Just about everyone knows how important it is to wear sunscreen when you’re outside, and particularly at the beach or pool, especially during peak hours. But sometimes, a regular application of sunblock on your face and body isn’t enough. Outside of treating a sunburn, it’s important to be able to recognize, treat and avoid other conditions, like heat rash and even sun poisoning.
To find the best methods and treatments for heat rash and to learn how to actually know when a sunburn is actually sun poisoning, I spoke with dermatologists for their guidance and product recommendations. Plus, I also asked them about how to identify and treat these conditions in kids, too.
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What is heat rash and how is it different from a sunburn?
Heat rash is a condition that dermatologists refer to as miliaria (not to be confused with malaria, the infectious disease carried by mosquitoes). It’s a form of inflammation on the skin that happens when sweat ducts become blocked and trapped under the skin’s surface, according to Caren Campbell, a board-certified dermatologist based in San Francisco.
“It typically shows up as small red bumps or clear blisters on the neck, chest, arms, or in skin folds like the groin and underarms, often with an itchy or prickly sensation,” she says. “Prolonged sweating in hot, humid conditions is the main driver, and tight or occlusive clothing makes it worse by trapping moisture against the skin.”
Heat rash is entirely different from a sunburn, which is a form of damage to skin cells caused by UV radiation, and heat rash can happen both in and outside of sunlight, according to Campbell.
How to treat and prevent heat rash
Wearing sunscreen is a must when you’re in the sun, but heat rash has more to do with sweat and being hot, so there are a few things Campbell says you should focus on:
- Stay cool, dry and sweat free. Use a handheld fan to help dry sweat quickly.
- Wear breathable clothing that keeps you cool and prevents sweating, and stay out of heat and sun for long periods of time. Consider investing in sweat-wicking tops, socks and more. It’s important to keep your skin as dry as possible, according to Campbell.
- Additionally, consider wearing UPF hats and UPF swimwear and clothing to protect your skin.
- Avoid heavy creams on your face and body, like emollients because they can clog your sweat ducts.
- If you develop a rash, “a gentle antibacterial cleanser can help, since bacteria on the skin surface may contribute to plugging the ducts,” says Campbell. Additionally, you can try applying a topical hydrocortisone if the rash is itchy.
The best products for treating heat rash or preventing it
Below are some of the best products to help treat heat rash and/or prevent you from overheating when you’re outside.
I’ve had this handheld fan for around two years now and it’s one of the best purchases I’ve ever made for myself since I’m always hot, even when it isn’t summer. The battery lasts an incredibly long time and it has three speed settings and most times, I don’t even need to use the highest one. Plus, it has a flashlight on the end, which is great for trying to open your front door in the dark and searching through your bag to find your keys. Also, it works as a power bank so sometimes I can use it to give my phone a small amount of battery.
As Campbell mentioned above, a topical hydrocortisone cream can help relieve itchiness from a heat rash. The cream has aloe vera to help soothe dry skin and starts working in a little as five minutes, according to the brand. It also helps alleviate inflammation from things like poison oak, poison ivy, bug bites and eczema. Shoppers also say they love the cream because it doesn’t have a strong smell.
Several editors on staff, including NBC Selected reporter Zoe Malin and NBC Selected editorial operations associate Jem Alabi tested the Shark ChillPill and love how great of a job it does at cooling them down. It has a small circular screen that shows the various speed settings, and you can add water to a small compartment so that it gives you a cool mist when air alone isn’t enough. Plus, it has a cooling plate attachment that helps lower your body temperature when you apply it to your skin, according to the brand.
How to treat and prevent heat rash in infants and children
Heat rash is often common in infants and toddlers since they have more sensitive skin than adults, and usually appears as small red bumps on the skin, according to Jennifer Mancuso, a pediatric dermatologist at the University of Michigan. As Campbell noted above, the best way to help infants and children avoid getting heat rash is to put them in breathable clothing that keeps them cool and sweat free.
