Swimmers!

Join

Chlorine!!!

emmab0902
emmab0902 Posts: 2,338 Member
in Social Groups
Anyone have tips how to get smell off the skin? I find that it takes at least 3 showers and by then its time to swim again!!
«1

Replies

  • ElBence
    ElBence Posts: 291 Member
    Stop trying and embrace it. It's who you are. On the upside, if your skin absorbs enough of it, your sweat will be chlorinated, and no bacteria which produce body odor will be able to grow. Just think of all the money you'll save on deodorant! (totally not serious about that part)
  • matthew_b
    matthew_b Posts: 137 Member
    /\
    |

    This

    Enjoy the smell. There are many things worse. Most people will just think you smell clean. I don't know if there is any anti-bacterial properties to my sweat, but it does smell a bit like chlorine when it first starts.
  • emmab0902
    emmab0902 Posts: 2,338 Member
    But smell aside even, it makes me itchy!
  • ElBence
    ElBence Posts: 291 Member
    Two words will help you combat the itchy: Cocoa Butter. It might help with the smell too.
  • SwimtotheEnd
    SwimtotheEnd Posts: 69 Member
    Swim in the ocean and avoid Chlorine
  • fishgutzy
    fishgutzy Posts: 2,807 Member
    Dove shower soft soap works great.
    I don't even notice the chlorine smell anymore. I swim 2.5 miles a day minimum. More on weekends.
    I love the smell of chlorine in the morning. It smells like victory :bigsmile:
  • elisabeisme
    elisabeisme Posts: 308 Member
    lotion. definitely lotion.
  • matthew_b
    matthew_b Posts: 137 Member
    But smell aside even, it makes me itchy!

    Yeah, I deal with that. I googled like mad and found little info. From what I've found, it can either be a reaction to the chlorine absorbed by the skin or it can be from bacteria that lives in the pool. If it gets worse right when you shower, that's more likely the chlorine because the water soaks in and takes the chlorine deeper.

    On thing that I've found helpful is REALLY hot water when I shower.
  • elisabeisme
    elisabeisme Posts: 308 Member
    I realize that something else I do is to suds my chlorine removal shampoo all over by body.

    Or, you could try a chlorine removal soap like this:

    http://www.amazon.com/Summer-Solutions-Soap-Bar/dp/B00021VCVS
  • logan_t
    logan_t Posts: 13 Member
    Definitely get yourself some chlorine removal shampoo. Here's a 4-pack of what I use. I've only ever bought a bottle at a time... but I have significantly less hair on my head ;)

    http://www.amazon.com/UltraSwim-Chlorine-Removal-Shampoo-7-Ounce-Bottles/dp/B001ET76OO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1376407924&sr=8-1&keywords=ultraswim

    They also make a conditioner, if you're into that. I use Dial bar soap for cleaning the smell off the rest of me.

    Another thing that works is sweating it out with a non-pool workout the morning following your pool workout.
  • onwarddownward
    onwarddownward Posts: 1,683 Member
    I use cephaphil soap and body lotion and that works for me. I use ION shampoo and conditioner in the blue bottle. It's the best for hair that I have ever used.

    My big problem is that I swallow so much water swimming that my farts smell like chlorine!!:noway:
  • kyle4jem
    kyle4jem Posts: 1,400 Member
    Emma, have you tried Boot's Sun Swim & Gym range of shampoo and conditioners? They also do a protection masque which you can apply to your hair before you swim, although I've never personally used that, so I can't say how effective it is.

    Certainly I found that by using the shampoo and conditioner it reduced the smell of chlorine, although I also used a nice shower gel afterwards too.
  • fishgutzy
    fishgutzy Posts: 2,807 Member
    Life is so much easier for guys. Short hair and we don't care as much about how we smell.
    Also seems that unless one has a skin condition, we are less prone to dry skin too.
  • KANGOOJUMPS
    KANGOOJUMPS Posts: 6,474 Member
    elbence is funny,
  • kyle4jem
    kyle4jem Posts: 1,400 Member
    Life is so much easier for guys. Short hair and we don't care as much about how we smell.
    Also seems that unless one has a skin condition, we are less prone to dry skin too.
    I don't know about that. I found as a side-effect of the chlorinated water the hair on my arms and chest shrunk and became more wiry - no matter how much conditioner or cocoa butter I lavished on it. It returned to normal after a couple of months out of the pool. :ohwell:
  • emmab0902
    emmab0902 Posts: 2,338 Member
    Will have a look but think some of those products wont be available in New Zealand but hopefully there will be similar things. Thanks!
  • evilwatersprite
    evilwatersprite Posts: 1
    I'm weird in that I like the smell of chlorine but I do try to counteract the itchy factor and its effects on my hair.

