THE SWIMFRESH JOURNAL · LITTLE SWIMMERS, HAPPY HAIR
Less fuss over swimming-day hair.
Fresh-water rinses, comfortable caps and gentle detangling: build a routine you can repeat.
Swimming lessons, holiday pools and family swim days are brilliant for children. But if your little swimmer is in chlorinated water regularly, you may have noticed their hair feeling a little different afterwards.
Dryness, tangles, that familiar swimming-pool smell and hair that feels rougher than usual can all become part of the weekly swimming routine. If the smell is what follows everyone into the car, this explains why the chlorine smell can linger after swimming.
The good news is that looking after children’s hair around swimming doesn’t need to involve a cupboard full of specialist products.
A few simple habits before and after swimming can make pool days much easier. For the wider habit, see this complete pre-swim routine for kids.
What Does Chlorine Do to Hair?
Chlorine is used in swimming pools for an important reason: it helps keep shared pool water hygienic.
But repeated exposure to chlorinated water can remove some of the natural oils that help protect the hair shaft. For frequent swimmers, this can leave hair feeling drier, rougher, duller or more prone to tangling and breakage.
Children who swim once occasionally may barely notice a difference.
Children attending lessons every week, training regularly or spending hours in holiday pools may notice it much more.
That’s why a simple pre-swim hair routine can be useful.
Start Looking After Hair Before They Enter the Pool
Most families think about hair care after swimming.
Shampoo. Conditioner. Detangling.
But some useful steps can happen before your child even gets into the water.
1. Wet Hair With Fresh Water
If facilities allow, rinsing your child’s hair with fresh water before entering the pool is a simple place to start.
Hair that is already wet with fresh water may absorb less chlorinated pool water than completely dry hair.
It only takes a moment and can easily become part of getting ready for the lesson.
2. Use Your Pre-Swim Routine
This is where SwimFresh™ fits in.
SwimFresh is designed to be applied to exposed skin and hair around 15 minutes before swimming.
Its simple formula contains:
Aqua, Sodium Ascorbate, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract and Ferulic Acid.
Sodium ascorbate is a form of Vitamin C that reacts with chlorine. There is a plain-language note on how Vitamin C interacts with chlorine.
Rather than waiting until your child gets out of the pool, SwimFresh is designed to become part of the routine beforehand.
Spray. Dry. Swim.
Lightly mist the hair and exposed skin, allow it to dry naturally for around 15 minutes, and then swim as usual.
Should Children Wear a Swimming Cap?
For regular swimmers, a comfortable swimming cap can also help reduce the amount of pool water coming into direct contact with the hair.
It won’t necessarily keep every strand completely dry, but it adds another practical layer for children who are swimming frequently. Dermatologists also recommend swim caps as one way of reducing chlorine exposure to hair.
Of course, plenty of younger children absolutely refuse to wear one.
And that’s okay.
A swimming routine needs to work in the real world.
What About Long Hair?
Long hair can become especially tangled after swimming.
Before the lesson, try a loose plait, braid or another comfortable style that keeps the hair together without pulling tightly at the scalp.
Avoid extremely tight ponytails or styles that place unnecessary tension on the hair.
The aim is simply to stop long hair becoming one enormous chlorine-scented knot by the time you reach the changing room.
What Should You Do After Swimming?
SwimFresh is a pre-swim product, so there is no need to spray it again after the lesson.
After swimming, the routine changes.
Rinse With Fresh Water
Rinse the hair thoroughly when possible.
Removing pool water sooner rather than leaving it drying naturally in the hair is particularly useful for regular swimmers. Dermatologists recommend rinsing pool chemicals from children's hair after swimming.
Shampoo When Needed
How often children need shampoo depends on their age, activity level and hair type.
A child who swims frequently may need their hair washed more often than a child who rarely gets it wet, while children with very dry or curly hair may need a different routine.
There doesn’t have to be one rule for every child.
Use Conditioner
If swimming leaves the hair dry or tangled, a gentle conditioner can make combing much easier.
This can be particularly helpful for long, curly or naturally dry hair.
Be Gentle With Wet Hair
Wet hair is easier to damage, so avoid aggressive towel rubbing or dragging a brush through knots.
Gently squeeze or wrap the hair in a towel, then detangle carefully.
A wide-tooth comb can be particularly useful.
What About the Green Hair Swimming Myth?
This one gets blamed on chlorine all the time.
But chlorine itself isn't usually what gives light-coloured hair that famous swimming-pool green tint.
Copper and other metals present in pool water can contribute to the discolouration, particularly in lighter, bleached or chemically treated hair.
Chlorinated pool conditions can still contribute to the overall process, but blaming chlorine alone is an oversimplification.
A Simple Kids’ Pre-Swim Hair Routine
You don't need to make swimming-night preparation complicated.
Try this:
Before swimming
- Pack the swimming bag before leaving home. A kids' swimming bag checklist keeps that part simple.
- Gently brush or detangle the hair.
- Tie long hair loosely if needed.
- Wet the hair with fresh water where practical.
- Lightly mist SwimFresh over the hair and exposed skin around 15 minutes before swimming.
- Allow it to dry naturally.
- Put on a swimming cap if your child uses one.
- Swim.
After swimming
- Rinse the hair with fresh water.
- Shampoo when appropriate for your child's hair type and routine.
- Condition if needed.
- Gently towel dry rather than rubbing.
- Detangle carefully.
Simple routines tend to be the routines families actually stick to.
What About Swimming on Holiday?
Holiday swimming can be very different from one weekly lesson.
Suddenly a child who normally swims for 30 minutes once a week is jumping into a pool morning, afternoon and evening.
That repeated exposure is exactly when having a routine becomes useful.
Keep SwimFresh with the sunscreen and swimming kit rather than buried at the bottom of a suitcase.
Before heading to the pool:
Spray. Dry. Swim.
Afterwards, rinse the hair and let it recover between pool sessions.
No complicated ten-product holiday hair routine required.
The Bottom Line
Swimming is supposed to be fun.
Chlorine plays an important role in keeping swimming pools hygienic, but frequent pool exposure can leave children's hair feeling dry, rough or tangled.
The answer isn't avoiding swimming.
It's simply making hair care part of the swimming routine.
Prepare before the pool.
Rinse afterwards.
Be gentle with wet hair.
And for families using SwimFresh, remember that its place in that routine is before swimming.
Less Chlorine. More Splashing.
SwimFresh™ is a simple pre-swim spray for children's skin and hair. Apply around 15 minutes before swimming, allow it to dry naturally, then let them get on with the important part: swimming.
Shop SwimFresh 250ml
YOUR PRE-SWIM STEP
Spray. Dry. Swim.
Explore SwimFresh 250ml for children’s skin and hair. Use before swimming, allow around 15 minutes to dry naturally, then rinse or shower as usual afterwards.
Explore SwimFresh 250ml