Sometimes, this is particularly a challenge with infants and children if they’re prone to getting fevers, according to Mancuso. If they develop a heat rash that is itchy, Mancuso recommends using a topical cortisone or over-the-counter sensitive-skin moisturizer that’s fragrance free, according to Campbell.
What is sun poisoning and how is it different from a sunburn?
While sun poisoning isn’t technically a recognized medical term, it is typically just a very severe sunburn with several additional symptoms.
“A typical sunburn is red, tender, warm skin confined to the exposed areas,” Campbell says. Sun poisoning also often includes symptoms like fever, chills, blistering, nausea, dizziness and feeling dehydrated.
How to treat and prevent sun poisoning and sunburns
To prevent sun poisoning, you should stick with the following guidelines from our experts:
- Be sure to wear sunscreen that has an SPF of 30 or greater and apply it every two hours, according to Campbell.
- Try to avoid the sun between 10 AM and 2 PM, when it’s strongest.
- Staying safe in the sun includes staying hydrated with electrolyte packets, using an antiperspirant to avoid sweat (which is a form water loss) and keeping a handheld fan handy, which many NBC Selected staff members do.
- To treat a regular sunburn, you should use cool compresses and showers, aloe vera, fragrance-free moisturizer, medication like ibuprofen for pain and water, says Campbell. And if you develop blisters, it’s best to avoid touching them because they actually help protect the skin barrier, she says.
If you suspect that you or someone else has sun poisoning, and they have symptoms like fever, chills, dehydration, blistering and nausea, you should seek medical care immediately. This is particularly important, since sunburns can also be accompanied by heat exhaustion and heat stroke, which you should always seek emergency care for, according to Campbell.
The best products for preventing sun poisoning
The Banana Boat Sport Ultra SPF is available in several SPF strengths, including 30, 50, 60 and 100. It’s water and sweat resistant, and has a texture that isn’t greasy and it’s water and sweat resistant for up to 80 minutes, according to the brand. Shoppers also say that it doesn’t have a strong smell and they love that it’s a pump instead of a squeeze bottle.
NBC Selected senior editor Shalwah Evans says she doesn’t hit the beach without a proper hat or personal shade after getting sun poisoning in 2019. “I used to be really bad about reapplying sunscreen and then laying out in the direct sun all day, but I’ve learned my lesson and now I’m diligent about protecting myself from UV rays,” she says. “I love this hat because it goes from ear to ear in a way that other hats don’t, and the ultra-wide brim blocks my entire face from the sun. My mom and I wore matching Sunblockers while in Barbados — which is close to the equator and gets more intense sun — so we ended up with natural tans but nothing that comes close to a burn or worse.”
Malin included the Drip Drop hydration packets in her roundup of the best electrolyte powders, saying that she enjoyed them because they weren’t too sweet. Electrolyte packets like these help hydrate your body at a faster rate than compared to simply drinking water, according to the brand. They’re available in several flavors, including multi-flavor packs and they have less sugar than other electrolyte sports drinks, according to the brand.
Heat rash is caused by excessive sweat, which clogs pores on the skin and leads to inflammation in the form of small red and pink bumps, according to Campbell and Mancuso.
While Campbell says the best thing for heat rash is prevention, which includes staying dry and wearing breathable clothing, you can also use an antibacterial cleanser to treat it. Additionally, Mancuso recommends using a topical cortisone to help treat symptoms of heat rash.
Meet our sun care experts
At NBC Selected, we work with experts who have specialized knowledge and authority based on relevant training and/or experience. We also take steps to ensure all expert advice and recommendations are made independently and without undisclosed financial conflicts of interest.
- Caren Campbell, MD FAAD, is a board-certified dermatologist based in San Francisco and Napa
- Jennifer Mancuso, MD, is a board-certified pediatric dermatologist at University of Michigan Health.
Why trust NBC Selected?
I’m a commerce editor at NBC Selected, where I write about kitchen, home, lifestyle and wellness. I’ve written about whether or not hot showers are bad for your skin, how to protect your skin from ticks and the best mattresses for back pain. For this story, I interviewed two dermatologists for their guidance on sun safety.
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