Have you ever left the pool to find that your skin and hair smell of chlorine long after you’ve showered? Or that chlorine has left your hair damaged after swimming regularly?
Learn how to take care of chlorine damaged hair with a natural shampoo and conditioner for swimmers.
Does chlorine damage hair?
Yes, it can do. Chlorine is a bleach added to swimming pools so that they do not become contaminated bacteria. It's highly alkaline, and if it's not washed out thoroughly after your swim, it can soon strip your hair of its shine.
Regular swimmers may find that chlorine’s alkaline pH makes their acidic hair dry, dull and straw-like. Rough towel drying or brushing wet hair can also cause further damage to delicate strands.
And it’s no myth that swimming pools can turn hair green. Chlorine can react with chemicals used in hair dye and give locks a green tinge! Wondering why? Hard metals and minerals in the water oxidise, giving swimmers' pale hair with a green tinge. Thankfully, using tomato ketchup, which is acidic, helps to remove this discolouration to keep blonde hair beautifully bright.
But you don’t need to worry! In the next section, we’ll reveal how to repair chlorine-damaged hair with a strengthening shampoo for swimmers.
How to repair chlorine-damaged hair
A simple way to stop chlorine from damaging your hair when swimming is by protecting it from damage in the first place.
To prevent chlorine damage, you should wear a swimming hat and wash your hair after every swim, preferably as soon as you get out of the pool.
Rinsing your hair with water will not be enough to shift stubborn chlorine chemicals, but the foaming agents in your shampoo should help release them.
Use a swimmer’s shampoo made without harsh ingredients to gently cleanse your locks without stripping them further. Follow with plenty of nourishing conditioner to restore shine. If the chlorine aroma lingers, wash your hair twice.
If you are prone to chlorine damage or your hair is already damaged from swimming, you should condition your hair after every wash and treat it to an intense conditioning hair mask once a week.
Protein-boosting shampoo and conditioner for swimmers
Has swimming stripped your hair? Chlorine damage leaves hair dry, meaning you need a non-drying hair care routine that replenishes that lost moisture.
We’ve got just the thing. Our organic shampoo, conditioner and hair serum contain a blend of natural ingredients perfect for swimmers’ hair, such as conditioning Avocado Oil, shine-enhancing Quinoa and UV-protective Artichoke Extract.
Here’s our best swimmer’s shampoo and conditioner routine for repairing chlorine-damaged hair.
STEP 1: SWIMMER’S SHAMPOO
Protect your colour and your hair health with our reparative Protein-Boost Shampoo and Shower Wash.
A swim bag space-saver, the Quinoa in this 2-in-1 swimmer’s shampoo and body wash penetrates each hair shaft to reveal silky strands. Expect quick results: It improves gloss value by 50% in just 5 washes!
Protein-Boost Shampoo & Shower Wash 200ml
Wash, soothe and strengthen with our 2-in-1 protein boost shampoo and shower wash
£19.00
STEP 2: SWIMMER’S CONDITIONER
Follow with the matching Protein-Boost Conditioner for swimmers. A dream for detangling dry and damaged swimmers' hair, it is packed with Quinoa Protein.
This contains all 9 amino acids needed for repair, including anionic amino acids which coat the hair in ‘scaffold’ to shield it from damage. Plus, it has an energizingly fresh citrus and Ginger scent to help mask those lingering pool smells.
Protein-Boost Conditioner 200ml
Give your hair a protein boost with this natural conditioner
£19.00
STEP 3: POST-SWIM STYLE
Perfect for protecting pool-parched swimmers' hair and avoiding post-holiday chlorine damage, our silky hair serum is fortified with an Artichoke Extract clinically proven to strengthen hair.
The result? Smoother, healthier hair with increased resilience to frizz-causing sun, chlorine and styling tool damage!
Protein-Boost Hair Serum 100ml
Smooth your style with our certified organic hair serum and leave-in conditioner
£15.00
STEP 4: SWIMMER’S HAIR MASK
Once a week, treat your hair to a more intense conditioning session. You can create a post-swim conditioning hair mask with our Protein-Boost Conditioner.
After shampooing, apply it to the ends of your hair and wrap the hair in a hot towel for 10 minutes. Once the 10 minutes are up, release your hair and rinse out the conditioner to reveal noticeably softer hair.
Shop travel-size swimmer’s hair routine
Want to save space in your swim bag or tempted to try our shampoo and conditioner for swimmers for the first time?
Our Organic Hair Essentials Set packs all you need to fight chlorine and UV hair damage into a compact treat-size box. It contains a 3 x 30ml swimmer’s shampoo, conditioner and styling gel.
Organic Hair Essentials Set
Smooth, repair, shine with our travel-size protein-boost hair care trio
£26.00
Praise for our swimmer hair care products
Best shampoo for swimmers: Protein-Boost Shampoo
“Fabulous collection. Leaves hair really clean and soft. Bought for my daughter who swims 6 times a week and struggles with the damage chlorine does to her fine, but curly hair. After using her hair is so shiny and bouncy. Would highly recommend.” Sarah G
“This shampoo is ideal after swimming to remove last traces of chlorine. The condition of my hair has improved since using this shampoo and matching conditioner. The shampoo lathers well and has a pleasant light fragrance. I have a very sensitive scalp which develops foliculitis when exposed to most fragrances, and SLS, but this shampoo hasn't caused any reaction.” Chrissie S
Best conditioner for swimmers: Protein-Boost Conditioner
“This conditioner gives my hair shine without weighing it down. I love it. It also doesn't irritate my psoriasis. I swim most days and this helps revive my hair after the damage chlorine does.
- hair care products for swimmers, swimming and hair care.” Elspeth J“Great product - I use it every time after swimming and find it is really effective for dealing with chlorine whilst leaving my hair soft and silky rather than brittle and dry or clogged with product residue.” Guest
Shop Protein-Boost Conditioner.
Best styling serum for swimmers: Protein-Boost Hair Serum
“I primarily use this before I go swimming to help shield my hair from chlorine and it works brilliantly. I have very curly hair, and it also works well to maintain fly away hairs once my hair is dry and the smell is lovely too. Great product :) Val M
“As a regular indoor pool swimmer I use this hair serum as a leave in conditioner after each swim to treat the ends of my hair which can get very tangled and dry from the chorine. I find it really helps, is easy to apply and not sticky. It smells wonderful too and also adds a bit of volume.” Morag K
Shop Protein-Boost Hair Serum.
We hope you have found our guide to swimmers' shampoo and conditioner helpful. For more help choosing the best natural and organic shampoo for your routine, why not take our quick hair care quiz or contact our friendly UK customer care team at 01403 740350 or via @GreenPeopleUK?
Reviewed by:
This blog post has been reviewed by Charlotte Vøhtz, founder of Green People, who has 25+ years of experience in the natural and organic beauty industry. A recognised leader in the field of organic beauty, Charlotte helped inform the UK's first organic beauty standards and was voted the People’s Choice in the 2023 list of Who’s Who in Natural Beauty. A published author, she wrote the organic beauty bible ‘Naturally Gorgeous’. Previously, she qualified as a nurse and spent over 10 years working in pharmaceuticals.
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