Courtesy of SwimSpray, a SwimSwam partner.
We hear it all the time: “Chlorine is my perfume” and “I love the smell of chlorine.” While that smell represents our efforts, dreams and accomplishments, it also represents the harmful chemical that remains in our hair and skin days after we’re out of the pool. That damaged, brittle, bleached feeling is caused by chlorine reacting with hair and skin. Keep in mind that pool chlorine is the same thing as commercial bleach (think Clorox), so you should expect similar effects. Notably, the pool chlorine is less concentrated, so the bleaching isn’t as fast or dramatic, however, note the similarities in smell and effect – you smell like bleach and your hair gets lighter. Pool chlorine is literally bleaching your hair or even discoloring it a green color. That green hair color comes from copper depositing in your hair. When pool water contains copper, that copper can become oxidized by the pool chlorine to make copper (II) chloride dihydrate, which sticks to your hair and makes it green.
We turn to “swimmers’ shampoos” and spend a small fortune on hair products to resolve these problems. While you may love the scent or feel of your favorite “swimmers ‘shampoos,” which are full of ingredients for lathering, color, fragrance, etc. most fail to provide enough of the ingredient needed to remedy the damaged hair and skin situation: a powerful, pH-balanced antioxidant. Accordingly, swimmers often go to their colorists with chlorine-covered hair seeking remedies to the green-tinge and damage, or for highlights or added color. But, because the chlorine layer adhering to hair affects the end-product of the color treatment, swimmers often report that the color they get isn’t exactly what they wanted. `
Fortunately, both the damage and the green color can be mitigated by preventing chlorine’s oxidizing effects. The best way to prevent that oxidizing effects is to apply a concentrated antioxidant in the shower when you are done swimming. Vitamin C (aka ascorbic acid) is a great antioxidant if used properly and with the right pH formulation. There are plenty of suggestions and so-called solutions on the web with recipes for do-it-yourself formulas, but be wary: Vitamin C is ascorbic acid. If you aren’t completely familiar with the origin and quality of the Vitamin C you are using and how to balance it properly, you may do more harm than good.
Try SwimSpray. SwimSpray is the first product to provide a concentrated solution of vitamin C in purified water, and is the only hair product on the market that instantly neutralizes chlorine.
It works. SwimSpray works so well that it has its own patent. You will notice the difference the very first time you use it because you won’t smell like chlorine. By neutralizing the chlorine immediately after swimming, SwimSpray stops the harmful effects the moment you spray it on. Within a few uses, your hair and skin will be softer and clean of chlorine. . Because SwimSpray is free from alcohol, soaps, and other problem chemicals, swimmers can rest assured that they are doing good (and only good) for their hair and skin
For more tips on how to keep hair as healthy as possible, read how to protect hair from chlorine.
SwimSpray was invented by Dr. Andrew Chadeayne, a former Princeton University swimmer and chemistry Ph.D. from Cornell University. Tired of smelling like chlorine after his swimming workouts, Andrew set out remove chlorine from hair and skin ( SwimSpray works where so many other chlorine removal products (e.g., swimmers’ shampoos) have failed previously because SwimSpray’s all-natural vitamin C based formula breaks this bond, neutralizing the chlorine, and allowing it to be washed away with your favorite soap or shampoo.
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Swimming News courtesy of SwimSpray, a SwimSwam partner.