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What is Chlorine Removal Shampoo?

By Kerrie Main
Updated: May 21, 2024
Views: 14,465
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Anyone who's ever had his or her hair turn green after swimming in a chlorinated pool can attest that chlorine can be harmful to hair color. While chlorine works to kill bacteria in both swimming pools and drinking water, it can also dry out hair and skin. Many regular users of chlorine swimming pools choose to offset the chemical's aftermath of itchy skin and green-tinted hair by using chlorine removal shampoo.

There are many chlorine removal shampoo manufacturers, but all brands have similar components to counteract the effects of chlorine. One of the major components is sodium thiosulfate, which is a reducing agent that acts as a combiner of chlorine and hypochlorous acid to reverse the damage caused by the swimming pool or over-chlorinated water. Many of these types of shampoos also have citric acid, which helps to block the formation of soap scum in hard water. Swimmers and those who have high chlorine levels in their local water supply typically find a chlorine removal shampoo to be a good hair care choice.

Chlorine removal shampoo acts as a clarifying agent to remove chlorine deposits in the hair, eliminate any green tint, and help prevent further damage. These shampoos also aid in alleviating itchy skin caused by chlorine, and moisturize hair that is often dry after swimming. Some chlorine shampoos also remove salt and styling products, like hair gels. Many users also believe the shampoo helps to prevent sun damage.

Some people are more prone to chlorine hair problems than others. Blonds are typically the victims of the green-tinted hair, because blond hair usually has a thinner hair shaft than other colors. Many blonds highlight and bleach their hair, which also makes it more susceptible to the negative affects of chlorine. When hair has been dried out and damaged from coloring or perms, it usually has the residual chemical of ammonium chloride. This chemical combines with copper ions, resulting in the green coloring.

Many believe that chlorine can be just as easily removed with home remedies, including rinses of cola and lemon juice, baking soda, Alka-Seltzer®, or vinegar. Some believe that by simply rinsing the hair with clean water immediately after leaving the swimming pool, and regularly shampooing and conditioning the hair, no special chlorine removal shampoo is necessary. Everyone has different types of hair, so what works for one person might not be an effective option for another.

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Discussion Comments
By anon949810 — On May 07, 2014

Triswim is much more better than Ultraswim and any other available chlorine-out product.

By anon935524 — On Feb 25, 2014

A different approach which would be more effective would be to use a chlorine remover with a high antioxidant concentration that neutralizes the chemical bond between chlorine and hair/skin that makes it so hard to get the chlorine residue completely off. Swimspray is a product that uses vitamin C.

By anon198260 — On Jul 19, 2011

fantastic sam's has a great chlorine removal shampoo.

By andromeda — On Jun 07, 2011

@Matis- I love UltraSwim Shampoo for chlorine removal. It is great for every hair type. You can use it on color, perms, and lightened hair. It is gentle enough for every day use. It even has conditioners to add moisture back to your hair.

UltraSwim is the shampoo I have used for chlorine removal for as long as I can remember. It does a great job removing that chlorine smell, too.

By liz1103 — On Jun 05, 2011

@Matis- I have tried it all. From home remedies to any brand I could find on the shelf. I have blond hair with highlights. The green tinge from chlorine is not something I find attractive.

In my opinion, the best chlorine removal shampoo is Paul Mitchell Shampoo Three. It is great for getting rid of not just chlorine, but also minerals and other impurities. I don’t know if it is great on colored hair. The bottle does say it is for all hair types.

I also really like Aubrey Organics Swimmer’s Shampoo. It has all natural ingredients. This one is definitely safe for colored hair. It has a Swimmer’s Conditioner to follow with.

Another good option is Bumble and Bumble Sunday Shampoo. It is not a chlorine remover per se, but really works well for me.

By Matis — On Jun 04, 2011

As an avid swimmer, I have tried many different shampoos for chlorine removal. It has been my experience that most of the brands are comparable when they contain the same chlorine removing ingredients. Does anyone prefer a particular shampoo for chlorine removal?

By Andras — On Jun 02, 2011

When I was a kid, we lived in a house with a pool. We had our own method for combating the effects of the chlorine in the water. I would get my hair completely wet with water from the shower and add a light amount of conditioner.

The thought process behind this was that totally saturated hair wouldn’t be able to suck up as much chlorinated water in the pool.

Looking back on this, I bet most of the water and conditioner got rinsed out in the pool while swimming. But, it seemed to work. I never had green hair!

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