Do you love to spend time in the pool but hate how your hair turns dry and frizzy after a long swimming session? This is a very common concern with all swimmers. Even though swimming is a great exercise for your body, the chlorine mixed in the pool water can severely damage your hair. Chlorine is a harsh chemical that strips the natural oils from hair, leaving it dry and damaged. Over time, it can also give you split ends. Pool water can also make your hair color turn green due to oxidation. Chlorine also increases the porosity of your hair, which results in weak and brittle hair. So, if you are a swimmer, you should take extra care of your hair to avoid damage from harsh chemicals.

Table of Contents: 

• The Effects of Chlorine on Hair and How to Protect It
• How Often Should Swimmers Shampoo?
• Our Top Picks for the Best Shampoo for Swimming and Chlorine Removal

The Effects of Chlorine on Hair and How to Protect It

Most people enjoy swimming, but hate the after-effects. Chlorine and other chemicals that are typically added to swimming pool water can irritate your skin and damage your hair. A lot of people also get an itchy scalp after swimming. 

The good news is that there are a few ways in which you can help protect your hair from pool water. To begin with, you should rinse your hair with plain tap water before stepping into the pool. Our hair absorbs water. If you step into the pool with dry hair, it will easily absorb chlorine water. However, if you wash your hair beforehand, it will absorb tap water. This will prevent hair damage by chlorine. Alternatively, you can wear a swimming cap. Tie your hair in a loose bun and wear a cap around it. You can also use a hair gel, hair serum, or any other product containing silicones. These products will create a protective barrier around your hair shaft and will not allow the hair to absorb the chlorinated water. 

How Often Should Swimmers Shampoo?

Even if you take all the precautions, your hair might still get your hair wet in the swimming pool and the chemicals in the pool water might still enter your hair. The best way to get rid of these chemicals is to rinse your hair after every swimming session. 

But should you use a shampoo daily? Well, it depends. Using (a regular) shampoo daily can often cause more harm than good. A harsh shampoo will wash, along with the chlorine, all the natural oils in your hair, leaving it dry and frizzy. 

However, there are some gentler shampoos you can use on a daily basis. A mild, sulfate-free shampoo enriched with natural ingredients that nourish and hydrate your scalp and hair can safely be used daily. Alternatively, you can rinse your hair with tap water after coming out of the swimming pool and then “wash” your hair with conditioner only before rinsing thoroughly. 

Our Top Picks for the Best Shampoo for Swimming and Chlorine Removal

As I said, if you want to shampoo your hair every day, you can use natural shampoos that gently cleanse your hair without stripping your hair of the natural oils. You should look for shampoos that contain hydrating ingredients that nourish your hair and lock in moisture to prevent and repair damage caused by harsh chemicals. 

Look for natural oils and other natural ingredients, such as apple cider vinegar or aloe vera, which are humectants and nourish your hair, control frizz, and reduce split ends. 

Here are my recommendations for the best shampoos for swimmers: 

WOW Apple Cider Vinegar and Coconut Oil Conditioner

Many people prefer different home remedies to remove chlorine from their hair. One of the most common ingredients in these DIY recipes is apple cider vinegar. It has alpha-hydroxy acids that work as an exfoliant and help dissolve and remove scalp and hair buildup. Since Apple Cider Vinegar is also rich in vitamins, it nourishes the locks and makes them smooth. 

If it gets difficult to do natural treatments at home, particularly if you’re swimming daily, you can choose WOW Apple Cider Vinegar shampoo instead. Apple cider vinegar shampoo helps to balance the natural pH level of your scalp that might get disrupted by the chemicals in pool water. The shampoo also contains almond oil and argan oil that help keep your hair moisturized. 

Also, to prevent hair dryness and frizz, you can use the WOW Coconut Milk conditioner. It is rich in vitamins, protein and lauric acid that helps to strengthen hair and reduce frizz, hair damage and split ends. It is also a great product to use when trying out the conditioner-only hair washing method. 

WOW Activated Charcoal Keratin Shampoo

Activated charcoal is one of the best ingredients for swimmers' hair. It is a powerful ingredient that removes chlorine and all other impurities from hair, without stripping the natural hair oils. Moreover, this WOW shampoo contains argan, jojoba, and almond oils that help in moisturizing dry and damaged hair. It is also enriched with keratin, a protein that is widely present in our hair. Keratin helps create a protective layer around the hair shafts and protects your hair from damage by harsh chemicals. 

Swimmers often suffer from dry and damaged hair, split ends, and excessive hair loss due to chlorine and other harsh chemicals present in pool water. To prevent these, you have to make sure that you take proper care of your hair and use a gentle hydrating shampoo that removes the chemicals from your hair and restores moisture. 

Explore the WOW website for more natural hair care products. From our all natural sulfate, silicone and paraben-free hair care collection we recommend Apple Cider Vinegar Shampoo and Red Onion Black Seed Oil Shampoo. And if you would like to learn more about apple cider vinegar's benefits or onion oil's benefits check out our ultimate guide on how to use them on your hair.