heat rash remedies that are cool :D

So it’s getting warmer (understatement a bit) and it’s the time when all sorts of strange ailments start to creep into your lifestyle and throw you for a loop… like HEAT RASH! Sometimes called prickly heat or sweat rash, miliaria (scientific name) is a commonly bothersome heat-related (as the name suggests) ailment. It’s especially common and most often discussed when it pertains to little ones- babies, toddlers, & small chillens. It can be itchy and it’s certainly unsightly with red bumps all over the chest area and back (most often though certainly not confined). But never fear, there are many remedies and many of the most effective ones are simple and don’t require anything strange or special places to purchase the remedies if you don’t have them already in your possession!

HOW YOU GET IT:

You get a heat rash from heat. I know that sounds self-explanatory and I truly couldn’t resist stating the obvious. 🙂 Really though, you get a heat rash from wearing tight fitting clothing (like a rash guard in a hot environment), inappropriately warm clothing (like a sweater or blanket when it’s hot), engaging in sweat-inducing activities (like wrestling), and being hot. Babies especially get heat rash because their bodies are still developing and might not be able to clear the sweat causing blockages. The same process happens for adults and older children as well: blockages lead to heat rash.

HOW YOU PREVENT IT:

You prevent heat rash by taking cool showers frequently, dressing appropriately (avoiding overly hot clothing, for example), staying cool with hydration or through similar means (eat a cucumber or some mint, drink some chilled water), avoid using products that can clog your pores like certain soaps, oils, or lotions, and don’t be hot. Seriously, not being hot is listed everywhere as a prevention to heat rash. Go figure. 😉 Some other recommendations for preventing heat rash:

• Dress in cotton (organic, of course) which absorbs sweat and dries quickly.
• Use a fan or air conditioning unit to keep the temperature from becoming too hot
• Avoid unnecessary powders, creams, lotions, and whatever other skin “care” products that may trap sweat inside glands
• Dress in moisture wicking clothing that is light-weight

HOW YOU TREAT IT:

Yay! The fun part of getting ailments is using super healing natural remedies from your garden or kitchen! Time for treatment with herbs and stuff!

There are many ways to treat miliaria with the following:

BRING DOWN THE BODY TEMPERATURE: You will want to make your body cooler and there are two ways to do that: inside and outside your body. Some of the things that are good to do on the inside are also good to do on the outside to help you cool off.

1. Drink some ice water.
2. Put ice on the rash (make sure the ice bag is covered with a thin towel so you don’t get burned from ice).
3. Eat a cucumber! You can also put slices in your water for an extra refreshing watery drink.
4. Put cucumbers on your rash area because cucumbers are cooling and also are full of water to make this a great choice.
5. Eat some mint to help cool your temperature (almost instantly!)
6. Make a mint compress by putting mashed leaves on the rash area and covering with a thin towel or gauze like material
7. Use a few drops of ESSENTIAL OILS mixed in jojoba oil or coconut oil as a soothing and cooling balm for the agitated skin. Some excellent essential oil choices are:
• Lavender
• Chamomile
• Rosemary
• Peppermint
• Eucalyptus
• Camphor
8. calamine lotion- okay don’t actually use that because there are a bunch of hidden ingredients that aren’t that great in calamine lotion and the active ingredient is calendula which is great by itself and just as effective! You can use calendula oil or make a tea from the dried or fresh herb
9. aloe vera: this plant is well known for its healing properties especially to burned skin. Using aloe on a prickly heat rash will help cool it and reduce the agitation in the skin.
10. corn starch or baking powder- these simple kitchen remedies help to keep the skin dry and act as a poultice to absorb the sweat from the skin so it ceases to cause friction and a rash.
11. air dry with a towel: sometimes the simplest remedy is the best remedy. By gently dabbing the skin or fanning it, you can help dry the sweat and cool the body so the skin can resolve the rash.

All of these remedies are tried and true and work wonders! Hope you avoid a heat rash in the first place but if you happen to get one- or your baby or child- try these all natural herbal tricks!