If you notice your hair or skin tends to feel more dry after swimming at the pool, it is likely because of chlorine. Dr. Jennifer Lucas of the Cleveland Clinic explains how chlorine affects your body.
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00:00Chlorine is a great product for your pool because it helps disinfect it, right?
00:04So it keeps bacterial counts down, it keeps it looking, you know,
00:08clearer and better for when you swim in it and keeping it more sanitary.
00:12The problem is that it's also very drying.
00:14And so the biggest thing with your hair and your skin
00:18is that they're going to get dried out from going into the pool.
00:22Dr. Lucas says that dryness can also cause irritant contact dermatitis,
00:26which is a type of rash on the skin.
00:29As for your hair, chlorine can strip it of natural oils, making it more brittle.
00:34The same goes for your nails and eyes too.
00:37So what can you do to help with these kinds of issues?
00:40Dr. Lucas suggests getting your hair and skin wet before going in the water.
00:45This way they won't absorb as much of the chlorine.
00:47You could also use a protective hair mask, which is like a leave-in conditioner.
00:52Swimming caps and goggles are another option.
00:55Finally, when you're done, it's important to take a shower.
00:58While that chlorine's on you, you don't want it to sit and continue to cause irritation.
01:02So you want to get in, take a shower, use a gentle cleanser to,
01:06you know, get that pool water off of you.
01:08And then moisturizing is really important.
01:10So all that oil that you've just stripped off your skin, you want to put back on.
01:15So especially with products that have ceramides in them or alpha hydroxy acids,
01:20these are good products to put back on your skin to minimize the irritation and the dryness.