Rising temperatures are exciting, as they mean more time spent outside with the whole family. However, the warm weather also means more opportunities for skin irritations like bug bites, heat rashes, and allergic reactions. Certified dermatologist Dr. Angela Lamb offers some tips for preventing and treating whatever skin troubles may come your family’s way this spring and summer.
Cover Up
More bare skin means more risk for bug bites and stings, as well as more exposure to rash-causing plants such as poison ivy and poison oak. Whenever possible, choose clothes that cover the skin, like long sleeves and pants, especially when heading into the woods or other higher-risk areas. Mosquitoes often target feet and ankles, so wearing socks and closed shoes is a good idea as well. When you get home, check clothes for ticks before heading inside. Make sure to properly remove ticks as soon as possible.
Be Proactive
When participating in outdoor activities, make sure everyone in your family knows what plants like poison ivy, oak, and sumac look like so you can avoid them. If you spend time in areas where these plants grow, cover up and avoid contact. When you get home, be sure to immediately wash skin and clothing that may have been exposed to them.
Ensure your yard drains properly during and after rain and empty kiddie pools and other standing water. Proactive steps such as these will prevent mosquitoes from making your yard a breeding ground for mosquitoes and bug bites.
Treat Ailments
Always be prepared with a remedy on hand that can offer your family’s skin irritations instant healing and relief from itching, inflammation, and discomfort.
Insect Bits & Stings
For bites and stings, Dr. Lamb suggests using a counterirritant such as After Bite, which contains ammonia for instant relief from the itching and discomfort. The Kids formula is a gentle, non-stinging alternative for little ones or anyone with sensitive skin. Both contain soothing baking soda and offer an easy-to-apply, portable remedy for bites from a wide variety of insects.
Other Skin Irritations
For instant and permanent relief from itching and pain associated with hives, rashes, redness, minor scrapes, and allergic reactions like those caused by poison ivy, oak and sumac, Dr. Lamb recommends The Itch Eraser. The Itch Eraser is a steroid-free skin care product for the whole family that works fast to stop the itching and heal the skin. It’s offered as both a maximum strength gel and spray with antihistamine as the active ingredient and is also available as a sensitive cream with baking soda for those who have sensitive skin. All three treatments contain Vitamin E and Tea Tree Oil to heal and moisturize the skin while reducing redness and inflammation.
With a little preparation, you can make sure skin irritations don’t get in the way of enjoying the outdoors with the entire family this season!