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After 25 years of touching up my roots monthly, not coloring my hair has opened up space, time, and energy for more interesting activities, like swimming! However, the pool and the sea are both hard on my hair in unfamiliar, different ways. I’m new to this, but I think gray, untreated hair needs its own special treatment, which may or may not be complicated by swimming and pools and the ocean. Are there any ways to mitigate these harms to the strands?
The damage that your hair is experiencing is down to something very simple: mineral buildup. Chlorine and copper from swimming pools, and salt from the ocean, can make hair dry, brittle, and prone to breakage. Gray hair is already on the coarser side, which is why that drying effect might feel so extreme. (The chlorine won’t change the color of your hair, though, or cause it to develop a green tinge, as you might have read online.)
My solution comes in two steps. Firstly, use a clarifying shampoo at least once per week to break down the buildup of chlorine, copper, and salt on your hair. We like Ouai’s Detox Shampoo, which our beauty columnist Rio Viera-Newton discovered when battling with London’s infamous hard water. It has apple-cider vinegar, which is the gold standard ingredient for cleansing away the buildup of almost anything on the hair. “Even if you’re not incredibly greasy, this shampoo works wonders for giving your hair a deeper cleanse,” she says. “It gets any styling product out of your hair while adding a voluminous effect.”
I’d then incorporate a deeply hydrating shampoo into your routine. From my research, you already know that Malin + Goetz makes my favorite: I think your hair will really appreciate the moisturizing glycerin and the fact that it’s sulfate-free — so it won’t strip away any of your hair’s natural oils.
And if you’re sticking to a budget, Monday’s hydrating shampoo is another solid option.
Also while we’re on the topic, I want to point out that untreated gray hair is more susceptible to UV damage than other hair colors. This could be contributing to the feeling of dryness, so you might want to consider incorporating a product with UV-protection for your hair: My recommendation would be Verb’s Ghost Conditioner. Happy swimming!
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