How to Protect Skin in Chlorine Pools

Chlorine is placed in swimming pools to kill bacteria and other germs. But the chlorine is also irritating to the skin. There are reports that the chlorine causes dry, patchy skin, acne, rashes and exacerbates eczema and psoriasis. Swimming is popular because it is an aerobic exercise that offers many health benefits for people from toddlers to the elderly. But there are steps you can take to protect the skin from chlorinated pools.

Things You'll Need

  • Lotion for swimmers
  • Showerhead with filter
  • Body moisturizer
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Instructions

    • 1

      Apply a lotion to the skin before swimming. There are several skin lotions on the market designed to provide a barrier between the skin and the chlorinated water.

    • 2

      Take a shower after swimming using a filtered showerhead. The water rinses off the chlorine on your skin but the water from the shower may also contain chlorine. Use a showerhead that filters out chlorine.

    • 3

      Use cold water when showering. Hot water opens your pores and allows the chlorine on your skin to seep into the pores. Also the steam vapors mix with the chlorine on your skin to create chloroform which you then breathe in. One option is to shower in cold water.

    • 4

      Apply a body moisturizer after the shower. Any water can dry your skin so keep it moisturized. Use any lotion you already have on hand.