Hi Everyone,
We're working on an article for the Jan/Feb issue of SWIMMER on the effects of chlorine on skin and how swimmers manage. Anybody got a lotion they swear by or another remedy for the itchy dryness that they want to share?
Thanks,
Your loyal USMS staff writer
I have found Cetaphil to work the best. During winter, when the air is also dry, I use Cetaphil cream on the rough spots. The cream and lotion both work great! I have used Lubriderm, Eucerin, St. Ives, Vaseline lotion, and several other brands, however, none of them worked as well as Cetaphil.
I always take a shower and wet my hair before I get in the pool. That seems to protect my hair and skin from the chlorine.
Oddly enough, this seems to work for me as well. Granted, I'm not too worried about dry skin, and my current hairstyle is very short. My skin seems to dry out more if I get caught out in the sun for very long, more so than being in a swimming pool for 1.5 hrs. Also read where adequate hydration is good for the skin, and I tend to drink (water) quite a bit throughout the day.
:bouncing:
Former Member
I always take a shower and wet my hair before I get in the pool. That seems to protect my hair and skin from the chlorine.
Former Member
I swear by this: http://goo.gl/Tz3DB
It's the only pre-swim lotion I know of and it really blocks the chlorine from leeching into the skin. The only bad thing is that it really stays on even through a couple of showers, so you end up smelling like the lotion - for me that's better than smelling like chlorine. But in the summer, when I swim in outdoor pools, I don't experience the lasting effects of an over-chlorinated indoor pool, so I haven't been using it lately.
I actually like the smell of chlorine on my skin after I swim. It reminds me of how I worked hard that morning. Oh my hair, however, I use "Take Out" by Cibu. It works to take out chlorine as well as general build-up.
Cataphil every time has taken the itch & scratch out of swim season!! Good stuff!
Do you mean "Cetaphil"? If so, I agree; it IS good stuff! My dermatologist recommended it and I have used it ever since.
I like all the Gold Bond lotions in the winter time.
The biggest havoc chlorine wreaks on me isn't my skin, it's the lining of my nose and sinuses. I've found that a saline squirt bottle rinse up the nostrils after every swim helps normalize my sinuses and even prevent dreaded sinus infections!
Former Member
I find a good old wash afterwards does the trick! Sometimes I get dry skin, but don't go for all this men's grooming nonsense.
