Water and Hair: How to Protected Your Locks from Environmental Damage Caused by Tap, Pool and Sea Water




If you want to always enjoy healthy, thick and shiny hair, rule number one is to limit its exposure to chlorinated and salted water from the tap, swimming pools, and the sea.


Since hair is able to easily absorb moisture, it also takes in most chemicals dissolved in water and other liquid substances. People in the past used clean rain, river, spring, or well water to drink, wash their hair, or take a bath. If you have an opportunity to obtain fresh water from any of the above sources, by any means take an advantage of this. However, if tap water is your only option for shampooing or taking a shower, make a habit of rinsing your hair afterwards with filtered or boiled water, or a herbal-vinegar rinse, to clean impurities contained in tap water.

Another alternative is to add a handful of baking soda to your regular shampoo or conditioner and use it once a week to protect hair from any damage that might be caused by impure tap water. Baking soda is also a simple yet wonderful folk treatment for dry, frizzy hair.

Remember that chlorine is extremely harmful for the health of your scalp and locks. Regular exposure to chlorine can trigger accumulation of sebum, or natural scalp oil that nourishes and lubricates the hair shafts, inside your hair roots, causing clogging and possible inflammation.

If you like to swim, always apply extra-virgin coconut oil onto your hair and scalp before going to a public pool or if you are about to make your hair wet with salted sea water. Coconut oil will create a protective shield to keep your hair away from environmental damage, solar radiation, and an excessive chlorine, sodium and fluoride exposure which can harm the hair shafts, make your locks brittle, and fade natural (and artificial!) colour of your locks. Coconut oil is also a good defence against hair dryness and harmful bacteria or fungi that can invade the scalp and contribute to hair loss, sebhorrheic dermatitis, and dandruff. And, do not forget to wash your hair after swimming with a natural clarifying shampoo, or at least rinse it with fresh, pure water!

In addition, to prevent mechanical damage, we advise that you should not brush your hair when it is still wet. Let your hair dry naturally first, and then run through it gently with a wooden, wide-teethed comb. Stay away from blow-drying appliances, hot irons, or other styling devices that aggressively manipulate hair shafts and therefore can cause extensive damage to your locks.

Remember these simple tips next time you are enjoying a relaxing summer vacation on a beach or swimming in a public pool. Great-looking locks are easy to maintain – all they need is proper care with natural oils to lubricate, nourish and protect, and pure water to clean and moisturize!

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Christiana Roberts

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Posted on August 30, 2008 
Filed Under Hair Care

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