Why Kids' Skin Gets So Dry During Summer Break

Parents often notice more dry patches, rough elbows, and irritated skin during summer break than during winter.

You might chalk it up to sun exposure or too much time in the pool, but the real reason for dry skin in the summer is a combination of factors.

Luckily, turning dry skin into hydrated skin only requires a few simple adjustments to your kid’s routine.

Dry skin doesn’t always show up as flakiness or visible peeling. It can also look like:

• Redness

• Itchiness

• Dullness

• Cracks

While this can happen anywhere on the body, the most common places are:

• Elbows and knees (naturally drier, more skin folds)

• Shins (thinner skin, less oil glands)

• Cheeks (sun and wind exposure)

• Hands and knuckles (frequent washing after outdoor play, sand, sunscreen)

Watch for these signs in your child throughout the summer.

Summertime means more time spent outside and at the pool. While swimming is perfect for cooling off and getting some exercise, chlorine can do a number on your skin.

Pool chlorine strips natural oils and disrupts the skin barrier. Kids are especially vulnerable because they have thinner skin and usually spend more time in the pool than adults.

Here’s what parents often overlook: chlorine exposure doesn't just come from swimming in the pool. It continues in the shower when kids rinse off with chlorinated tap water. And it’s more common than you think.

Rinsing off after a swim in chlorinated shower water can reintroduce some of the same irritants. That’s why it’s so important to have a shower filter. It reduces chlorine exposure during that after-swim rinse so chlorine doesn’t sit on the skin for the rest of the day.

We know the sun can cause dry skin in the summer. UV exposure over time breaks down the skin's moisture barrier, leading to dry patches and irritation.

It’s important to wear sunscreen, but some ingredients can also be drying or irritating for sensitive skin. Mineral sunscreen is usually a better choice than chemical sunscreen. Zinc oxide or titanium dioxide formulas tend to be gentler on kids' sensitive skin and less likely to cause irritation than chemical sunscreens.

In the summer, your child sweats more, leading to water loss. It might seem like more moisture on your skin would mean more hydration, but it actually works the opposite way. As sweat evaporates, it pulls water from your skin along with it.

To counteract all these factors, make sure your child:

• Drinks plenty of water and electrolytes

• Reapplies sunscreen more frequently than you think

• Dresses for shade (UPF-rated clothing, hats, sunglasses)

• Plays outdoors outside of peak UV hours

• Moisturizes after sun exposure AND after showering

More outdoor playtime means more sweat. And sweat leaves behind a salt residue on the skin. Sweat doesn’t just sit on the skin’s surface—it draws moisture out of the skin, adding to dehydration rather than just being a neutral residue.

Once a kid's skin is already dry or has a weakened moisture barrier (from chlorine, sun, sweat, etc.), physical rubbing from sand, grass, or playground equipment can do more damage than it would to healthy skin.

Sweat needs to be rinsed off promptly to avoid dry skin in the summer.

Parents usually wash their kids more often in summer to rinse off pool chlorine, sweat, and dirt from outdoor play.

The problem? Hot water + frequent washing = accelerated breakdown of the skin barrier.

Harsh soaps, shampoos formulated for adults (not kids), and disinfectants commonly found in tap water result in dry skin in the summer.

To help dry skin:

• Keep water lukewarm, not hot.

• Choose a gentle cleanser made for kids.

• Shorten shower/bath time.

• Moisturize right after getting out.

Most parents don't think about what's in the water in their showers. You think you’re rinsing off chlorine, but more often than not, you’re showering with chlorine.

Chlorine and chloramines in municipal water can dry and irritate skin with every single wash, not just after pool days.

A shower filter addresses this baseline issue year-round, making it a fix underneath all the other summer factors. It’s not a cure-all for dry skin in the summer, but it’s one less thing working against your child’s delicate skin.

The best defense against dry skin in the summer is extra hydration. Here’s what that looks like:

• Rinse off promptly after swimming or sweating.

• Moisturize within 3 minutes of bath or shower time.

• Choose a thicker cream or ointment over a thin lotion, especially for dry patches.

• Use lukewarm water, not hot. 

• Keep showers and baths shorter. 

• Pick a gentle, fragrance-free cleanser made for kids.

• Encourage water intake throughout the day. 

• Use a humidifier at night if AC is running constantly. 

• Reapply moisturizer after sun exposure, not just after bathing. 

• Filter chlorine out of shower water. 

• Dress your child in breathable fabrics. 

These home remedies can usually solve dry skin problems for your child. Depending on how serious the dry skin situation is, you may need to see a pediatrician or dermatologist.

Summer can cause dry skin for kids, but sometimes worse conditions can appear under these hot, sweaty conditions, and a pediatrician or dermatologist needs to get involved in your child’s care.

If you’ve tried all the home remedies and your child is still seeing these skin symptoms:

• Persistent redness

• Cracking

• Eczema flare-ups

• Signs of infection

…it’s time to make an appointment. Simple steps at home can improve some skin conditions, but others need more serious care.

Summer skin dryness is a mix of predictable factors, most of which are manageable with small routine tweaks. Starting with what's coming out of the showerhead is one of the easiest places to make a difference.

Shop the Weddell Duo shower filter to remove 99% of chlorine and other particulates that can lead to dry skin in the summer. It’s a great choice year-round and for the whole family!