    I like SwimSpray. It's a spray bottle of essentially water and vitamin c that neutralizes the chlorine. You rinse your hair and body and then spray it on both. Then proceed with your shower routine.

    http://www.swimspray.com/

    I also put conditioner on the ends of my hair before putting my cap on. And after I get out of the shower, I try to remember to put lotion on. Which one varies by season. In the dead of winter, my legs get so dry and itchy that I have to bust out the tub of Cetaphil.
  • CALake
    CALake Posts: 269 Member
    I found that any kind of "clarifying" or "chleating" shampoo works well to get the chlorine out- without the expense of the special swimming versions. Suave has a cheap one for about $2.

    For skin, I make my own body sugar scrub. Olive oil, brown sugar & honey. It keeps my skin from drying out and seems to get the smell of chlorine out too.
  • fishgutzy
    fishgutzy Posts: 2,807 Member

    I don't know about that. I found as a side-effect of the chlorinated water the hair on my arms and chest shrunk and became more wiry - no matter how much conditioner or cocoa butter I lavished on it. It returned to normal after a couple of months out of the pool. :ohwell:

    Same here. My wife says my legs feel like I shaved.
    hair on my arms and legs has thinned a lot. But it is a price I'm will to pay for swimming 2.5 miles a day minimum. :bigsmile:
  • lostemt
    lostemt Posts: 152 Member
    try showering before you swim
  • swim_anyway
    swim_anyway Posts: 4
    I really like the L'Oreal Kids Swim & Sport shampoo. UltraSwim is fine, but much more expensive, and I've always found it to be very runny and easy to waste. I also think the L'Oreal Kids has a better scent. The only con for the L'Oreal Kids is that the blue fish-shaped bottle can sometimes leak or pop open in my swim bag, so I'm keeping it in a plastic bag, and not in my mesh hanging bag, which I'd prefer.
  • LKuderna
    LKuderna Posts: 31 Member
    It really helps to get completely wet in the shower before you start, get your hair wet (and use a little conditioner in it if you want) before putting on your cap. I went to "Ulta" (big box beauty store in the US) and they suggested "H2O+ Sea Salt body wash" that seems to realy neutralize the chlorine effects. Of course, moisturize thoroughly when you're still damp after your shower. Let me know how it goes. There's also a product available on-line "Tri-Swim" body wash that is probably excellent.
  • zerryz
    zerryz Posts: 168 Member
    Someone once suggested to rinse mybody with vinegary or lemony water. Never tried it though cuz at the time, I simply switched to open water swimming. The salt in the ocean took care of the eczema/itch problem created by the pool chemicals. I'd say try swimming in open waters.
  • ileitch
    ileitch Posts: 99
    I use baby oil after every swim to cut down the itching.
  • murdy745
    murdy745 Posts: 71 Member
    I've never been able to get rid of the chlorine smell. Love it and embrace it!!! On the upside, my cardio sessions seem much more disinfected. lol
  • sandytaffy
    sandytaffy Posts: 20 Member
    The smell never bothered me either, but I too have a problem with the itchy skin. I am currently using coconut oil. I does solidify if the temperature is under 72 (or there abouts) and chlorine and coconut oil smell reminds me of when I was a kid during the summer.
  • cw106
    cw106 Posts: 952 Member
    Someone once suggested to rinse mybody with vinegary or lemony water. Never tried it though cuz at the time, I simply switched to open water swimming. The salt in the ocean took care of the eczema/itch problem created by the pool chemicals. I'd say try swimming in open waters.

    i have given up on trying to get rid of the chlorine smell.
    i rarely need to use deodorant now too.
    tho i do get skinburn and mild exczema on my legs for the first time ever.
    all explained now.
    v informative.
  • Macstraw
    Macstraw Posts: 896 Member
    Definitely get yourself some chlorine removal shampoo. Here's a 4-pack of what I use. I've only ever bought a bottle at a time... but I have significantly less hair on my head ;)

    http://www.amazon.com/UltraSwim-Chlorine-Removal-Shampoo-7-Ounce-Bottles/dp/B001ET76OO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1376407924&sr=8-1&keywords=ultraswim

    They also make a conditioner, if you're into that. I use Dial bar soap for cleaning the smell off the rest of me.

    Another thing that works is sweating it out with a non-pool workout the morning following your pool workout.

    ^Ultra Swim - I DO use the conditioner too, even though my hair is short it's too dry without it. I also buy it by the 4 pack from Amazon.....

    My 13 year old daughter has a T-Shirt that says "Swim Chick, Chlorine is My Perfume"
  • 60sPanda
    60sPanda Posts: 303 Member
    I don't notice it in my hair and just use normal shampoo and conditioner. For the body just shower gel on its own is not enough - I take a bamboo type sponge in the shower and that rough scrub gets the chlorine off then lotion (cocoa butter at the moment) works a treat.
  • yogicarl
    yogicarl Posts: 1,260 Member
    If you have access to open water - you can't beat the experience.

Categories