hair

WEEKEND EDITION: CHLORINE IN THE HAIR

photos/graphic design/post: Kristin Ess

Many of you have been so helpful with sharing your own tips + tricks. So what do you do to avoid chlorine green? There are so many methods out there! Here’s our favorite:

• Wet your hair in the shower before jumping in the pool. Make sure your shower water isn’t chlorinated. If the chlorine level in your shower water is high you should be using a water filtration system like THIS ONE.
• Wring out the water and apply regular conditioner to the middle + ends of your hair. You don’t need a ton- the size of a quarter will do the trick. Don’t rinse it out.
• Now put your hair in a low tight bun before jumping in to the pool.

Hair is just like a sponge. Whatever it soaks up first will likely sit on the inside allowing very little chlorinated water to make its way to the middle. By soaking the hair with unchlorinated water + conditioner first, you’re protecting the majority of your hair and avoiding a very harsh removal process later on. After a chlorinated swim, always wash your hair with a clarifying shampoo like THIS ONE or THIS ONE. Even when the chlorine only hits the surface, it can still greatly effect the shine of your hair because it roughs up the cuticle (outer layer). Rough cuticles = brittle hair. Condition well with a moisture rich mask after using a clarifying shampoo.

So spill it! What’s your best trick for avoiding green, brittle, dull chlorinated hair?