Swimming With Eczema: Pool Tips Before Swim Lessons

Swimming with eczema worries a lot of parents. You want your child to learn to swim, but you have seen what a long bath or a dry winter does to their skin, and the smell of a pool does not exactly feel gentle. The good news is that eczema rarely has to keep a child out of the water.

This guide covers what dermatologists recommend before and after a swim, what the research says about chlorine, when to skip a lesson, and how to set up a simple routine your child can follow at every lesson. It is general information, so talk with your child's doctor about their skin.

Swimming with eczema: can kids take swim lessons?

For most children, yes. Eczema is common. In the CDC's 2024 National Health Interview Survey, 12.7% of children ages 0 to 17 had eczema, and the share was highest among children ages 6 to 11, at 14.0%. That is a lot of kids in swim lessons, at school pools and at swim team practice.

The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) puts it plainly: chemicals used to disinfect pools can irritate and dry the skin, yet some kids feel better after being in the pool. Its advice is not to avoid swimming. It is to prepare the skin before, care for it after, and keep a child out on the days when the skin is open or badly flared.

Eczema is also not contagious. The National Eczema Association states that atopic dermatitis cannot be passed to others, so a child with eczema does not put other swimmers at risk. Open or infected skin is a separate question, covered below.

What chlorine and pool water do to eczema skin

Chlorine gets most of the blame, and the research shows it does have real effects. It is just not the whole picture.

A 2023 review in Pediatric Dermatology by O'Connor, McCarthy and Murphy pulled together 20 studies on swimming and atopic dermatitis. As summarized by Dermatology Times, the review found that chlorine and similar sanitizers can strip the skin's protective oils and increase water loss from the skin, and can also cause a contact rash known as pool dermatitis. The same sanitizers can also reduce germs on the skin. The authors noted that time in the water may cool itchy skin, reduce sweating and help remove crusts.

A 2021 study in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health measured this in young athletes. After a 2 hour training session, swimmers had a significant rise in water loss from the skin at all three spots tested on the arms and hands, while football players showed a rise at only one spot. That is a measure of the skin barrier under stress, which is exactly what a moisturizer routine is meant to support.

Pool air and water quality matter too. The CDC explains that when chlorine binds to sweat, urine and dirt that swimmers bring into the water, it forms chloramines, which can irritate the skin, eyes and airways. A quick rinse shower before getting in removes much of what forms them, which helps every swimmer. If your child also has asthma, our guide to swimming with asthma covers pool air in more detail.

If your child's skin seems to react to every pool, not just a few, our tips on overcoming chlorine sensitivity may also help. A doctor is the right person to sort out what is happening.

A swim day skin routine, step by step

This routine is built from the AAD's swimming advice and the practices described in the 2023 review. Pack the supplies in a separate bag so they come to every lesson.

• Pack list. Moisturizer or petroleum jelly, a soft towel, a change of comfortable clothes, any medicine the doctor prescribed for flares, and goggles with a soft silicone strap if rubber bothers your child.
• Use prescriptions as directed. If your child uses a prescription cream, ask the doctor how to time it around swim days.
• Try a new pool briefly first. The 2023 review suggests a short trial swim in a new pool to see how the skin responds before a full lesson series.

When to skip a lesson

The AAD lists four situations when a child with eczema should stay out of the pool. They work well as a quick check before you leave the house.

Missing one lesson costs far less than a week of worse skin. Our guide to swim lessons when sick covers other reasons to stay home, like fever and stomach bugs.

Choosing a pool and planning lessons

You cannot always pick the pool, but when you can, a few things are worth asking about.

• Air and smell. Chloramines irritate skin, eyes and airways, the CDC notes, so a well run, well ventilated pool is easier on everyone.
• Water temperature. The 2023 review notes that warmer water can dry or irritate eczema skin. Very warm water is pleasant for young beginners, so it is a balance.
• Showers on site. Fresh water showers make the rinse step easy. At a home pool, a quick indoor shower works.
• Saltwater pools. They still use chlorine, made from the salt, and the review found no evidence that saltwater changes eczema outcomes.

Swim lessons are one important layer of water safety for every child, alongside close supervision and barriers around pools. Our drowning statistics report explains why those layers matter. Eczema is a reason to plan ahead, not a reason to skip learning to swim.

What to tell the instructor

When you book with InstaSwim, the booking form asks about health conditions and needs so the instructor knows beforehand. The details are then shared directly between you and your instructor. A short note is usually enough:

• That your child has eczema and which areas tend to flare.
• That you apply moisturizer before the lesson, so the instructor knows why your child's skin may feel slippery.
• That you will rinse right after, so the lesson ends on time and your child gets to the shower quickly.
• Any goggle or gear needs, such as a silicone strap.

Instructors on InstaSwim are independent contractors who describe their own experience on their profiles, so read profiles and ask your own questions. Instructors are not medical providers. You decide, with your child's doctor where appropriate, whether your child is ready to swim on a given day.

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