Parents of swimmers - skin problems??

[tootsietoo]

DD1 is swimming 4 times a week now (5 at the moment as school is taking them this term too!) and her feet are in a terrible state - all dry and cracked with a bit of eczema type stuff on the top of them. I'm pretty sure it's the swimming that's doing it as we had a weekend off a few weeks ago and it started to improve almost immediately. Been to the GP and they just gave us hydrocortisone cream. She has about 10 different sorts of moisturiser which we have tried, and we lather something on every night and put socks over it, but nothing's really helped (although steroid cream has improved the eczema). There's no way we are reducing the swimming - she absolutely loves it. Has anyone else experienced this problem? Is there anything that would help?

How about trying those waterproof verruca socks that are designed to prevent the virus spreading when swimming? Look a bit like a thin rubber trainer sock? Keeping her feet dry would hopefully stop the pool chemicals from drying out her skin so much? Could even put some aqueous or sudocrem on the tops of her feet before you put the socks on to give a bit more protection? Chlorine is terrible for making skin dry and sore. My son has been at a half term activity camp this past week and they swam for an hour every day. He is currently covered in a dry scaly eczema type rash all over his belly from the pool chemicals. If he only goes once a week it isn't a problem but four consecutive days was obviously too much and his skin has gone all crispy!

Dd had excema as a toddler and the dermatological nurse told us to use 50/50 before she went swimming as it acted as a waterproof barrier.

Thanks for the answers. I hadn't thought about the rubber socks. Will see if I can get her to wear them! 50/50 is one we haven't tried either.

I've used Waitrose Bottom Butter as a barrier cream on sore skin with DS. He swims a lot so does get rough patches.