Although most bathers enjoy and use hot tubs without encountering any problems many people experience an itchy and painful skin condition called hot tub rash or folliculitis. Folliculitis is when the hair follicles that cover all areas of our surface skin become inflamed or infected. In day to day life, the most common occurrence of this is in relation to shaving, affecting men most often on the face and women in areas they wish to have hair removed from especially around the bikini line. Another cause is prolonged submersion in jacuzzis or hot tubs. The warmth coupled with high oxygen contents of the water creates optimum conditions for bacteria and funguses to grow, furthermore the frequent change of visitors into the tubs and relatively infrequent changing of the water leads to a hot tub that is teaming with bacteria.

Heat rash gives a prickly itchy feeling and a rash that looks like small red raised spots – although more flesh-coloured than red in skin of colour. It can occur anywhere on the body. It's a harmless rash that can improve on its own after a few days.

You know when the pollen season has arrived if you suffer from itchy, streaming eyes and they look red and puffy. For those with hay fever, it can be really uncomfortable, and you feel desperate for some relief. Our pharmacist has put together some remedies to help soothe your eyes and heal your eye symptoms.