My wife and I just got back from a split trip, Temptation and RM. I have seen posts in other places of people complaining about rashes from the pool at TTR but haven’t seen anything about RM. Hopefully, this was a one-off but there was something wrong with the water in the hot tub at RM. Both of us as well as other people, noticed a burning feeling after being in the water for a while. We didn’t notice it in the pool, just in the hot tub. After a couple of days, we developed a rash and sensitive skin. I never had a chemical peel but I would imagine this what it would feel like. I have seen all kinds of theories about what is causing it, all I can say it is not the result of sunburn. Whatever the cause is, I just wanted to let everyone know to bring something for rashes and skin moisturizer. Luckily for us, my over-prepared wife packed hydrocortisone which took care of the rash however our skin became uncomfortably dry. Hopefully, it won’t be needed but it’s better to pack it than to be uncomfortable. Unlike TTR Desire doesn’t have a farmacia across the street
I have a sensitivity to it also. The rash can be a histamine reaction to chlorine or not an allergy reaction but is actually “irritant dermatitis” (like a chemical burn), caused by hypersensitivity to this natural irritant. Chlorine is also drying to the skin and can irritate existing dermatitis, and after a few days of of soaking and not being diligent, can get a little itchy. Here are some steps to help avoid it. Competitive swimmers deal with this issue also. 1. Make sure your skin is in good shape, well before your trip. Lots of quality lotion, especially after showering. Dry skin is a killer here because the chlorine can penetrate deeper and is harder to get rid of. Winter trips = drier skin. 2. Before going in pool, prep your skin with a chlorine blocker (creates a protective barrier). Never apply a chlorine block to skin that has been exposed to chlorine, like between pool adventures (it just locks it in). 3. Rinse off immediately after getting out of the pool/hot tub (yes that cold shower by the DRM hot tub) 4. Benadryl lotion/cream after washing off. Hydrate skin with lotion. 5. Hydrocortisone cream as a last result (by then the damage is done). 6. Combination of salt water (ocean) and a chlorine pool is also bad. Make sure to rinse before going from one to the other. 7. Some people use a chlorine neutralizer, but haven't tried that yet. 8. Take a daily Claritin, and maybe a Benadryl before sleep. 9. When drying off, try not to bee too rough with a towel because that can damage skin, weakening the natural barrier.
Excellent advice...both my wife and I have experienced it in the past. Raised bumps that took forever to go away.
Rule #1 of Mexico hot tubs: never be the first one to get in. A group of us left the disco early one night and jumped in the hot tub. Within a few minutes everyone in there was itchy. They'd "shocked the shit" (Mexican bartender term) out of the hot tub with chemicals. We only found out after asking the bar. That redness lasted for days. Being taller I managed to avoid burning the privates. Other friends were not so lucky.
We also both had the same issues from our last trip in May. We believe it to be over chlorination. It eventually resolved
It may be a little over the top but Im bringing test strips next trip. More out of curiosity than anything else
That's called irritant dermatitis as a result of chlorine levels that are way too high and/or overexposure to chlorine or other caustic chemicals. That hot tub can see plenty of action so they are probably keeping the chlorine level way too high in order to counteract the bodily fluids in there.
