Skin Darkening Due to Water Change: Causes and Solutions

Updated on: 23th December, 2021

Has a sudden water change caused your skin to darken? Don’t worry, as you aren’t alone! Skin darkening due to water change is a common condition. While in some cases, the reaction is immediate, in a few, it might take days to weeks for the skin to darken. As skin experts, we encounter many people who complain about skin darkening due to water changes. It has a few aspects associated with it. Let’s discuss a couple of them in this blog.

Can water make your skin bad? Hard water, overloaded with minerals, can hurt the skin. Your usual soap cannot rinse away the water’s minerals, thus leaving the skin dry and irritated. Sensitive skin is more reactive to hard water. It can cause eczema and psoriasis. 

Avoiding using hard water is an effective way of staying away from its negative effects. But how do you know if the water you are using is hard? It includes signs like soap not forming a lather, the soap leaving a thin film on the skin, dry, itchy, or irritated skin, and a film on doors, walls, bathtubs, etc. Being mindful of these signs can avoid using the water and keep its side effects away.

In some cases, people don’t realize it is hard water causing problems for their skin. In situations like these, they may still attempt to reverse the effects of hard water on their skin. These generic tips may help. For specialized treatment, they must connect with a dermatologist.

• Change the soap, as its residue causes skin irritation and not the water
• Hard water can make the soap less effective. Using a moisturizer can help.

People who have existing skin conditions may do the following.

• Minimize the bathing time and use cooler water
• Use a humidifier to maintain water vapor and keep the skin healthy
• Use cleansers instead of soaps
• Moisturize the skin while it is still damp

Chlorine is a strong chemical that can break down the skin’s protective barrier. It may cause the skin to lose its essential oils, resulting in inflammation and various other skin problems. One of the common effects is skin darkening.

Chlorine is part of the water in swimming tanks. When the skin is directly exposed to the sun, it stimulates melanin production. Melanin is present in the skin. But exposure to the skin increases its synthesis rate and causes it to darken.

As chlorine in the water breaks the skin barrier, it remains with nothing to protect itself from the damage UV rays cause. It could result in sunburns and excessive tanning. Some other effects include dryness, itchiness, rashes, breakouts, etc.

But fortunately, you don’t have to live with these challenges. You can prevent skin darkening or damage caused due to chlorinated water. Some measures include,

• Taking a quick shower before you step into the swimming pool
• Wearing a broad-spectrum water-proof sunscreen
• Keeping the skin moisturized
• Using a lip balm
• Avoiding swimming between peak sunshine hours
• Using oil as a skin barrier to protect the skin
• Exfoliating regularly to remove pigmented dead skin cells
• Washing out chemicals from the skin soon after the swimming session