By Bryce Edmonds

Worried that your locks are drowning in a sea of chlorine or salt? Swimming—in a pool, ocean, or lake—takes a toll on your hair. While you’re getting in shape or having fun, your hair is doing neither.
“Your hair is a natural sponge. It will soak up everything available to it,” says S. Masyn Moyer, owner of Urban Pearl hair salon in Boulder, Colorado.
The chlorine in pools accentuates hair’s natural absorbency—to the detriment of your hair. “Chlorine binds to the hair shaft and makes it more porous,” says Lisa Saul, owner of EcoColors Salon and EcoColors Hair Color in Atlanta. Minerals take advantage of this damaged state and bind to your hair. In fact, chlorine doesn’t tint swimmers’ hair green—copper does. According to the medical journal Cutis, the increased copper concentration in pool water imbues blonde, gray, or white hair with unwanted green highlights—especially when previous hair damage exists.

Lake and ocean water won’t damage hair in the way that pool water will, but salt, algae, and other materials in the water cling to hair. Those with fine or curly hair might actually enjoy the result, says Moyer. “There are a lot of hair products with salt because people love that texture,” she says.
Both Moyer and Saul agree that prevention is the best defense for your hair. “Wet your hair, coat it with a leave-in conditioner, and wear a swim cap,” Moyer says. “You’re creating several layers of barriers.” She also recommends protecting the hair by coating it with jojoba oil.
Post-swim, wash your hair with a chelator, a substance that binds with and removes the unwanted freeloaders on your hair. Saul recommends rinsing your hair with pure aloe vera, a natural chelator, before your regular routine. Both Moyer and Saul say those who wash with well water, which is similarly high in minerals, also often have “swimmer’s hair.”

If you insist on braving the pool without taking any precautions, here are some natural swimmer shampoos and conditioners to try: Aubrey Organics’ Swimmer’s Normalizing Shampoo and Conditioner, which contain organic aloe vera and leave hair remarkably soft; Jason Natural Products’ Swimmer’s & Sports Rejuvenating Shampoo and Conditioner, also contain aloe vera and have a sporty, unisex scent; and California Baby’s Swimmer’s Defense Shampoo & Bodywash and Hair Conditioner. Formulated for kids and “sensitive adults,” this last pair has a fun floral scent and takes out the post-chlorine dryness.