How to protect skin and hair from chlorine

I probably don’t need to tell you that swimming is a great exercise for your body. Swimming strengthens your lungs and your heart. It engages your abdomen muscles, developing them, and thereby improving your balance. The water’s natural buoyancy also protects your joints from the force of impact. Yes, swimming seems like the perfect exercise for your body, and then there is pool chlorine.

Pool chlorine is (most often) a form of hypochlorite. In water, it becomes hydrochloric acid – a substance that destroys harmful bacteria that can make us sick. When used properly to treat a pool, chlorine is relatively harmless to humans. It does, however, dry one’s hair and skin, stripping away the natural oils that hold in moisture. The result? Those who swim frequently are left with either brittle, frizzy hair as dry as kindling or extremely oily, drab hair, as their body overcompensates sebum production in response to the chemical. Oh, and don’t forget the dry, itchy skin.

While some of us can still reap the benefits of swimming with open water swimming, we should not have to sacrifice the convenience and safety of a pool to protect our hair and skin. Luckily, we can fight these negative side effects with just a little extra TLC for our bodies! After twelve years as a competitive swimmer, I have tried and tested these six methods for protecting your hair and skin from exposure to chlorine.

How to Protect Your Hair from Chlorine:

1. Wear a swim cap: One of the easiest ways to protect your hair from chlorine damage is to don a cap on the top of your head. Yes, your hair will still get damp or even wet. A swim cap, however, prevents your head from being immersed in the chemical, cutting down on chlorine’s drying effects.
2. Cut down on shampoo use: Chlorine removes the dirt and the natural oils from your hair. Most of us do not need to use shampoo on days we swim for a repeat performance of this process. Many of us with more oily hair do not need two drying agents sucking the moisture from our scalps. Your body may even respond by producing too much oil from your scalp. Of course, those of us with specific doctor advice should continue to listen to the medical expert. For most of us, however, shampoo on swim days isn’t necessary.
3. Break out that baby oil: Covering the ends of your hair in baby oil, or coconut oil, is a great way to avoid scratchy split ends and replenish the natural oils you lose when swimming. The hair at the end of each strand is oldest, and therefore already prone to dryness. Covering your ends in a little bit of coconut oil just before you get in the pool helps protect them.

How to Protect Your Skin from Chlorine:

1. Rinse: Chlorine remains on your skin (and hair) even as you exit the pool, continuing to dry it. Rinsing off in the shower, even for thirty seconds, helps you rid your body of this unwelcome residue.
2. Baby get (that oil) back: Baby oil and coconut oil are also great for your skin. After a day at the pool, massaging a little bit of oil over your arms and legs helps ward off dry, flaky skin, redness, and itching. These oils are gentle enough that you can even rub a little under your eyes to avoid chaffing and itching around goggle marks. Please note, if you have naturally oily skin, you can skip this step.
3. Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize: Body and face lotion are your best friends. Make sure to put some on after you rinse. Moisturizer is especially effective at replenishing and locking in your natural moisture if you put it on after using a skin-healthy oil.

Us pool swimmers have a lot to be grateful for, what with all the health benefits swimming offers. With just a little bit of skin and hair care, we can banish the negative effects of chlorine and continue to embrace the sport we love without compromise.

Christina McDermott’s bio:

Swim Instructor in Santa Barbara, CA

I am a swimmer with fourteen years of competitive experience. I have a passion for water safety and have taught swim lessons for seven years. I am constantly rewarded, seeing my students grow and succeed. In my free time, I enjoy writing poetry and baking.