When we remove hot tub covers and step into hot tubs, we’re looking to feel one thing: relaxation. Unfortunately, they can also sometimes cause dry skin, which is a relaxation killer indeed. If you are suffering from a stressful condition caused by the very thing you bought to relieve stress, don’t worry. Follow these tips to relieve skin irritation and resume relaxing.
The first and perhaps the most obvious solution to dry skin is to use lotion. Apply directly after you step out of the tub is the best way to ensure skin does not dry out, grow flaky or start to burn. Especially if your skin is sensitive, make sure to buy lotion formulated to be gentle. Instead of toweling off all the way, leave skin a little damp to help it absorb the lotion.
Heat can be a contributor to dry skin, so a good way to avoid the nasty side effects is to cool skin off. If you don’t, you might sweat after drying off and increase the chances of skin growing irritated. Start implementing a quick, cool shower when you step out of the tub. This will bring skin temperature down, reduce or remove the chance of sweating, and calm skin. You can also take the opportunity to do a quick exfoliation using a washcloth or loofa.
Check out your hot tub sanitizer. If it is chlorine-based, you might want to fix that. Since chlorine has a drying effect on most people’s skin, you should skip it. According to Livestrong.com, hot tub sanitizers with a copper base are a much better bet to keep skin looking and feeling healthy. Don’t forego the sanitizer completely, however, as it is necessary to keep your tub functioning properly.
Lastly, you can add a conditioning agent to the water in your tub. This can counteract the drying effect of cleaners as well as moisturize your skin while you are soaking in the water. If showering off after you step out of the tub doesn’t sit well with you, this is an especially smart move. Following this step and the ones above is sure to increase your hot tub satisfaction and decrease itchy, flaky dry skin.
Happy Tubbing!Ethel Elliott
Written by Ethel Elliott. +Ethel writes about all things backyard with a focus on replacement hot tub spa covers. You can also chat with Ethel on Twitter! Follow this author on Twitter