How to Prevent Red Eyes, Dry Skin, and Green Hair from Swimming

With the promise of long summer days just around the corner, talking about the downsides of swimming pool chemicals is no fun. The pool chemicals that keep our water safe to swim in and enjoy can wreak havoc on your eyes, hair, and skin. Don’t get me wrong; the benefits of pool chemicals far outweigh the negatives of disease transmission. But there are easy ways to prevent dry skin, red eyes, green hair, and cough that can occur after hours of swimming in the pool.

Dry skin

Professional swimmers spend hours every day in the pool. They know better than anyone that chlorine stays on your skin even after a shower. Luckily, science has an answer for removing that chlorine smell. Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) neutralizes chlorine when applied topically.

For swimmers, fill a spray bottle with one teaspoon of powdered vitamin C dissolved in two cups filtered water, or buy a pre-made spray like Swim Spray online. After swimming, spray hair and skin thoroughly with the vitamin C solution before you rinse off in the shower.  

Red eyes

Pool water can be hard on your eyes, and even the cleanest pool contains floating debris and chemicals. Every splash washes away your natural tears and exposes eyes to irritating chlorine, leaving swimmers with red, itchy, and uncomfortable peepers. Swim goggles allow you to open your eyes underwater comfortably without exposing them to dirt, chlorine, or worse. The American Academy of Ophthalmology recommends wearing goggles to protect your eyes every time you swim.

Finding watertight goggles that form a seal with easy-to-adjust straps that stay on while kids splash, play, and laugh can be tough. That’s why Frogglez revolutionary strap is so popular with kids and parents. The soft neoprene strap attaches to almost any swim goggles and helps keep them from leaking. Keeping pool water out of eyes is the best way to prevent irritation.

Green hair

Chlorine and other pool chemicals can cause all kinds of hair damage. If you swim for hours at a time, you could leave the pool with crunchy, damaged, or green hair! The single best prevention for all of these outcomes is to soak your hair with clean water before entering the pool. Saturated hair can’t absorb as much chlorinated water. Apply a conditioning spray as a barrier to absorption and protect hair further.

Always rinse your hair with clean water as soon as you exit the pool. The less time you allow the chlorine to stay on your hair, the less opportunity you give it to cause damage.

The chlorine cough

Do you ignore the pool signs that say you have to rinse off in the shower before entering the pool? Many people do. It turns out that rinsing off before swimming is one of the most important things you can do to keep the pool from generating chloramines – those vapors that make the pool smell.

Indoor swimming can cause more respiratory and distress than outdoor pools because the chloramines can hover just above the water if not vented properly. To combat this, many swim schools use high-tech UV equipment to limit the amount of chlorine. Ask your swim instructor or swim school what equipment and chemicals they use so you can limit the chemical exposure for your swimmer.

Keeping cool

There's no reason to ruin summer fun by steering clear of swimming pools! Incorporate a few extra showers and a good pair of goggles, and you can avoid most of the discomfort caused by long hours in the pool.

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