Cause of Chlorine Rash
Chlorine rash is a reaction between the chlorine and your skin cells. Not to be confused with hot tub rash which is actually a reaction between your skin and bacteria in the water that chlorine hasn’t killed off. If you happen to be thinking that you have a chlorine allergy because you have a rash from the pool you're not alone. Unfortunately, calling it a chlorine allergy isn't quite right. What's happening is more like a chemical burn. The chlorine sits on your skin continuing to react even after you left the pool. Over time this irritation builds up creating this itchy sensation and sometimes even a noticeable rash.Symptoms
Chlorine rash a.k.a. swimmers rash comes with a few noticeable and super irritating symptoms.- Itchy irritated skin
- Dry rough skin
- Red skin patches or eczema
- Itchy watery eyes
- Runny nose
- Sneezing
Prevention
They say an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Although there is no foolproof way to keep chlorine off your skin there's a few things you can do.- Shower before you get in the pool. Rinsing off any sweat or dirt you already have on your skin will help prevent some of the reaction with chlorine in the pool.
- You can use some kind of skin barrier like a pre-swimming lotion.This will help prevent the chlorine from getting into your pores. Making it easier to remove later.
- Take off your swimsuit and change into clean dry clothes as soon as you're done swimming. Allowing the chlorine to sit on you will only hurt your skin more.
Treating Chlorine Rash
Fortunately our skin is a very resilient part of us. We shed and grow about 1 million skin cells everyday. That means your body is actively working on repairing the damage from your rash. The best way to treat a chlorine rash comes in two steps.- Get all the chlorine off of your skin.
- Help your skin cells regenerate and heal your already damaged skin.