Even if you keep yours short, a day of swimming can wreak havoc on your hair. Yes, swimming under a scorching sun feels refreshing, but it’s actually quite dehydrating (for your hair and skin). Chlorine found in pools and salt from the ocean both strip the hair of its natural oils, stress the scalp and cause all-around dryness. (Sometimes, chlorine can turn lighter hair colors — say blondes or grays — green. I’ve had it happen to me, a blonde. It’s weird.)
The best swimmer shampoos work to remove chlorine and salt and rehydrate the hair and scalp. Plus, they’ll extinguish chlorine’s strange scent. But how do you find one that will work? There are plenty of professions — lifeguards, swim instructors, deep sea divers, dolphin trainers, you get the gist — wherein one’s exposed to water for a prolonged period of time. Swimming as a sport proves ultra-popular, too. And everyone loves lounging near a body of water — no matter whether it’s in your backyard or by the coast. So, are there swimmer-specific shampoos?
Yes. Some of the entries on this list are swimmer-focused offerings, meaning they are, by design, capable of cleansing the hair and scalp of the chemical compounds causing dryness. They also scrub the resides left behind, leaving the hair soft and restored. But, more broadly, clarifying shampoos work, too. They’re an impactful type of shampoo intended for purification. Simply put, they’re capable of — kind of like degreaser dish soaps — doing some deep cleaning: aka cutting through hair styling products, excess grease and other build-up. Typically, you turn to clarifying shampoos in extreme cases. Or, once a week, in tandem with exfoliating your skin. (You shouldn’t do either too often.)
However, busting out the big guns after a day at the pool or on the beach makes perfect sense. They’ll stop the chemicals or crust before they do any serious damage, and get whatever else is stuck up there along the way. These are the best swimmer/chlorine removal/post-pool shampoos you can find. (What you call them is up to you.)
Best Overall Swimmer Shampoo: Aveda Sun Care Hair and Body Cleanser
AmazonSun Care Hair and Body Cleanser
Aveda’s ultra-popular hair and body cleanser uses a corn-derived cleanser, tamanu, sunflower and organic coconut oil, green tea and vitamin E to remove salt, minerals and chlorine from your hair and skin and simultaneously restore moisture and strength. Instructions are the same as any other shampoo: lather into wet hair and then rinse it out.
