Pool Chemicals and Sensitive Children: How to Protect Your Family's Immune System Naturally

First published in May 2015 as Pool Chemicals: How to Protect Your Kids, this updated article includes additional information.

In this article:

• Why sensitive children absorb pool chemicals more intensely — and what that means for their immune system and microbiome.
• The difference between chlorine and chloramine — and why it matters for sensitive bodies.
• Three simple steps to reduce chemical absorption before and after swimming.
• How coconut oil protects the skin's natural acid mantle from pool chemical penetration.
• Two product recommendations for supporting the body's natural detox process after pool exposure.
• Why extra probiotics on swimming days matter for sensitive children's gut health.

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Swimming is one of summer's great pleasures — but for sensitive children and sensitive people, pool water deserves a second look. Conventional pool chemicals don't just stay in the water. They enter the body, and for sensitive immune systems, they can add a significant burden to an already overloaded system.

The first step is to swim in an outdoor pool when possible, so you are not inhaling concentrated chlorine fumes indoors. But even outdoor pools present a toxic load concern — pool chemicals also enter the body through the skin, and sensitive children are particularly vulnerable. They are known to alter hormone levels, increase respiratory issues like asthma and allergies, and create gut flora imbalance.

The good news is there are practical, natural steps you can take before, during, and after swimming to protect your child's sensitive body.

• Rinse before swimming which saturates your skin with cleaner water so it is less likely to absorb chemical pool water. Showering also removes access sweat – the ammonia in sweat reacts with the chlorine in a pool to create a more dangerous chemical called chloramine.
• Slather coconut oil all over your skin to help keep the acid mantle intact. This natural acidic film found on the skin protects us from absorbing bacteria, viruses, and other potential contaminates.
• Spray hair and skin with vitamin C after getting out of the pool to neutralize the chlorine. Rub the spray in and rinse in a shower.

These three steps are especially important for sensitive children, whose skin and immune systems absorb environmental inputs more readily than average. Even small reductions in chemical absorption can make a meaningful difference when your child's body is already managing a higher-than-average toxic load from other everyday sources.

You may need some additional support, especially if your child is more sensitive to chemicals and other toxins. And, if your young child is anything like mine, they may also be drinking some of the water.

Sensitive children often have immune systems and digestive systems that are already working harder than average — making each additional chemical exposure more impactful than it would be for a less sensitive child.

There are several great products we use in our family. One is a combination homeopathic remedy that helps the body to recognize and eliminate the chemicals at the cellular level. We take this with a drainage homeopathic, or we use a gentle binder, such as bentonite clay, which can be mixed in water so younger children can easily drink it. You can also use a good liquid herbal combination that specifically supports the liver, which is one of your main detoxifying organs.

For sensitive children especially, homeopathic remedies are often a gentler and better-tolerated option than conventional approaches — supporting the body's natural detox pathways without adding further stress to a sensitive immune system.

We tend to use the homeopathic remedies before and after every swim — whether it is a chlorinated, saline, or salt water pool, since even saline and salt water pools may contain some chemicals including chlorine. We also take extra probiotics on swimming days, as pool chemicals can disrupt good gut bacteria. Products can be purchased through the Fullscript Store, found on my Favorite Products page.

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For sensitive children especially, these simple protocols can make a real difference over a full summer of swimming — reducing the cumulative toxic load on a body that is already working hard.

If you are a parent of a sensitive child and want to go deeper on reducing toxic exposures in your daily life, my Calming Tools for Sensitive Kids course covers this and much more — including how to identify the hidden stressors affecting your child most. Learn more here.

Related articles:

This article is part of a series on natural summer health for sensitive people and families. 

• Summer Sun & Bug Safety for Sensitive People
• Lyme Disease Protocol for Sensitive People
• Safe Sunscreen for Sensitive People