# Sensitive Skin Rash Treatments?



## Peacock (Apr 12, 2006)

My DH and kids have rather sensitive skin. The boys, especially; I have to get soap with no fragrance or color for laundry and bathing for them. DS gets eczema really bad in winter. 

As I posted in CF, we went to Great Wolf Lodge over the weekend. We had a wonderful time but they must put some super-strong chlorine or _something _in their water because both kids and my DH got terrible skin reactions. I've never seen this happen from swimming pools before -- must be the combo of really strong chlorine, HOURS in the water for two days in a row, and extremely dry air due to very cold outside temps. 

What it is, I think, is extremely dry skin. It's red and a little bit raised and puffy, a little itchy, but mostly it stings. I slathered them with the moisturizer my mom's doctor recommended for my mom's recent dry skin rash, Cetaphil. It's very gentle but they say it stings when first applied too. 

I'm not terribly familiar with skin rash treatments, never having had much trouble with it myself. The moisturizer alone isn't taking care of it as quickly as I'd hoped, and I would prefer not having to go the doctor visit route with the prednisone pills he'd surely prescribe. 

I want this info for future use as well because we're putting a pool in our backyard this spring and I'm afraid at some point I may have to deal with skin rashes from kids in chlorinated water for hours again. 

Advice? Thanks!


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## halfpint (Jan 24, 2005)

I used to break out in hives after swimming in pools - I was told it was the cholrine, although I'm not really sure it wasn't some of the other chemicals used in the pools. We have a pool and I don't have that problem now, and I use chlorine in it although I tend to keep it a little on the low side. My dad used a non-chlorine chemical in his pool (in a campground) and I also often broke out in hives after using his pool. I often wonder if it is the scents/chemicals from what other people had applied to themselves before going in the pools.

I always had extremely dry skin in winter (to the point of bleeding on my hands and elbows) until I began using home made soap. If you don't use any already, you might want to try some, there are several people on HT who make it to sell. In addition, I am allergic to most laundry soaps so also make my own from my plain bars of soap.

I can't help you with what to put on the rashes, although they don't sound like they are from dry skin as I don't think that would look like a rash or sting when lotion is applied. It does sound more like an allergic reaction - quite possibly from something in the pool - or even from the sheets on the bed in the hotel if they were washed using a detergent that they are allergic to. 

Dawn


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## marvella (Oct 12, 2003)

red, raised and itchy sounds like an alergic reaction. try some benedryl and see what happens. hydrocortisone cream should help too.

is it possible there was a water softener in use? i've heard of people reacting to that. also, i second the vote for homemade soap. sensitive skin runs in my family. youngest dd couldn' use anything scented either or would break out in welts all over. good old fashioned lye soap for bathing worked wonders.

also, please be aware that there are sometimes bedbugs in motel rooms. but if this is a new place that's probably unlikely.


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## chicamarun (Dec 26, 2006)

Try and oatmeal bath... works wonders for my kids. And I use an ointment on the really bad spots.

As for the pool - look into a "salt" system instead of chlorine. It's not the least expensive thing out there - but we calculated over time the cost of chlorine and the system and it was well worth it. I guess it depends on the type of pool you are putting in too. But I have a really bad allergic reaction to chlorine with my eyes - to the point I usually need to wash them out with warm milk to open them sometimes. 

Added bonus is the salt system doesn't fade out bathing suits and since I hate to buy new ones for myself - it saves my suit


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## sapphira (Mar 24, 2003)

My daughter, though she is 18, came home with terrible rash one eve from work. Arms, legs and terrible on hands. She had not been dressing warm enough and we know dry skin plays in this, and mild allergies. We had nothing but all the creams we got for christmas that were full of fragrances etc. We chose to use Neosporin and with in an hour things were much much much better. !!! Much Much Much. It's not as greasy as vaseline and she carries it around with her now. 
One of my sisters is allergic to chlorine. When she runs her bath she has to let it set for awhile before she gets in it to let some of the chlorine out. Probably a shower after swimming in a pool is called for for some people. 
And I did hear that naturally made lye soap triggers a reaction of skin to MAKE its own glycerines. We have good luck with naturally made soaps. S.


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## culpeper (Nov 1, 2002)

Get checked out for allergies. Wear clothes made from all-natural cloth - no synthetics. Change your laundry detergent, washing up detergent, soaps, shampoos, cosmetics, deodorants etc to all-natural products. 

Try chickweed ointment or lotion, or aloe vera, or soapwort. All are specifics for a variety of skin problems. Use sorbolene or Aqueous Cream instead of soap for personal hygiene - they adjust the pH of the skin to normal, and act as moisturisers as well as cleanse without the harsh ingredients of soap.

Oats can be tossed into a bath, or added to home-made soaps. Tie some in a bag and hang over the tap while the bath-water is running (saves a mess!).


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## frazzlehead (Aug 23, 2005)

My son has very dry skin and we use Watkins massage oil to soothe it. It has no scents or anything, it's a mixture of almond oil, vitamin E and some other nice things that soak in well and don't leave you feeling greasy.

It seems to be the least likely thing to cause a reaction in sensitive skin, and it works.


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