Swimming in salty ocean water is not only a refreshing way to cool off that is amazing for your skin, but it also grants you with goddess-like beach waves.... until you try to get a brush through it, and realize your hair is a knotted, brittle mess. Same goes with chlorinated pool water, which has harsh chemicals that damage your hair. This summer, make sure you learn how to care for your hair after swimming so it's not a dry and tangled disarray.
We spoke with Nick Arrojo, celebrity hair stylist and all-around industry icon, to learn why our hair turns into a tangled disaster after we swim. "Both chlorine and salt water dry out the hair and strip away the natural goodness," he tells us. Luckily, you can "take the same after-care approach whether one has been in the pool or the sea."
There are certain precautions you can take before you get in the water, such as rinsing your hair with cold water to seal the pores or covering it with coconut or jojoba oil to form a protective layer that keeps salt and chlorine out, but it's important to take the right hair-care steps after you've swam to make sure you don't do any permanent damage.
Here are Arrojo's tips and product recommendations for keeping your hair shiny, bouncy, and gorgeous this summer, without having to sacrifice your underwater handstands.
1. Choose The Right Shampoo & Conditioner
Arrojo Shine Luxe Shampoo, $24, Arrojo
When washing your hair after a swim, avoid products with harsh chemicals in them. Arrojo recommends using ARROJO SHINE LUXE Shampoo for cleansing; it’s sulfate and paraben-free, so there will be no more stripping away goodness, and uses luxurious and highly moisturizing oils like Macadamia Seed Oil and Grape Seed Oil that quench dryness, add vitality, and create shine.
Arrojo Whipped Treatment, $27, Arrojo
To condition, Arrojo suggests ARROJO Whipped Treatment. Using hydrolyzed keratin, shea butter and olive oil, it’s the richest, most luxurious conditioner and, he says, "a marvel for rejuvenating dried out hair." Both of these products work for color-treated and uncolor-treated hair.
2. Avoid Heat
Arrojo Curl Enhancer, $22, Arrojo
Since the chorine in pool water and the salt in ocean water can dry out your hair, it's important to change up your routine post-swim so you don't exacerbate the damage. Arrojo suggests steering clear of blow-dryers and hot tools to give your locks time to repair themselves. Embrace those natural waves, instead! Just make sure you, at the very least, rinse your hair to get rid of the salt and chemicals.
3. Cover It Up
Arrojo Healing Oil, $26, Arrojo
Another important way to keep your hair from drying out is by keeping it out of the sun. Try a chic hat or headscarf, which are both totally on trend this summer. Or, if a topper isn't your style, coat your strands with a styling product that has UV protection, like ARROJO Healing Oil, before you hit the beach.
Images: AleksandarNakic/E+/Getty Images; Courtesy of ArrojoNYC
