My hair is usually soft and silky, but chlorine has been building up from swimming, making my hair stiff and brittle. TJs citrus shampoo has usually worked fine once a week, but shampooing even daily after swimming a few weeks has been lathering much less than previously, probably due to the buildup of chlorine.
Rinsing with baking soda has apparently removed the chlorine, brought the shampoo back to full lather and removed the stiffness. Thus my plan is to continue with shampooing daily, and use the baking soda rinse twice a week. However, is shampooing this much necessary, and what do you think of the baking soda rinse?
I'm interested to see your comments, and how you remove chlorine from your hair.
All you need is a shampoo with the chemical compound EDTA (Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid) as one of the ingredients. Most shampoos and liquid soaps have it. Any speciality "swimmers shampoo" is only advertising that as its 'special' chlorine "chelating" ingredient to the unsuspecting customer. So there's really no need to spend the extra $$ for it. It will be listed in the ingredients as EDTA or maybe something like tri sodium-EDTA, etc.
Dan
When you say you do a baking soda rinse, what are the proportions? Do you shake up a bottle of it mixed with water and flush it through your hair? How does that work?
I use Vitamin C powder mixed with water as seen in this thread forums.usms.org/showthread.php
Thanks, Swim! You saved me the hassle of digging up my old thread. :anim_coffee:
Most of the chlorine removal may rid your hair of chlorine but they will also strip the heck out of it, including it's natural oils and color. If you use it long enough, it will do some damage even if it does indeed get rid of the chlorine smell.
Having raised all girls, here's a good tip...
-Always wet your hair before getting in the pool (showers are a must at our facility).
-Use a dab of conditioner, and wear a cap. Not too much conditioner or your cap will slide off.
-Rinse your hair when you get out, and try using a baby shampoo which is much less harsh than the variety of chlorine removal products.
-Use a coconut oil based conditioner or leave in hair treatment.
I spend money to color my hair, so I rinse before going into the pool, rub in a little conditioner, and use a cap. Hair is porous, so if it's wet you won't absorb as much chlorine, and if you put a conditioner on and wear a cap, you shouldn't get any.
When you say you do a baking soda rinse, what are the proportions? Do you shake up a bottle of it mixed with water and flush it through your hair? How does that work?
I rinse my hair in the shower, rub in a teaspoon of baking soda with a little more water, keep doing this for a minute or so, run a brush slowly through to make sure the powder is evenly distributed, rinse the soda out, shampoo and rinse. Baking soda is only a dollar a pound, compared to citrus powder at 15 times as much. I've put the baking soda in a herb container so it's easy to use.
You can mix the baking soda with water before pouring it on your hair.
Soaking the hair in advance of swimming is a good idea.
I don't use any harmful chemicals or conditioners so those options are out.
A swim cap might help, but the hair will still get wet, and a cap can damage the hair so I tend to not use one.
who has hair to wash?
you mean -> chest, back, arms, legs and of course the mustache!!! .... right?
Now, now, Steve. Not all of are like you and Wookiee. :nono: Some of us have NO chest, back, or arm hair, we shave our legs :agree:, and we have no mustache! :afraid:
