Planning to swim this summer and wondering how to protect your curly tresses from Chlorine water? Here are a few suggestions from my experience swimming with natural hair.
Step 2: Apply a coating of hair serum or natural oil to your dripping wet hair, paying special attention to the ends. The serum/oil will help protect your hair while swimming decreasing the chances of chlorine water absorbing in the hair. Use any oils which include Extra Virgin Olive Oil or Coconut Oil. I use both of these oils, mixing them together and apply to my hair before swimming.
Step 3: After you swim, it is very important to rinse your hair with water again. If you plan to stay in the sun and hang out around the beach/pool, I recommend applying a liquid spray leave-in conditioner such Aussie Leave In Conditioning spray, Infusium 23 leave-in treatment or Giovanni weightless leave-in. The sun + chlorine can be extremely harsh resulting in dry brittle hair.
Step 4: Always shampoo your hair after you're done swimming for the day. It's important to use a shampoo that gets rid of chlorine. Make sure you’re shampoo contains EDTA or Phytic Acid such as Kinky Curly Come Clean. If you have trouble finding a shampoo that contains EDTA or Pyhtic Acid you can purchase UltraSwim Chlorine Removal Shampoo.
Step 5: Continue with your usual shampoo and condition routine. VERY IMPORTANT you must deep condition your hair and make sure to put moisture back into those tresses. I have added a video by Naptural85 demonstrating pre-swimming and post swimming techniques.