What to do for kids faces that sting when sunscreen applied after swimming in chlorine?

Question

hi, I have 3 boys, ages 14,11 and 9. When they are in chlorinated pools for an extended period of time...ie when on vacation, their skin on their face and neck, sometimes on their arms becomes very red and blotchy and when I apply sunscreen it stings!!!!! This usually happens on about day 2 or 3 of our vacation after prolonged exposure to the pool water. Any suggestions for any barriers that could be applied to their skin to prevent the initial problem from happening or any suggestions at all!!! thanks.

I have always applied a water resistant sunscreen to their faces prior to getting in the pool and I do reapply when they have been out of the water for awhile however I have not washed their faces with regular water in between. So washing off the chlorine before reapplying the new layer of sunscreen may work. I was also wondering if anyone knew if putting a layer of petroleum jelly ie. vaseline on their faces under the sunscreen may prevent the chlorine from initially burning their skin. My only fear with this is that it will prevent the sunscreen from working to protect the skin as it should....anyone shed some light on this??? thanks

Answer 1

When I was a kid, some time ago, it seemed that I was allergic to the sun, I used to get those big red blotches too, and it wasn't just pool water, it was the sunscreen. It wasn't until my aunt came (from Florida) and put some PABA free sunscreen on my skin that helped. Last summer we switched from lotion to spray and that really helped, I'm 34 now and still pretty fair after all this time. Rinse the kids off with the hose, to get the chlorine off of them, and make them change their shorts too (who wants to deal with chafed, sunburned and irritable kids) - spray the sunscreen on them (put it on your hands then pat their faces after you put some moisturizer, like the after-sun care kind) - stick some floppy hats on them and stock up on the iced tea, popsicles and icecream to keep them cool and content, we have been blotch and sunburn free for the past 2 summers.

Here's a picture of the kind we've been using - we get ours from Sam's Club and pay about this much for 2 bottles as opposed to 1.

http://seabreezewholesale.stores.yahoo.net/cospspsp11.html

Answer 2

Chlorine reacts to chemicals in the sunscreen which is accelerated by heat and sun. This happened to my feet when I was a lifeguard at the pool. My feet would get horribly red and blotchy if I kept them in a chlorinated pool for long periods of time with sunscreen on them, sitting on the edge of the pool with my feet in the water in the warm sunny top 3 inches of the water.
Waterproof sunscreen is nice but the chemicals that make it waterproof can be an irritant to skin in chlorinated pools over long periods of time. The best thing you can do is have a variety of sunscreens - Coppertone Waterproof is good for all day at the lake, ocean, or river outdoors, try an herbal water resistant sunscreen at the pool instead of a waterproof sunscreen. Try Banana Boat's Suntanicals, which has vitamins and moisturizers in it to help keep skin soft while protecting it from the sun. Bullfrog has a great product - it's expensive but it is nicer to sensitive skin than Coppertone.
Test out the different varieties before you go and bring the best ones with you on vacation.
Good luck. Be sure to wash off the sunscreen immediately after being done at the pool - have the boys take a shower and scrub with soap after every visit to the pool to wash off that chlorine and sunscreen. Aloe Vera applied right after on the blisters will cool their skin and help them heal.

Answer 3

Have them shower good with gentle soap and use a moisturizer. They should stay out of the water on day 4. Do something else with them. Purchase aloe vera gel from the health food store and put some on while they are out of the pool. It will give the skin a chance to heal. Day 5, they can go back to swimming.

Answer 4

I would apply sunscreen for sensitive skin and limit their time in the pool each day. Have them rinse off thoroughly when they get out of the pool too. Good luck.

Answer 5

yes chlorine exposure can be irritating, but I'd say the problem is your sunscreen irritating their skin further...try PABA free or ask your pediatrician for a suggestion....a more expensive sunscreen used once a year may be a vacation saver!

Answer 6

it could be that their skin is so sensitive that they are allergic to the chlorine

Answer 7

aloe vera