One of the most common forms of skin rashes is heat rash, also called miliaria [1].

Heat rash occurs when clogged pores prevent sweat from evaporating, and friction with skin results in the formation of small red bumps that are often prickly and itchy [1, 2].

The painful blisters can usually be found on the parts of the body that rub together such as the inner thighs, under the arms, necks, armpits, and elbows [2].

It can affect almost anyone but the typical victims of heat rash are babies and children whose sweat glands have not yet been fully developed, people who live in hot and humid locations, and people who are overweight and obese [2].

If you’re lucky, your heat rashes would disappear after a few days even without treatment.

For cases that are not so serious but are still itchy and painful, you can get immediate relief using these home remedies for heat rash.

1. Oatmeal

Oatmeal is a great way to start the day.

Not only is it packed with essential nutrients like vitamin B complex, vitamin E, minerals and soluble fiber, it’s also an excellent way to maintain skin health [4].

For many years, it has been used as a treatment for a wide range of dermatologic conditions including psoriasis and atopic dermatitis [5].

Not surprisingly, it can also work for minor skin problems like heat rash with its cleansing, moisturizing, soothing and anti-inflammatory properties [6].

Its cleansing activity is due to saponins while its anti-inflammatory, anti-itch and anti-irritant actions can be attributed to avenanthramides [6, 7].

This is why, Iraqi researchers recommend cooling oatmeal baths for people with heat rash [8].

What You’ll Need:

• 1 cup of plain oatmeal

Recommended Directions:

1. Put oatmeal in a food processor or blender.
2. Grind it until it turns into powder.
3. Fill the tub with cool water.
4. Add oatmeal powder.
5. Use your fingers to blend oatmeal powder and water.
6. Sit in the bath for 30 minutes.
7. Dry your body using a towel made of soft fabric.
8. Use this remedy twice a day for one week.

2. Aloe Vera

Who would think that a cactus-like plant like aloe vera would have so many benefits for the health?

Traditional healers have been using aloe vera as early as 333 BC, taking advantage of its ability to heal burns and wounds [9].

There’s scientific evidence to justify the folkoric use of aloe vera as a skin remedy, as it has been proven to contain a polysaccharide the forms a soothing and protective barrier when topically applied [9].

It’s also a strong anti-inflammatory agent, as reported in various studies [10, 11, 12].

Researchers from Philadelphia confirm that aloe vera gel can inhibit swelling of the skin, and at the same time, promote healing of wounds and lesions [12].

Although there’s no substantive study specifically proving aloe vera’s efficacy on heat rashes, all these mechanisms are enough to convince many that it works for this particular skin problem.

What You’ll Need:

• 1 aloe vera leaf

Recommended Directions:

1. Slice the aloe vera leaf into two.
2. Extract the gel by squeezing the leaf.
3. Apply gel on heat rash.
4. Wait for 20 to 30 minutes.
5. Take a cold shower.
6. Pat yourself dry using a clean and soft towel.
7. Repeat procedure twice daily for up to one week.

3. Cucumber

When you have puffy eyes, you just go get a cucumber, slice it up, and put it on top of your eyes. The next thing you know, you look refreshed and rejuvenated.

Skin rejuvenation is just one of cucumber’s many gifts, thanks to its cooling, moisturizing and anti-sebum secretion effects [13].

Its ability to reduce erythema or reddening of the skin due to increased flow of blood was verified in a 2011 study [13].

Not only that, it also has a soothing effect that alleviates skin irritation and inflammation as well as relaxes and nourishes the skin [14].

What You’ll Need:

• 1 cucumber
• 1 bowl of cold water
• 2 tablespoons of lemon juice

Recommended Directions:

1. Slice cucumber thinly.
2. Put cucumber slices in a bowl of cold water.
3. Add lemon juice.
4. Lay cucumber slices on heat rashes for 10 minutes.
5. If you’d like, you can also blend the cucumber slices and apply the pulp on the skin just as long.
6. Wash off cucumber with cool water.
7. Do this three times a day for one whole week.

