Swimmers....people with Chlorine experience needed!

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Replies

  • Squidgeypaws007
    Squidgeypaws007 Posts: 1,012 Member
    Palmers cocoa butter!! It's the best moisturiser ever, apply liberally all over your body including a little through the hair which should help stop dryness :drinker:

    I LOVE the smell of this stuff!! Just makes me want to eat it!

    Malibu - do you know if that is available in the UK?
  • onwarddownward
    onwarddownward Posts: 1,683 Member
    I have been fighting a horrid case of hot tub rash, I have been using just unrefined coconut oil. It melts on my fingers and absorbs well. I use the garner fructus, too, but not the leave in conditioner.

    I also shower well and get quite wet before swimming. I wet my hair with tap water and use a swim cap.

    Jan
  • pkinblue
    pkinblue Posts: 140 Member
    As a high school and college swimmer we all did the following:
    1. apply conditioner before your workout and since that makes your hair slippery--2 swim caps
    2. once a week rinse with crushed up Vitamin C and water. Careful if you dye your hair as it will lift color
    3. hot oil treatments
  • amaranthine1018
    amaranthine1018 Posts: 36
    15 years of daily chlorine experience here. ;) What worked best for me was..
    A) wearing a swim cap
    B) Rinsing/showering ASAP after finishing swimming
    C) Moisturizing with something heavy-duty twice daily - after getting up and before going to bed.
  • Lift_This_
    Lift_This_ Posts: 2,756 Member
    swim cap, deep conditioning treatments....

    ...i use treseme shampoo and conditioner the one with the UV filter in it...worked well on my hair and i was swimming 2-3 days a week.
  • bumblebums
    bumblebums Posts: 2,181 Member
    Get a chelating shampoo if you can, although your hair might be damaged beyond repair at this point.

    In the future, soak your hair in clean water before you enter the pool--that way it will absorb less chlorine as it will be soaked with water already. Or get a better cap :)
  • EatClean_WashUrNuts
    EatClean_WashUrNuts Posts: 1,590 Member
    Swim Cap. Other than than that, any shampoo will work. They biggest key...showering immediately after getting out.


    Personally, though...Just shave your head. You'll even increase your times
  • bumblebums
    bumblebums Posts: 2,181 Member
    Guys, olive oil doesn't come out easily. If you want to get it out, use a conditioner--slather your hair in a cheapie conditioner (Suave, VO5, etc.) and let that sit for 15 min, then rinse.

    For most people's hair, something like coconut oil is better.

    OP, you might want to post your question on longhaircommunity.com -- you'll get much more knowledgeable help there. For skin, too.
  • Kimdbro
    Kimdbro Posts: 922 Member
    I wear a silicone cap, definitely helps - I have mega bleached blonde hair and need to keep it away from the chlorine. I also use a leave in conditioner spray before night and on the weekends (or anytime I feel it needs moisture) Aveeno is effective and cost effective. For an extra body moisturizer as my skin is also sensitive and dry I use organic Coconut oil... the real deal, bought from Farmer's market. It is also sold at Save On Foods. Works wonders. For shampoo and Conditioning, Redkin products work best for me, extra moisture and shine. About $20 a bottle tho' so use sparingly.
  • RunForChai
    RunForChai Posts: 238 Member
    I found a salt-water pool---and love it. Still it is hard on my hair, I apply conditioner before I put on my swim cap and swim with it on my hair. When I get done my hair is lovely and soft. I use natural products as I don't want to add even more chemicals to my life.
    Good luck!
  • missmegan831
    missmegan831 Posts: 824 Member
    I was swimming for 3 weeks straight doing some aqua therapy for my knee and the instructor told me to use coconut oil (the kind u cook with) rub it on all over before getting in pool, keeps you moisturized and repels the water some.. I didnt dunk my head under water just tied it all on top of my head.. maybe try a swim cap
  • triciab79
    triciab79 Posts: 1,713 Member
    I am in the pool everyday during the summer and I have extremely long bleach blonde hair. You have to use a silicone cap, it won't keep it dry but it will keep enough of it off to help with breaking and drying. For your skin, just moisturize before and after and it will help. If you have control over your pool then lower the clorine levels a bit, I have not found that I need the clorine level to be as high as the manufacturer recommends to avoid the icky green stuff.
  • Louisianababy93
    Louisianababy93 Posts: 1,709 Member
    1. Girl go get a deep conditioning treatment at a salon. [ also you can talk to the cosmetologist about it shampoo's.]
    2. At sally's there's a shampoo especially for swimmers!
  • KrazyAsianNic
    KrazyAsianNic Posts: 1,227 Member
    I grew up swimming almost every day and I honestly don't remember my hair getting strawlike. After swimming i would wash my hair and condition it and let it sit in my hair while I did everything else in the shower. Only problem I had was green tips. LOL.

    as of for your body, i'm not sure exactly waht you mean by spots. I wonder if maybe you should wear a rashguard and if that would help.
  • bwnorton
    bwnorton Posts: 100 Member
    I think you have the answers above. A good conditioner - left in for a few minutes and a body moisturizer. Chlorine ruins everything it touches. That's why we always wore really short haircuts and used baby oil after swimming. The oil clogs the pool, so that's not allowed before the swim. If your hands crack, I used to use udder balm on them. WalMart still sells the stuff. Good luck! Swimming's the best exercise there is (in my opinion!) Enjoy!
  • crissy_1979
    crissy_1979 Posts: 16 Member
    Ok so I am also starting to swim more as part of my exercise regimen and have been doing some research on what to do. My added problem is that I have color treated hair. So I found this forum and I wanted to share the link. They say that rinsing your hair with club soda is a natural way to remove the chlorine in your hair while doing minimal damage. Check it out. I am going to try it on Saturday when I go swimming. Hopefully it works!!

    http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=10495&page=84&p=604135#post604135
  • Fat4Fuel2
    Fat4Fuel2 Posts: 280 Member
    I was a competitive swimmer in college. The best thing for hair and skin is to shower immediately after getting out of the pool. There's shampoos and conditioners out there meant to get rid of chlorine from your hair. If you don't want to invest in this, dove soap is gentle on skin. Then also immediately after drying off, any lotion will work. I've also found treseme to be really great for my hair in keeping in moisture. The other part is to wear a latex cap. Cloth caps don't count.
  • justwanderful
    justwanderful Posts: 142 Member
    On the days that I swim in my pool, I've found that wetting my hair and applying a dab of conditioner prior to putting on a latex swim cap keeps my hair from drying out, losing color and getting sun faded. Following my swim, I shower and only wash my hair with shampoo if it hadn't been washed in a day or two. Otherwise, I just rinse it. Your mileage may vary.
  • dawnna76
    dawnna76 Posts: 987 Member
    Aveeno body lotion is a great all day lotion that hydrates well and is non greasy. I use that all year round for soft skin. I recommend getting a swim cap for your hair. I also suggest doing hair masks using coconut oil a couple times a week. Just massage a palmful of coconut oil into your scalp. Wrap head in Suran wrap and let set for at least 30 minutes. Or using a blowdryer on low apply heat for 10 minutes. Then just wash as normal your hair will love you for this!
  • allysonvb
    allysonvb Posts: 236 Member
    Ultraswim. I've used it all my life, if you put a dab on your hair before you put a swim cap on, it also serves as a protectant.
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