You know its summer!  The temperatures are rising and the whole nation seems like it is an oven.

How do you cool off?  And, what do you do if you develop Prickly Heat Rash? 

You have seen this rash on your baby’s when they get overly warm.  The skin develops little pink bumps, actually, little blisters.  They itch and make the baby and you miserable.  

Now babies aren’t the only ones that can get heat rash. Adults and especially the elderly can get it too.  Usually in babies, the little sweat glands get blocked and so the sweat accumulates in the outer layers of the skin. 

Ever notice that heat rash typically develops in the folds of skin, like where the neck and chest seem to rest upon each other?  It is especially here the sweat gets trapped under all that cute baby fatty folds of skin!

Well, adults can get heat rash too, but ours often times get compounded because we have a lot more germs on our skin.  Worse yet, we scratch, compounding the situation.

To start with you need to wash the area with cool water, pat dry and try to keep it dry.  When it’s hot inside (or out) this is not an easy task.  Cover the baby or yourself with light cotton clothing or just let the baby have on a diaper.  If the prickly heat rash develops in the cracks where the legs meet the groin, you might have to find some light weight cloth to use for a few hours each day and omit the diaper.   

After the cool bath and drying, you may want to apply a thin layer of cornstarch to the skin. DO NOT sprinkle it on. Just smooth on a little after you have applied some to your own hand.  

Some folks use unscented body talc or powdered clay.  As an example Al is allergic to cornstarch so would have to use the talc powder or clay. Again, do not sprinkle it on, but smooth on just a little to the neck and other skin folds.

To get a little more relief you may want to try a Baking soda bath with a few drops of essential oils added.

If you have a baby or child under two, you will want to use only about 1 drop of Lavender in the tepid water and about ¼ cup of baking soda.  Let the baby sit or play in the water for a few minutes.  Mix the baking soda and lavender together prior to adding to the bath water.   Ideally, if you can mix the lavender with a small amount of unscented shampoo, it will be able to be dispersed in the bath water and not just sit on the top.  

Rinse well after soaking and pat the baby dry. Make sure all the folds of skin are dry too. 

For older children and adults you can increase the amounts of baking soda and add a couple more drops of lavender but don’t use more than 4 drops total for any age, including adults.

With older children and adults try adding a couple drops of Eucalyptus Globulus or Eucalyptus Radiata to the bath too.

Because both Lavender and Eucalyptus oils have great germ fighting ability it may help prevent further spread of the rash should a few germs decide to make their appearance.

NEXT:  To Stay cool, Simply mix a little Lavender (about 4 drops) with 4 ounces of distilled water, Shake well and Spritz on as desired.   Some folks like to add 1 drop of peppermint and 1 drop of Eucalyptus to this mix too, which if you desire may help you further to cool down – so just go for it!!  

Remember with these hot summer days, please check on your elderly neighbors (parents, friends, etc) and monitor children and adults for signs of dehydration and heat exhaustion.

Stay Safe and stay cool!

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