Kerry`s question: I swim 3-4 times a week and use Ultra Swim Chlorine Removal Shampoo and Pantene conditioner. I’m wondering if the shampoo is actually getting rid of the chlorine or just stripping it of any oils since my hair always feels almost “squeaky clean” after using it. The Right Brain Responds:
First of all, we should point out that any good deep cleaning or clarifying shampoo will get rid of surface oils and make your hair feel squeaky clean. That`s to be expected but it`s not really related to how well it removes chlorine.
Does Ultra Swim do anything special to get rid of chlorine? Not really. It does contain a chemical called sodium thiosulfate that can THEORETICALLY react with chlorine, but we`re not aware of any practical evidence to show that really works. If you`re curious, check out this article for an excellent summary of the chemistry of chlorine on hair. Although the author makes a few inaccurate statements about shampoo ingredients, it is a nice summary of the chemical interaction of chlorine and sodium thiosulfate.
Chlorine can do nasty things to your hair – it can bleach your color and it can leave a residual odor. But once it`s in your hair the damage is mostly done. Basically, you just have to keep washing your hair until the chlorine is gone.
The best way to get chlorine out of your hair is stop it from getting in there in the first place! Use a good silicone conditioner BEFORE exposing your hair to chlorinated pool water. That will prevent your hair from absorbing so much chlorine and will mitigate the nasty side effects.
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Hello all. First, let me establish the fact that I own a PR agency. That being said, I know of a hair care product – from a company that I do not represent – that works wonders for chemically treated and exposed hair. I can’t say enough good things about Zerran hair care. http://www.zerran.com
What about the “club soda to remove the greenish tint from the chlorine” thing? Is there a scientific explanation for that, with the baking soda in the club soda, or is it just an old wives’ talle?
Hi, My hair is really sensitive to chlorine and whenever my friend calls me to go swimming, I don’t want to. My mom went to a spa and they reccommended this shampoo that doesn’t seem to do anything. It’s called “Environmental Damage Recovery Shampoo” from a company called Davines. Is there a certain recipe I can make to rid the chlorine of my hair?
I am a masters competitive swimmer in my 30′s that has been swimming since age 8. I have really long, curly, blond streaked light brown that is thick. I love Ultra Swim Shampoo in that I can use it daily after swimming (about 3-7/week) without it stripping my hair like a lot (okay most) of other products. I also condition with moisturing condition after. When I feel like it’s been a while or my hair feels slightly dry, I use a heavy conditioner and dry it into my hair, or let it sit 3-5 minutes on my hair, or use a hot oil treatment. Forget putting conditioner on before swimming as you just junk up your cap or the water and no one says it really works. As for club soda – never heard of it. Trust me…. moisturize and then do it again. Hair dressers love my hair and say it’s strong and not damaged.
Whenever I swim I use Triswim products. I used to swim D1 in College but they didn’t have the product back then. Now whenever I swim over lunch or with the Masters program I use Triswim shampoo and conditioner afterwards. It seems to work very well and I prefer it over regular products when swimming in chlorine or saltwater.
As someone who lives in South Florida, has lightened hair and swims in ocean and pool, I recommend using a shower filter to remove chlorine. http://www.best-showerfilter.com has high quality and low prices. My skin and hair have “healed” from years of chlorine abuse!