Athlete Approved Guide to Chlorine Removing Shampoo

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Swimming is a great way to stay fit and reduce stress. However, swimming in chlorinated water can make your hair feel dry, brittle, and lose its natural sheen.

To keep your hair looking its best between swims, use chlorine removing shampoo. Chlorine removing shampoos are specially formulated with ingredients that will remove chlorine molecules from your hair.

If you’re looking for an effective way to stop the negative effects of chlorine on your hair, then this guide is for you.

Our Athlete Approved Guide to Chlorine Removing Shampoo includes:

Best Overall Chlorine Removing Shampoo: UltraSwim Chlorine Removal Shampoo

Swimmers know that UltraSwim Chlorine Removal Shampoo is an industry leading shampoo that removes chlorine and chlorine odor from hair. Safe for use on all types of hair, lather up after each swim for a healthy head of hair.

UltraSwim shampoo is designed specifically with pool-goers in mind: it’s tough on chlorine, but gentle enough not to damage colored, permed, or chemically treated hair.

This shampoo contains natural ingredients that will nourish and condition your hair. It has humectants, moisturizers, aloe, and vitamin E.

Pair this shampoo with UltraSwim Conditioner to help rebuild and repair your chlorine-exposed hair. This nourishing formula restores moisture and split ends, leaving you feeling like a brand new swimmer!

Pros:

  • Proven – Industry leading shampoo and conditioner for swimmers
  • Designed for Swimmers Tough on chlorine, but gentle on hair
  • Conditioner – Pair it with conditioner for the best repair

Cons:

  • Bottle – The bottle can be prone to spilling/opening if it is not cared for properly

Best Chlorine Removing Shampoo with Full Line: Triswim Chlorine Removal Swimmers Shampoo

Leave damaging pool chemicals behind with Triswim Chlorine Removal Swimmers Shampoo. Its unique formula removes chlorinate, salt water, and other hard water minerals from hair.

This product is made for swimmers. It works wonders thanks to a combination of chlorine and saltwater removing properties with salon quality blends consisting of vitamins, botanicals, Keratin, and proteins.

Swimmers love that Triswim offers a full line:

  • Shampoo: Removes harmful chemicals and minerals for healthy hair
  • Conditioner: Moisturize, soothe, and heal hair to leave it healthy and shiny
  • Body Wash: Clean from head to toe while hydrating skin
  • Lotion: Enriched with aloe vera, provitamin B5, and delivers trails of mango and lime which appeal to men, women, and children

This product line is the Official Swimmers’ Hair & Skin Care product for US Masters Swimming.

If you want your hair and skin to be healthy and hydrated, then try Triswim!

Pros:

  • Full Line – Triswim makes a full line of shampoo, conditioner, body wash, and lotion
  • Formula The unique formula removes chlorine an other harmful chemicals from swimming
  • Scent – Lime and mango smell that appeals to everyone

Cons:

  • Green Hair Restoration – Not as effective at removing the green tint from hair as other options on our list

Best Multi Purpose Chlorine Removing Shampoo: Paul Mitchell Shampoo Three

Keeping your hair healthy is easy when you wash it with Paul Mitchell Shampoo Three! This shampoo is great for swimmers and non-swimmers alike, making it our top multi purpose shampoo.

It works to remove chlorine, iron, and minerals in order to keep hair healthy. It is also great for days you do not hit the pool.

This clarifying shampoo will deep clean your hair, so you can keep it soft and silky smooth! Your hair will feel stronger when using this product. You won’t need to worry about buildup or the dreaded green tinted swimmer hair!

Keep swimming and know that your hair has been taken care of with this chlorine removing shampoo!

Pros:

  • Trusted Brand – The Paul Mitchell is an industry leader in shampoo
  • Healthy Hair Removes chlorine, iron, and minerals for healthy hair
  • Fast Acting – Swimmers will quickly see a difference after only a few uses

Cons:

  • Niche Product – Can be hard to find

Best Green-Tint-Removing Chlorine Removing Shampoo: Malibu C Swimmers Wellness Collection

The Malibu C Swimmers Wellness Collection includes shampoo, conditioner, and four remedy packets to keep hair looking great all the time. This is our top choice for removing the dreaded green tinted swimmer hair.

This gentle and restorative system nourishes and strengthens while preventing damage and discoloration caused by exposure to pool, spa or ocean water. It naturally removes damaging mineral deposits for beautiful looking hair!

The Malibu C Wellness packets will help to detoxify and refresh your hair. Protecting your hair is easy with these handy packets that should be used weekly.

The potent antioxidant ingredients have moisturizing qualities while nourishing vitamins provide protection from future buildup. With enhanced gloss and texture thanks to the proprietary ingredients in this exclusive Malibu C Swimmers Wellness Collection, getting great hair again is made easy!

Pros:

  • Collection – Comes with shampoo, conditioner, and remedy packets
  • Restorative The system nourishes and strengthens while preventing damage and discoloration
  • Green Removal – The wellness remedy crystals are the key to removing green

Cons:

  • Extra Step – Includes one extra step of using the crystals for up to five minutes, but is well worth the wait

Best Kid’s Chlorine Removing Shampoo: Fairy Tales Swim Shampoo for Kids

Fairy Tales Swim Shampoo for Kids has your little one’s hair covered. This Swim Shampoo for Kids is made with the natural ingredients your child needs to have healthy, shiny hair.

