Swimming and natural hair – let’s be honest, it can play havoc with your locks. Chlorine and saltwater can be extremely drying to afro hair, which can lead to a multitude of issues such as damaged hair and breakage. This is why it’s so important to make sure you're using the right hair products as it is to make sure you are wearing a swim cap to protect your hair while swimming.
Making sure that your hair is washed and conditioned regularly and moisturised will help prevent breakage and keep your hair strong. Read on for how to best look after your kinky, coily or curly hair with the help of our ultimate guide (it’s jam packed with practical pre-and-post swimming tips!).
And don't forget to watch our latest YouTube video featuring Alice Dearing (one of the top marathon swimmers in Britain). Alice swims around 10 times a week, shares how she uses the Afrocenchix Wash Day Set to keep her afro hair healthy.
1. Invest In A Quality Swimming Cap
Make sure you shop around and find a swimming cap that snuggly fits all of your hair. Brands like Soul Cap are a great option as they have been designed for those with dreadlocks, weaves, hair extensions, braids, and thick and curly hair.
2. Saturate Your Strands Before Hitting The Water
Ok, we know that with everything going on you might not be heading to beach or to the pool. But if you are it’s best to drench your hair with clean water or our moisturising spray, Sheen, this way it won't absorb as much saltwater or chemicals from the pool. It's also a good idea to try to rinse your hair post swim, we suggest keeping a bottle of water or a spray bottle filled with fresh water in case you aren’t able to head to a shower immediately.
3. Pick The Perfect Hairstyle
Make putting on your swimming cap easier by picking the perfect hairstyle. Yes, a high puff is easy to do but it will make putting on your swimming cap a little difficult. We love chunky twists and braids, flat twists or cornrows. Plus, it’ll make doing your post swimming hair care easier. Trust us, putting your hair into chunky twists will make it easier to wash after your swim as it’ll already be sectioned.
4. Don’t Forget To Rinse Your Hair
Make sure that after every swim that you rinse your hair so that you can get rid of the majority of the chlorine or saltwater in your hair. After rinsing your hair, using a sulphate-free shampoo such as Swish, which is ideal as it will gently cleanse your hair and scalp without stripping it of moisture.
5. Make Conditioner Your BFF
Post swimming you’ll want soft, strong and moisturised hair that is easy to detangle, right? This is why you need to make conditioner your best friend after you’ve cleansed your hair.
Swirl, our silicone-free, vegan conditioner delivers ultimate slip for easy detangling and conditioning without any chemical nasties. The best part is that you can use the slip to detangle your hair, which will make things so much easier, trust us!
6. Lock In Moisture Post Swim
Let’s be honest, at the best of times natural curly, afro hair is prone to dryness, especially, let alone if you’ve been swimming!
We recommend Using the LOC method of layering moisturising products and oils is a great way to protect against this. After cleansing follow up with a Lotion, Oil and Cream (LOC) is the best way to keep your hair looking and feeling great post swimming.
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