Chlorine, skin & hair

I dye my hair black on occasion. I just use a swim cap and then immediately after swimming I rinse off. I use Citre shampoo and conditioner and it works pretty well.

Swim goggles should not have to be so tight that they leave semi-permanent marks of any kind.
I the they need to be that tight to avoid leaking:
-(especially if the seal around the edges is foam) the goggles might need to be replaced
-or they don't fit you properly, and are hence difficult to seal properly.

Yes, I suffer from racoon eyes. Last year I used a swim mask, which cut down on the racooon effect. Those eventually died and I found a pair of regular goggles that fit really well - but leave marks again.

I highlight my hair (or rather, get my hair highlighted - no way I'm talented enough to do this on my own). I keep thinking that my hair stylist is going to comment on my hair and chlorine, but she hasn't yet! She suggested I stick with the special shampoos after I swim and...

Wet my hair before I get in the pool. Tough this time of year when it's cold outside (outdoor pool in CA), but worth it. Rinse soon after.

I've used Ultra Swim and the green bottle of Pureology shampoo. The Pureology is more expensive, but better for color treated hair. Might be worthwhile if your hair is dyed dark. Both seem to get the chlorine out. Follow-up with a good conditioner - let it sit in your hair for a few minutes.

Acutally - I think that the pool by my house uses a new type of chlorine/chemical. It doesn't sting my eyes nearly as much as I remember feeling when I was a kid at the public pool.

Have fun swimming!

I've had highlights for so long that I've seen what chlorine can do if you don't protect your hair. Wet your hair, and for good measure, put in some conditioner (I use my hair color conditioner). The conditioner will seal your hair cuticle, protecting the color. After I swim, I use chlorine shampoo and conditioner.

My colorist also recommended a product called "Malibu", which I haven't seen around at my local Ulta. It is a crystal treatment that looks like salt and you rub into your hair for deep conditioning. He said doing that once in awhile will reduce the need for the chlorine shampoos.

Edited by hk94 2006-02-02 3:03 PM

if you are using googles with a foam around the plastic your face may become irritated. i remember when i was around 10-12 the cool thing were swedish googles. they were plastic without any foam or rubber. for the first 3 weeks, they really hurt! left red indents around my eyes. but man was i cool.

I do exactly the same as hk94 with my hair: wet it a little & slick in some conditioner (not too much water + conditioner or the cap will want to pop off) BEFORE the swim cap - use the silicone kind, not the nylony kind, then rinse soon after swimming. Dyed-red hair (my inner redhead demands it) fades easily from sun, regular shampoo, whatever, and I do everything I can to protect it.

Skin - just shower & generous quantities of lotion after.

Raccoon eyes: yes, but they go away pretty quickly for me. If I have my goggles any looser, I swim right out of them when I push off the wall after a turn. Maybe they don't fit, but I haven't found any that fit better. Works for me. 8-) Good luck.

One word, Pureology. I use the shampoo, conditioner and most importantly, the color saver spray. It's expensive so get the spray if you only are buying one item. I spray it on before I swim, let it dry and swim away. Color will always fade and/or oxidize, but this helps.
writers2

hmmm, very interesting. Thanks for all the tips.

I always used "Cholesterol" conditioner under my swim cap, when I used to race. It can be found in the ethnic section of most grocery stores. Also, what type of goggles are you using?

I coat my hair with an oily conditioner (straight oil, cholesterol-type conditioner, or plant butters) spritz with water, then put on my cap. The heat produced makes for a nice deep conditioning treatment. I rinse my hair the second I get out of the water, then shampoo, then I wash with conditioner: handfuls and handfuls of the stuff, scrub the scalp. slap on a shower cap, and wait at least five minutes to rinse. I color my hair dark brown, with red highlights, and they are really doing well. I've lost a bit of the brightness, but the red hasn't turned brassy at all.