Top 3 Skincare Tips for Swimmers (2022)

As we’re heading into summer, I’m sure we are all spending increasingly more time in the pool.

Realistically though, 90% of y’all are gym bros that swim regularly as a low-impact form of cardio, so you should read this anyways.

Chlorine is an antimicrobial agent which is great for keeping pools clean, but regular contact with it can be rather irritating to the skin.

To minimize your chances of irritation and/or developing contact dermatits, I recommend doing the following:

Before Getting in the Pool

• Protect more vulnerable areas of your skin like your lips, the skin around your eyes, and wounds in the process of healing with an occlusive like Vaseline

• For those of you who prefer to avoid petroleum jelly (can’t relate, I slather myself in the stuff like a slug), this could be an option

After Getting Out of the Pool

• Rinse yourself off as soon as possible

• When you get home, shower in cool water and replenish your skin with lipids through a moisturizer.

  • This is my favorite.

  • When my skin needs extra care, I mix in an oil with a similar fatty acid composition to sebum (the oil our body naturally produces)

The biggest issue regular swimmers will face is likely contact dermatitis.

You could try relieving the irritation with an over-the-counter topical steroid, but if you’re experiencing prolonged dermatitis, it’s a good idea to visit a dermatologist.

Cheers,

@BowTiedFawn

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