4. Fuller’s Earth

Many moms rely on fuller’s earth for treating their babies’ heat rashes.

Even though it’s not scientifically established as a heat rash solution, many can attest that fuller’s earth works in relieving itching, irritation and inflammation of the skin.

A clinical review of an herbal face pack, which includes fuller’s earth as one of the key ingredients, mentions that it has the ability to remove impurities and alleviate skin irritation [15].

It also has a cooling mechanism that reduces inflammation that’s common among babies with prickly heat [15].

What You’ll Need:

• 5 tablespoons of fuller’s earth
• 3 tablespoons of rose water

Recommended Directions:

1. Combine fuller’s earth with rose water to form a paste.
2. Spread a thin layer of this paste on top of the heat rashes.
3. Wait for it to dry before rinsing with cold water.
4. This remedy can be practiced once a day for one week.

5. Margosa Leaves

Also called neem leaves, margosa leaves are another practical remedy for rashes caused by heat.

These leaves come from a tree that’s native to Southeast Asia. In India, folk healers have treated skin ulcers, gastrointestinal ailments, malaria and infections using this medicinal plant [16].

It was also common for people to bathe in neem water to alleviate skin problems like boils and heat rashes, as it is believed to have antiseptic and antibacterial properties [16].

This claim has been proven in a 2013 study, in which a team of Indian researchers used neem leaves to create an anti-heat rash cotton fabric [17].

The results were remarkable, showing that the fabric treated with neem leaf extract reduced bacterial infection by up to 100 percent [17].

What You’ll Need:

• A handful of fresh margosa leaves

Recommended Directions:

1. Use a food processor or blender to grind neem leaves until consistency is similar to a paste.
2. Smear paste on affected areas of the body.
3. Let it dry.
4. Wash it off with cool water.
5. Follow this technique once a day for one week.

6. Cold Compress

Many people rely on this ancient household remedy for pains and inflammation.

Cold water, as it turns out, has a healing effect on the skin [18].

It speeds up recovery from wounds, burns, and other skin ailments including heat rash [18].

Not only does it tone down swelling, it also cools and moisturizes the skin to reduce the appearance of skin bumps and blisters, and relieve itching.

Because it’s very simple to put together, you can easily use this home remedy anytime you need it.

What You’ll Need:

• 1 bowl of ice cubes

Recommended Directions:

1. Wrap ice cubes in a towel.
2. Place it on top of heat rashes for 10 minutes then take a short break.
3. Repeat until you’ve covered all affected areas.
4. Do this every five hours for two to three days.
5. This will not only relieve itching and redness but will also help prevent rashes from spreading.
6. If you don’t have ice cubes, you can also use cold water, and soak towel in it.
7. Squeeze water from the towel and apply on rashes.
8. Repeat as often.

7. Sandalwood

Commonly grown in the southern part of India, sandalwood is recognized for its analgesic, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties [19].

It has always been among the go-to solutions for fever, headache and swelling [19].

For those with heat rash, sandalwood powder can also help.

As studies indicate, this powder has the ability to reduce body temperature, which is important for quick recovery. It can also alleviate inflammation, a typical symptom of prickly heat [20].

Its oil extract meanwhile can relieve itching and hydrate the skin [21].

Using sandalwood powder on your skin doesn’t only help get rid of annoying rashes, but also keeps skin from drying out.

What You’ll Need:

• 1 tablespoon of sandalwood powder
• 1 tablespoon of rose water
• 1 tablespoon of coriander powder
• 1 drop of sandalwood oil

Recommended Directions:

1. Combine sandalwood and coriander powder, sandalwood oil and rose water.
2. Apply paste on affected skin.
3. Leave it on for a few minutes as it dries.
4. Rinse with cold water.
5. Do this procedure twice a day for one week.

8. Baking Soda

Baking soda has countless uses for the home and health that never fail to amaze anyone.

It’s used as an ingredient in pastries, as a natural household cleaner, as an effective bleaching agent, and so many more.

It’s also another fantastic solution for prickly heat, acting as a gentle exfoliant to get rid of dead skin cells and dirt, and unclog the pores.

