I take a quick shower before getting in the pool and add conditioner, usually Pantene. It works great!
That makes sense. That would explain why it’s a hair stylist making that recommendation and not an aquatics director! 
M
Another excema dealer here (also not so thrilled with the dermatologist advice). I find the pool doesn’t always make it worse – for me it’s more stress and travel (weird soaps I think) related. Although I also make sure to shower right out of the pool to get the chemicals off.
I often use a generic liquid soap as a body wash. I love it – it seems to work well on the chlorine smell – it’s cheap – and it smells great! It’s a peppermint one by Dr. Bronner. I get it at Trader Joe’s, but Sprouts also has it, and online some places. Very concentrated, so I keep a travel shampoo thing of it in my swim bag with about half soap, half water. Put a little on a loofa and I’m good to go 
The site with it is drbronner.com, but I can’t get there right now.
It’s a tougher price point to swallow but I’ve fallen in love with Keihl’s products. Their olive oil shampoo and conditioner makes my hair so soft like nothing else (though Dove conditioner was a close second). Though I have really thick hair and imagine it may weigh down thinner hair. I also have a Kiehl’s face wash I use after swimming which is gentler which is exactly what your face needs after swimming. Oh yeah, and then Keihl’s eye cream and face moisturizer. It’s wicked expensive but so worth it…I figure it’s the equivilent of what I would be paying if I had a Starbucks habit.
OMG I use the seal mask too for the same reasons! I don’t care how goofy it looks. I don’t have to deal with racoon eyes. SOmetimes my eyes do get puffy after and I use hemorrhiod creme. I always use Oil of Olay after swimming.I keep Oil of Olay in my car too to put on during the ride home or anytime my skin is dry. I also use Vit C ester after every face washing right before moisturinzing.
That’s funny, I’m also an Oil of Olay girl. Both the “normal” and the thicker kind that comes in a jar for winter. I have bottles in my gym bag, regular bag and at home. My husband has learned to stop asking about it.
Love that stuff!
M
Thanks for the info - I will have to look into the leaky gut (yum) and the celiac.
I have been advised by my doc to not use the hot tub, take short showers (not too hot), use Dove soap and only when “necessary”, lotion up without completely drying myself off, use Eucerin lotion and take a shower every other day. Being so active, the showering every other day went out the window the moment she said it.
I also have started to take GLA and a supplement with flax seed, borage oil & fish oil. Every day and multiple times a day when the excema was at it’s worst. I also am trying to eat walnuts, salmon, flax seed oil and all those great omega-3’s.
I also went to Whole foods to see if they had any creams or salves that I read about on Dr. Weil’s website and found one called Look No X E Ma! by Four Elements. It really seems to help with the itching although it is not cheap - 2 oz for about $14. Seems to last though.
My doc also gave me a script for a steroid cream, but I have yet to fill it in hopes I can try to get more to the root of the problem…although with all of this different stuff I am doing, I haven’t a clue what the root problem is for me! Right now for me, if the excema is improving, I am a happier camper!
I have always wanted to ask this question to get some more ideas, but thought it too “girly” for the main ST forum. This is perfect!
I swear by the Tri Swim shampoo and conditioner. I like the way it smells, and it really seems to get the chlorine out better than regular shampoos. This may sound bad, but I don’t shampoo my hair after every swim (I’m in the pool 5-6 days per week). I rinse it well, and use conditioner like I would shampoo on alternate days.
One product I’ve found and LOVE LOVE LOVE is a leave-in product called ReSami Miracle Hair. I saw it advertised on the Swimming World website and decided to give it a try for my 11 year old daughter. She is a swimmer and has very long hair, and her hair was becoming quite damaged. The stuff is AMAZING! I started using it on myself as well. It’s expensive, but especially for long hair it’s well worth it. http://www.salonweb.com/resami/capsules.htm
Body wash – anything super-moisturizing. I think I have something by either Dove or Aveeno right now. I second the idea of layering on the moisturizer while your skin is still damp. I also use the Olay Regenerist and have some Aveeno facial moisturizer in my car to use right after practice.
Now, if only anyone had a sure-fire cure for goggle-induced raccoon eyes! I think they’re permanent, unfortunately. 
Since I was about five years old, I’ve been a blonde/green-haired swimmer. Nexxus makes a good chlorine removal shampoo called Aloe Rid.
Post-open water swims, when you’re dealing with wetsuit marks on your neck and arms, I use Aquaphor. You can usually get samples in race bags and at expos.
I go the other way on the goggle issue, and have found that properly adjusted swedish goggles leave me with the least-marked eyes of all.
Aquaphor is great stuff- only thing I’ve found that really knocks back the dermatitus problem that flares up on my left hand every so often.