It takes care of chlorine green and other minerals that can damage your kids’ hair. In addition, this shampoo has a refreshing citrus scent which will eliminate any lingering smells from the pool or ocean.

It is one of the most safe, gentle shampoos on the market for those who want to avoid any harsh chemicals or toxins. It is free from sulfate, paraben, phthalate, gluten, soy, dairy and nut.

Pros:

  • Made For Children – One of the most safe, gentle shampoos for swimming
  • Repairing Starts restoring brittle and dry hair after one use
  • Smells Great – Parents rave about the refreshing citrus scent

Cons:

  • Best Used as Pair – Works best when paired as shampoo and conditioner

What Is Chlorine and How Does It Affect Hair?

Chlorine is a highly effective chemical used in pools to disinfect the water. It protects swimmers by killing bacteria and other organisms that may make you sick.

While it is an essential chemical for swimming, it does have its downsides too.

Chlorine can irritate skin, cause dryness, itchiness, and red eyes. It can also make your hair look duller than usual, especially if you swim regularly.

Many swimmers have experienced hair that is both dry and brittle after swimming in a chlorinated pool. Chlorine can be damaging to your hair, but you can protect it from the harsh chemical with shampoos designed to remove chlorine.

Why Does Chlorine Turn Hair Green?

Chlorine isn’t the only culprit when it comes to the infamous swimmer green tinted hair. Cooper and other metals oxidize when mixed with chlorine, turning your hair an unpleasant shade of green!

Hair is naturally porous, which is why it easily catches these oxidized substances. This most frequently happens to blonde hair, since it has the lightest hue.

While blondes show the swimmer green tint the most, other shades of hair can still get damaged.

swimmer hair

If you are hitting the pool only from time to time, there is nothing to worry about here. The swimmer green will only happen to blonde swimmers who frequent pools and do not follow the below care steps!

Hair Care Tips For Swimmers

Swimmers have a unique hair care challenge. They are constantly exposing their hair to harmful chemicals, which can cause hair to become dry and brittle.

The good news is that there are some things swimmers can do to make sure they’re taking good care of their hair.

  1. Use #AthleteApproved chlorine removing shampoo!
  2. Give your hair a pre-rinse in the shower before you start your swim. This will cut down on the amount of water your hair can soak up, making it partially waterproof.
  3. Wear a swim cap to reduce the amount of exposure chlorine has on your hair.
The Best Caps for Swimming

What Are The Best Chlorine Removal Shampoos?

Chlorine is a chemical used to disinfect water, and it can dry out your hair and strip away its natural oils. This can leave your hair feeling brittle, frizzy, and lifeless.

Luckily, we have chlorine removal shampoos that are designed to remove chlorine from your hair after swimming. After decades of experience, we put together this list of the best shampoos for swimmers.

Chlorine removal shampoos help restore moisture and shine to your hair, and they can also protect against future damage.

When choosing a chlorine removal shampoo, look for one that is sulfate-free and contains natural ingredients. Bonus points if it has a great smell and proven track record like the picks in this article.

Whatever shampoo you choose, be sure to follow the directions on the bottle for best results.

How Do I Use A Chlorine Removal Shampoo?

To use a chlorine removal shampoo, simply wet your hair and apply the shampoo. Massage it into your scalp. After a few minutes, rinse throughly.

It is best to follow up with conditioner. Ideally it is a conditioner designed to also assist in the chlorine removal process.

For best results, use a chlorine removal shampoo every time you swim.

This is simple, no need to overthink this!

Conclusion

We all love swimming, but chlorine is harmful to your hair… To keep your hair looking its best, use chlorine removing shampoo.

Chlorine removing shampoos are specially formulated with ingredients that will remove chlorine from your hair.

If you’re looking for an effective way to stop the negative effects of chlorine on your hair, then this Athlete Approved guide is for you.

Let us know if you agree with our Athlete Approved picks for chlorine removing shampoo in our comments and on social media!

*Equip yourself for success with our Athlete Approved Guide to Lap Swimming Equipment!*

3 Comments

  1. Is the Paul Mitchell shampoo better than the one from Malibu C? We often swim in our pool and we’d like something that would last us for more than just a couple of weeks.

    • Hi Pearl- We think both are great options. Paul Mitchell is best as an overall multi purpose option. Malibu C is best if you are looking to go the extra mile and use an entire kit to remove chlorine.

  2. I don’t swim but where I live has a very high chlorine content in the city-treated water and is very hard with a high iron and lime content. I have used the Paul Mitchell #3, Ultraswim and the Malibu C. Paul Mitchell is a chelating shampoo that binds to these minerals and pulls them out. It is also the most stripping of the bunch. Your hair will be taken to a totally naked state after one thorough wash which is hard on dry or fragile, porous hair. My hairdresser used the Malibu C on me with her soft/purified water system at the salon. Made my hair feel 100% better. Pretty expensive though. Ultraswim is far more gentle. I use it at home with a shower filter twice a week. My fragile hair feels clean but not stripped and very soft.


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