This is an effective way to ease inflammation and itching.

Its use for this particular skin problem has been documented in numerous studies and books [22, 23].

What You’ll Need:

• 1 teaspoon of baking soda
• 1 cup of cold water

Recommended Directions:

1. Combine baking soda and water.
2. Soak a soft cloth into the solution.
3. Wring the cloth to get rid of excess liquid.
4. Gently pat cloth on heat rashes for 10 minutes.
5. Practice this remedy twice a day for one to two weeks.

9. Calendula

Let’s not forget about calendula flower.

Although it’s not the first remedy on people’s minds when it comes to heat rash, it’s definitely one of those that work.

Several studies confirm that calendula is a potent anti-inflammatory, reducing swelling on the skin due to rash infections [24, 25].

A study published in the Indian Journal of Experimental Biology reports that calendula has the ability to inhibit pro-inflammatory cytokines in the body [25].

When you use it, you’ll notice that it has a soothing and cooling effect on the skin.

What You’ll Need:

• 1 cup of calendula flowers
• Cool bath water

Recommended Directions:

1. Add calendula flower to your bath water.
2. Let it sit for 30 minutes.
3. Then, soak in the bath for another 30 minutes.
4. Rub water gently on heat rashes.
5. Repeat process once a day for one week.

10. Gram Flour

 

Gram flour is called by many names: garbanzo bean flour, chickpea flour, and besan.

Whatever you call it, one fact remains: it’s a potent remedy for all sorts of conditions including minor ones like heat rash.

Using dry powder such as gram flour is good for stimulating lymph actions, promoting detoxification and removing impurities form the skin [26].

It’s good for drying, cleansing, disinfecting, nourishing and rejuvenating skin that’s plagued with prickly heat [26].

What You’ll Need:

• 2 to 3 tablespoons of gram flour

Recommended Directions:

1. After bathing, thoroughly dry your body with a clean soft towel.
2. Sprinkle gram flour on top of heat rashes.
3. Leave it on for the rest of the day.
4. Repeat the next day.
5. Do this for one week.

11. Cucumber

When someone talks about cucumber as a home remedy, you immediately imagine putting cucumber slices on puffy eyes.

Yes, this is the most popular use of cucumber for skincare, but it’s just one of its many applications.

Cucumber can also be applied on heat rashes to alleviate irritation and swelling.

According to a review done by Indian researchers, this vegetable has soothing and cooling effects that are beneficial for those with heat rashes and sunburn [27].

It also has a strong cleansing action that gets rid of dirt and impurities [27].

This means that you won’t only get rid of heat rashes, but you’ll also nourish your skin and keep it soft and supple.

What You’ll Need:

• 4 to 5 slices of cucumber

Recommended Directions:

1. Grate cucumber and put in a bowl.
2. Spread a thick layer of cucumber shreds on heat rashes.
3. Let it sit for 15 minutes.
4. Rinse with cool water.
5. Repeat three times a day until heat rashes disappear.

12. Watermelon

Like cucumber, watermelon also has cooling effects when applied on the skin.

It’s probably because this fruit is also high in water content. Watermelon is actually made of 92 percent water [28].

When you’re bothered by heat rashes, you can use this watermelon remedy for comfort and relief.

Although its efficacy as a treatment for heat rashes has not yet been established in scientific research, many of those who have tried using watermelon for this problem have reported significant improvement in only a matter of days.

What You’ll Need:

• 1 cup of watermelon cubes

Recommended Directions:

1. Put watermelon cubes in a blender.
2. Blend until consistency is similar to a smoothie.
3. Put in the refrigerator.
4. Chill for two to three minutes.
5. Apply on heat rashes.
6. Wait for 10 to 15 minutes before rinsing with cool water.
7. Repeat procedure twice a day until rashes are cleared.

There’s absolutely no need to panic when you have heat rashes. All you have to do is to rely on these tried and tested natural remedies and you’ll get the immediate comfort that you’re looking for.

And don’t hesitate to consult your doctor if you suspect that it is something more serious, or if the heat rash has become a chronic condition.