How to Remove Chlorine From Color Treated Hair

Smiling woman sitting in swimming pool

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Before you take a dip in the pool this summer, don't forget to protect your tresses from the bacteria-killing chemicals lurking beneath the water's surface. It's true: A pool filled with chlorine can be harsh on your hair, especially if your hair is color treated. This color-lifting agent and pool water treatment can turn blond hair green and make every hair color look dull and dried-out. To remove chlorine that has already been deposited, use products designed to rid hair of chemicals and impurities.

Rinse out your hair with club soda immediately after swimming in a chlorinated pool. Cosmopolitan magazine notes that this is a more effective way of removing chlorine than rinsing hair with tap water.

Wash your hair with a clarifying shampoo to get rid of deposited chlorine. Elle magazine recommends a shampoo that contains essential oils and botanical extracts, as well as vinegar. This shampoo claims to clean your hair and remove any residue, while also softening and strengthening it. It promises to be safe for every hair type, including hair that is color treated. Use this shampoo once a day until all of the chlorine has been removed from your hair, and then switch to using it every other day. This will prevent more chlorine from being deposited on your strands, while also helping to preserve your hair color.

Spray your hair all over while it is still damp with a hydrating spray. This will protect your color treated hair from the damaging and drying effects caused by chlorine, the sun and other environmental factors, according to Cosmopolitan.

Apply a deep conditioner designed for color-treated hair once a week to prevent the fading that chlorine can cause. Cosmopolitan recommends a conditioning gloss that promises to make your hair color look healthier and last longer, as well as help to preserve it between visits to your colorist. Apply this conditioner from your hair’s roots to its ends, and then rinse thoroughly.