As good as it can feel to get back outside in the summertime, there’s no denying that hot weather can irritate your skin (sweat, chafing, sunburns—you get the idea). One not-so-fun result of a day in the sun? Heat rash, also called miliaria or prickly heat, a condition caused by blocked sweat ducts, Victoria Billero, MD, a dermatologist at Tufts Medical Center in Boston, tells SELF.
While heat rash can happen anywhere on your body, it’s most common on your back, Dr. Billero says. You may notice small, sometimes fluid-filled bumps that appear pink and red on lighter skin tones or purple and gray on deeper ones. The rash might feel itchy, stingy, and just…uncomfortable.
But you don’t have to wait for it to go away on its own. We asked dermatologists how to find the best heat rash treatments. The products below will help prevent and soothe prickly heat, so you can get back to the pool, the beach, the court, or wherever else your summer takes you.
Our top picks
- Best for Prevention: Avène Thermal Spring Water Spray, $19
- Best for Redness: Cortizone 10 Maximum Strength Anti-Itch Cream with Soothing Aloe, $8
- Best for Itchiness: Amazon Basics Medicated Calamine Anti-Itch Lotion, $6
- Best for Cooling: TrekProof Ice Pack, $30
- Best for Soothing: Aveeno Soothing Bath Treatment, $26
- Best for Absorbing Sweat: ZeasorbAF Antifungal Powder, $8
- Best for Moisturizing: Mustela Baby Nourishing Stick, $11
In this article
Shop the best heat rash treatments
These expert-approved products can keep your skin clear and cool. Grab them to prevent a heat rash, treat one, or do both.
Best for Prevention: Avène Thermal Spring Water Spray
This nourishing spray can is packed with postbiotic minerals that calm irritation and reduce inflammation, Mona Gohara, MD, associate clinical professor of dermatology at the Yale School of Medicine, tells SELF. “A quick midday spritz can cool overheated skin, soothe flare-ups, and help reduce the urge to scratch (which only makes things worse),” she says. Pro tip: “Pop it in the fridge for an extra chill boost.”
Best for Redness: Cortizone 10 Maximum Strength Anti-Itch Cream with Soothing Aloe
A thin layer of this cream can go a long way when your skin is inflamed and red—it’s my secret weapon. I always have it in my medicine cabinet to pull out when I notice a rash or super dry patches that just won’t quit.
Hydrocortisone can calm down heat rash inflammation and redness while zapping any itchiness that might tempt you to scratch. Along with its star ingredient, this cream contains aloe to soothe and hydrate your skin.
Best for Itchiness: Amazon Basics Medicated Calamine Anti-Itch Lotion
You’ve probably applied calamine lotion to bad bug bites or after a run-in with poison ivy, but it can be just as effective on a heat rash. It’s another all-star soother that’s known to help with redness, inflammation, and itchiness, Dr. Billero says. This option gets the job done with calamine and Pramoxine HCl 1% (a pain reliever)—both of which will help heal irritated skin.
Best for Cooling: TrekProof Ice Pack
One quick way to get your skin to cool down is by putting a cold compress on the affected area. It’ll help bring down swelling and reduce the symptoms that come with the inflammation (like itching and redness).
This set comes with two cold packs (both also work as hot packs, if you ever want to use them for cramps or general aches and pains) and a strap that you can use to keep them pressed against your skin. The packs are covered in a skin-safe fabric, so you don’t need to worry about wrapping them in a towel before using them.
Best for Soothing: Aveeno Soothing Bath Treatment
Is there anything a relaxing bath can’t solve? You can add heat rash to the list when you pop this Aveeno treatment in the water.
Each packet is filled with colloidal oatmeal powder that immediately gets to work. “Oats contain anti-inflammatory compounds, known as avenanthramides, that have antioxidant and soothing effects on the skin,” Joshua Zeichner, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in New York City, previously told SELF. “Oatmeal compresses and baths have long been used to soothe dry, itchy skin.”
To get the most out of each treatment, you’ll want to soak in the bath for 15 to 30 minutes.
Best for Absorbing Sweat: ZeasorbAF Antifungal Powder
Ife Rodney, MD, board-certified dermatologist and founding director of Eternal Dermatology Aesthetics in Fulton, Maryland, previously praised this powder’s anti-fungal prowess, but its ability to soak up sweat makes it great for preventing heat rash too. Sprinkle a little down your back, in your socks, or anywhere you tend to sweat to keep your pores and sweat ducts clear.
Best for Moisturizing: Mustela Baby Nourishing Stick
This ultra-gentle stick moisturizer is easy to take with you on the go. It’s packed with nourishing ingredients like sunflower seed oil, coconut oil, and shea butter, along with anti-inflammatory bisabolol and barrier-protecting ceramides that can stop heat rash before it starts.
“I have three of these Mustela sticks: one for the diaper bag, one for my bag, and one for at-home use,” one SELF editor says. “As the mother of sweaty, sensitive-skinned kiddos in Los Angeles, you can’t beat cold cream in stick form. It glides across the skin without being oily or greasy and dries down with a thin, nourishing veil of hydration—and, of course, a cooling sensation.”
Frequently asked questions about heat rash
Is heat rash fungal or bacterial?
Actually, it’s not fungal or bacterial. “Heat rash happens when sweat gets trapped under the skin, usually in hot, humid conditions. This is because the sweat gland itself is blocked or inflamed,” Dr. Gohara says. “While the rash itself isn’t caused by an infection, secondary bacterial or fungal infections can occur if the area stays moist or is irritated by scratching or friction.”
Should I moisturize a heat rash?
Yes, you should make sure your skin stays moisturized even when it has a heat rash. However, “moisturizer is best used before you’re hot or sweating, to help protect the skin barrier and prevent heat rash from forming in the first place,” Dr. Gohara says. “In hot or humid weather, go for a lightweight, non-comedogenic moisturizer that hydrates without trapping heat or clogging sweat glands.”
Need a suggestion? La Roche-Posay’s Toleriane Double Repair Face Moisturizer checks all of the boxes.
What makes heat rash worse?
Heat rash will go away on its own, as long as you cool your skin down and avoid using products that’ll block pores, Dr. Billero says. Spending long periods outside in hot, humid conditions, wearing tight clothing, or applying emollients like Vaseline or Aquaphor can all make heat rash worse.
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