not dry out or sting”. |
The bulletin adds that most modern products are alcohol-free, but that the ingredients of each product should be checked. Removers come as sprays (pump, aerosol or “bag in can”) or as wipes in individual sachets.
What the evidence says
The bulletin is candid about the evidence: opinion is divided on whether removers should be used routinely, and “clinical evidence … is limited. No randomised, controlled trials”. A small service evaluation reported that 54 of 60 questionnaires were returned and 91% of respondents found the appliance easier to remove, which is a small and subjective measure.
Common misunderstandings
Is there such a thing as ostomy glue?
The attachment of a pouch to skin is by the adhesive material that is part of the pouch or flange, as 21 CFR 876.5900 describes. Remover products are for taking adhesive off, not for sticking a pouch on.
Is an “ostomy adhesive spray” an adhesive?
The sprays described in the sources above are remover or releaser sprays. UOAA calls them “adhesive releaser spray” and PrescQIPP classes them as adhesive removers. This page does not describe any spray-on adhesive for attaching pouches.
What about ostomy tape?
This page covers the pouch adhesive and removers only. For tape-related skin reactions in general, see the allergic reaction to medical tape guide.
FAQ
What is ostomy adhesive?
It is the adhesive material by which an ostomy pouch is attached to the skin. In US regulation it is part of the Class I ostomy pouch and accessories device (21 CFR 876.5900).
What is an ostomy adhesive remover?
A spray or wipe designed to ease non-traumatic removal of adhesive appliances and to remove residue (PrescQIPP B189, 2018).
What is the difference between an adhesive remover and a spray?
A spray is one form of remover; the other is a wipe. Both are removers, and neither is an adhesive.
Are alcohol-free removers available?
PrescQIPP says most modern products are alcohol-free, and that each product’s ingredients should be checked.
Is there trial evidence that removers help?
The 2018 PrescQIPP bulletin reports no randomised controlled trials and only limited clinical evidence.
Sources
- eCFR, 21 CFR 876.5900, Ostomy pouch and accessories, checked 2026-11-01.
- United Ostomy Associations of America, Maintaining Healthy Peristomal Skin, checked 2026-11-01.
- PrescQIPP, Bulletin B189: Stoma and continence: Adhesive removers, March 2018 v2.0, checked 2026-11-01.