Husband’s known me long enough that he likes it when I smell like chlorine.
yep, the swedish goggles don’t leave marks! also, use foam gasket rather than the harder silicone gasketed lenses if you want cushion. If you wet your hair before swimming and slather on conditioner it closes the hair shaft so less damage. I have thin, fine blonde hair (swimming nightmare) so I use Aveda that removes chemicals and then the SapMoss conditioner-for face I use intensive conditioning lotion and then a layer of Neutrogena face w/spf- for body I use massage oil. I can’t reach my back though so the dry skin itchy ness drives me crazy! I wish someone would invent some kind of applicator so you could reach middle back!
<<I wish someone would invent some kind of applicator so you could reach middle back!>>
Try this: lotion applicator. It’s not perfect, but it’s better than nothing. It works best with a lotion that’s medium consistency–too thin and it runs out; too thick and it doesn’t really apply well.
I’ll second (third?) the Aveda Hair Detoxifier shampoo. I’m in the water a lot and my fine, thin hair is in reasonably good shape. I’d be happy to find something that works as well on my skin!
thanks Heidi- wish it wasn’t out of stock but that gives me an idea
.
Oops, sorry! I didn’t notice it was out of stock. I actually bought mine at Linens and Things, although it was years ago. Try this instead; you can get two for the price of one and use the second one for sunscreen.
The Aveda detox shampoo is great–no chlorine smell at all!
For body wash/soap, I’ve tried everything out there. There’s always a hint of chlorine smell–especially on my hands–I think the chlorine binds to thicker keratin in my nails and palms.
Lotion can cover up that smell, but doing a run or ride after the swim gets rid of the chlorine smell until the next swim.
BTW, love the aquaseal solution to the raccoon eyes!
I really like Weleda Skin Food. It’s great stuff that’s thick enough for your hands and lips, yet gentle enough for your face. It’s on sale 1/2 off at my local Whole Foods so i stocked up.
I also really like Kiehl’s Creme-de-elegance (I think that’s what it’s called). It’s expensive, so I just ask for samples when I buy hand cream- Ultimate Strength Hand Salve is one of my favorites for the winter.
My son has severe eczema. Sometimes a day later after pool swimming, he looks horrifying; seriously like a burn victim. I’d been using the emollients of course, and hydrocortisone. But this was getting BAD, so i brought him to the doctor. the doc said the lube up with Aquaphor BEFORE swimming, not just after.
now ordinarily slathering yourself with something oily before getting in a pool is a no-no, but this is kind of a deal breaker, so we do it. It works, too. On days that I have run out of Aquaphor, we have used 100% Shea Butter, which I like better b/c it is not petroleum based. I guess it’s just the concept of a barrier.
HTH – so just think you will have something in common with the great channel swimmers 
Good luck
well I can tell you what NOT to do for racoon eyes. DONT use anything strong. I thought I’d be a smarty pants and use some Elizabeth Arden prevage on that area. it became VERY inflamed, VERY quickly. it’s been 3 weeks of pampering that area and treating it with Neosporin, that I am finally back to regular racoon eyes, and not bright red almost raw ones. ==:-O
I also have a pair of Barracuda Medalist goggles. the traditional barracudas’ don’t fit me, but the medalists are smaller and they fit OK. They take some patience but they do prevent the marks. I use them for w/u and for long sets when I swim masters. For short sets when I will have to dice, or keep looking at the white board or the clock…I do switch back to traditional goggles. I’ve been semi OK with TRY Vanquishers, they have foam + silicone gasket…
I will try the Swedish too!
Have you seen this product? http://www.dermaswimpro.com My daughter (11) has problems with eczema and has had periodic bouts of molluscum (the dermatologist said that the virus entered through dried, cracked skin), so we use the dermaswim on her. It works very well for her, and she swims 4 times per week. It has a silicone as opposed to a petroleum base, and it’s not supposed to mess up pool filtration systems.
I too have had some success with the Women’s Vanquishers for raccoon eyes. Thanks for the warning – I’ve been looking at eye products a lot lately, and will definitely be careful now! I used to wear the Barracuda Ultimates, but they actually left more of a mark than the Vanquishers. I don’t think the seal mask would be a good idea at my masters practice. I actually think it’s more my 42-year old skin – my kids wear their Vanquishers super tight with bungees, and their marks disappear within 5 minutes. They don’t know how lucky they are.
It’s funny because I was just thinking last night that I would try applying the lotion before swimming and see if it helps any. It’s hard for me to understand as I have been in the pool mulitple times per week for the past 9 years and have never had this issue until about a month ago - not sure why it would immerge now??? Thanks again for the tip.