Summer brings heat, humidity, and time outdoors, perfect ingredients for the appearance of itching and outbreaks in sensitive and atopic skin.
However, it is possible to enjoy summer plans without sacrificing our skin health with the right care. What steps should we take to care for atopic skin in summer?
- Choose a suitable sunscreen.
- Protect your skin from salt and chlorine.
- Always keep your skin hydrated and take frequent warm showers.
- Use mosquito repellents suitable for sensitive skin.
- Avoid prolonged perspiration on the skin.
Read on to discover them in depth!
5 tips to care for atopic skin when the heat arrives
Atopic-prone skin is characterized by inflammation, extreme dryness, and itching. They tend to be more sensitive and reactive to external factors such as climate change, irritating products, and allergens.
1. Choose a suitable sunscreen
Sunscreens for sensitive or atopic-prone skin should contain physical protection filters. These act as a protective barrier and are not absorbed; however, chemical filters have a higher risk of causing allergies and sensitivity. Ideally, filters should have been previously tested on atopic skin.
The protection factor should be higher than 30, SPF 50+, and broad spectrum, if possible, to protect against UVA and UVB radiation. In addition, it is advisable that sunscreens do not contain perfumes or irritants and that they have a moisturizing texture (creams or emulsions) to help care for the skin barrier.
2. Protect your skin from salt and chlorine
Barrier creams protect the skin from water and any irritants it may contain, such as salt or chlorine. If you are going to spend a day at the sea or in the pool, it is advisable to apply a barrier cream all over your body after applying sunscreen.
3. Keep your skin hydrated and take frequent warm showers.
After swimming in the pool or the sea, remember to shower to remove the remains of salt and chlorine that can irritate the skin. The water should be lukewarm, instead of hot, and the shower should be short, less than 10 minutes.
Always use mild cleansers, without soap, and if possible that do not contain dyes, alcohol, or fragrances. Avoid also the use of sponges and when drying your skin, do it in small touches, do not rub roughly with the towel.
After showering or bathing, it is important to keep the skin moisturized by applying a daily use emollient cream or oil specifically formulated for sensitive and atopic-prone skin.
Nocisens OIL is a neurodermatological oil specially formulated for the daily care of sensitive and atopic-prone skin. It helps to moisturize the skin and soothe typical discomforts such as itching or stinging. Its neurodermatological ingredients act on the skin’s neurosensitive system, restoring balance. In addition, avocado oil deeply nourishes and regenerates, and oat extract reinforces the skin’s barrier function.
4. Use mosquito repellents suitable for sensitive skin.
If you need to use mosquito repellent this summer, try to opt for those containing mild, natural ingredients, such as eucalyptus oil, citronella, or lavender oil. DEET is very effective in repelling mosquitoes but can irritate sensitive skin.
Before applying repellent all over the body, do a patch test. Apply the product to a small area of the body first to make sure it does not cause irritation or allergic reactions. If in doubt, it is best to check with your dermatologist.
If you haven’t gotten rid of the bites, Nocisens Intense, our neurodermatological cream, can be used to help soothe the itching of insect bites. Relief is very fast!
5. Avoid prolonged sweat on the skin
During the summer, sweating becomes a constant in our daily lives. Sweat can aggravate the uncomfortable symptoms typical of atopic skin, such as itching. Several studies suggest that patients with atopic dermatitis often have a certain hypersensitivity or allergy to their sweat. Although sweat is essential to maintain our body temperature, in the case of people with dermatitis its accumulation can generate an immune response.
Try to remove sweat by showering or bathing, so that the allergens that cause reactions do not accumulate.
If sweat production is excessive, even in the coldest months of the year, you can try Ecrisens. This neurodermatological cream, developed by Prospera Biotech, helps control excessive sweating without affecting the body’s thermoregulatory needs by making the sweat glands less sensitive to heat and decreasing their activation.
Caring for atopic skin during the summer may seem like a challenge, but with the right routine, it is possible to keep it healthy and free of uncomfortable sensations. Don’t forget to moisturize with the Nocisens line.
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References
- Col·legi de farmacèutics de Barcelona. Dermatitis atópica y protección solar [Internet]. Mar 2023. [cited 5 Jun 2024]. Available at: https://www.farmaceuticonline.com/es/dermatitis-atopica-pildora-salud/
- Mayo Clinic. Atopic dermatitis (eczema) [Internet]. 2 Aug 2023. [cited 5 Jun 2024]. Available at: https://www.mayoclinic.org/es/diseases-conditions/atopic-dermatitis-eczema/symptoms-causes/syc-20353273
- Murota, H., Yamaga, K., Ono, E., Murayama, N., Yokozeki, H., & Katayama, I. (2019). Why does sweat lead to the development of itch in atopic dermatitis? Experimental Dermatology, 28(12), 1416–1421. https://doi.org/10.1111/exd.13981
1 Comentario
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