What Chlorine & Salt Water Can Do to Your Hair

The Greaux Girl™ Educational Blog

Volume 1 • Issue 3

June • Week 3

📖 Cover Story

Pool Days & Healthy Hair

Summer and swimming just go together.

Pool days. Beach trips. Vacations. Water parks. Long afternoons in the sun.

But for textured hair, all that fun can come with a few extra challenges.

Chlorinated pool water and salt water can leave curls and coils feeling:

• dry
• rough
• tangled
• brittle
• dull
• harder to manage

That does not mean you have to avoid the water.

It simply means your hair may need a little more preparation before swimming—and a little more care afterward.

The goal is not to keep textured hair perfectly untouched all summer.

The goal is to enjoy your life without neglecting your crown.

🔬 Education

What Chlorine & Salt Water Can Do to Your Hair

Hair absorbs water.

That includes the water you want—and the water you may not necessarily want soaking deeply into your strands.

Pool water commonly contains chlorine, which is used to keep the water sanitary. Repeated exposure can leave hair feeling dry or rough, especially when the strands are already fragile, porous, chemically treated, color-treated, or prone to breakage.

Salt water creates a different challenge.

As salt water evaporates from the hair, it can contribute to a dry, stiff feeling and increased tangling.

Then add:

• direct sun
• wind
• friction from towels
• repeated wetting and drying
• tight hairstyles

…and your hair may be dealing with quite a bit by the end of a summer day.

Textured hair can be especially vulnerable because the bends and curves in the strand naturally make it more difficult for scalp oils to travel down the entire hair shaft.

That is why prevention and recovery both matter.

🌿 Botanical Spotlight

Hibiscus

Hibiscus is one of those botanicals that looks beautiful and brings plenty of botanical character to hair care.

The flower contains naturally occurring plant compounds, including antioxidants and organic acids, and has a long history of use in traditional hair preparations.

In modern formulations, hibiscus is often included in products designed to support:

• softness
• conditioning
• shine
• manageability
• botanical scalp and hair care

Its mucilage-like plant components can also contribute to slip in certain preparations, which can be especially useful when working with curls and coils that tangle easily.

Greaux Girl Note:
Botanicals work best as part of a complete routine.

A beautiful ingredient cannot replace cleansing, conditioning, moisture, gentle handling, and protection.

⭐ Crown Review

“My Hair Felt Like Straw After the Pool.”

This is one of those summer hair moments many people know too well.

You spend the day swimming.

Everything feels fine.

Then your hair dries.

And suddenly your curls feel completely different.

Rough.

Tangled.

Stiff.

Sometimes the first instinct is to cover the dryness with more oil.

But post-swim hair often needs something else first:

a proper rinse, cleansing when needed, and moisture.

Once the residue is removed and hydration is restored, the hair can feel much more like itself again.

The takeaway?

Don’t wait several days hoping your hair will “bounce back” after repeated exposure.

Give it care sooner rather than later.

💡 Crown Tip

Wet Your Hair Before You Swim

One of the simplest summer hair habits is also one of the easiest to overlook.

Before entering a pool or ocean:

saturate your hair with clean water first.

Think of your hair like a sponge.

If the strand is already wet, it may take up less pool or salt water than completely dry hair would.

After wetting your hair, you can apply a light leave-in conditioner if your hair responds well to one.

If appropriate for your style, place your hair in a loose braid, twists, or another low-manipulation style before swimming.

And if you use a swim cap?

Even better.

Just remember: most swim caps reduce exposure—they do not always keep every strand completely dry.

📚 Did You Know?

Your hair can become more vulnerable when it repeatedly goes through cycles of:

wet → swell → dry → contract.

Frequent swelling and drying can place stress on the hair fiber over time, especially when combined with rough handling and tangling.

That is another reason why gentle detangling and proper conditioning matter after swimming.

And here’s the summer rule worth remembering:

Don’t leave chlorine, salt, and tangles sitting in your hair longer than necessary.

Your post-swim routine matters too.

💬 Quote of the Week

“Enjoy the summer. Just don’t leave your crown out of the plans.”

🤎 Commit to Your Crown™

You don’t have to choose between healthy hair and enjoying summer.

Go swimming.

Take the vacation.

Sit by the pool.

Walk the beach.

Enjoy your life.

Just build crown care into the plan.

Before swimming:

Wet. Protect. Secure.

After swimming:

Rinse. Cleanse when needed. Condition. Moisturize.

And most importantly, handle wet hair gently.ut

Healthy hair isn’t about keeping your strands away from every possible challenge.

It’s about learning how to care for them through real life.

Commit to Your Crown™ 👑

Coming Next Week…

Summer Moisture Without the Grease

If your hair feels dry in the summer, adding heavier and heavier products may seem like the answer.

But too much product can leave curls coated, limp, and weighed down.

Next week, we’ll talk about how to keep textured hair soft and moisturized during hot weather—without turning your crown into an oil slick. 😭

The Greaux Girl™ Educational Blog
Healthy hair starts with understanding your hair.