Swimming With Eczema.
Ulyana Michailov 
Kids Eczema Clinic is a naturopathic website dedicated to treating eczema naturally. Ulyana shows you how to minimise skin flares and enjoy swim class
As a mother you want your child to swim and have fun like all the other kids. It’s heartbreaking watching them miss out because of eczema… ideally you let them swim carefree otherwise at best find a balance between the fun and preserving the comfort of their skin.
Follow these natural based steps to minimise skin eczema flare ups and itching after swim class.
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1. Apply a barrier cream before entering the pool.
Barrier creams act as a replacement skin barrier (aka the acid mantle). The acid mantle is the outermost layer of your child’s skin. In cases of children’s eczema the skin barrier has deteriorated and so the protective action is weakened from both internal and external drivers, leaving the skin open to infection, irritation and itching.
Excessive moisture like swimming in a chlorinated pool further weakens any lesions or rashes and irritates the vulnerable areas of the skin such as in the skin fold creases, current lesions or backs of the joints. Anywhere the moisture can get trapped.
Using an effective barrier cream creates a temporary buffer between your child’s skin and the water. Just like sunscreen you have to reapply the barrier cream every hour while they are enjoying the water as it washes off.
Some natural based barrier creams:
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2. Rinse the chlorinated water off your child’s skin with plain water as soon as possible.
Once they’ve finished swimming. So, don’t let them sit in wet clothes for a drive home or dry them off after swimming but skip the shower.
The chlorine is very alkalising to the skin and so disrupts the skin barrier which likes to be slightly acidic. This weakens the skin and opens it up to irritation and itch.
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3. Don’t use soap or foaming cleansers to rinse off the pool water.
This will only further strip the moisture from the skin.
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4. Apply eczema cream after final rinse.
Once the skin is rinsed after swimming, gently pat dry and apply the appropriate skin eczema cream to seal the moisture back into the skin.
As every child’s skin is being treated with different creams and prescribed by different practitioners. It’s best to apply the recommended cream of choice as part of their ongoing treatment.
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5. Choose shaded swim areas.
When considering swimming spots, choose the centres that have provided shade otherwise add proper sun protection with long sleeved suits, hats and sunscreen suitable for eczema prone skin types.
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Pool, Lake or Beach?
The guide to swimming is the same if you choose the pool, lake or ocean. The salt water however from the ocean whilst might sting your child’s sensitive skin, it is particularly beneficial in its healing as long as the water is clean. Seawater contains many minerals essential to health and these are absorbed into the skin. The only caution is avoid sand getting stuck in the creases as this will cause irritation.
Remember, eczema is a complex skin condition that involves many factors. If you are ready to consider treating the root cause of your child’s eczema using naturopathic methods book in your virtual appointment here.
Otherwise, consider getting your child’s free skin report to learn more.
