Image by @Doug88888
By Malissa, Contributing Writer
Summer is upon us in full swing. There is one questing that emerges in my home daily – “Mommy, can we go to the pool?” As this question is asked of me with increasing frequency, I decided to do a little reading on pools and the chlorine they are loaded with to keep them clean. Such a strong smelling chemical – known to cause skin rashes, red irritated eyes, and dry skin – is harmful with prolonged exposure. Here are 3 tips I found in to help protect your skin from that refreshing chemical dip.
3 Simple Ways to Protect Your Skin from the Pool
Swim Outside
Your best choice for swimming is a body of water without chlorine. Swimming in the ocean, a lake, or river provides the opportunity to swim without the inclusion of chemicals. Salt water pools are also a good choice due to their lack of chemical and their more “natural” water base.
Indoor pools should be with limited exposure if possible. Indoor pools not only surround you in chemicals while you are in the water, but the vapors are much more concentrated. Even with proper ventilation, the chemical vapors created by the chlorine stay closer to the surface of the water than they would in an outdoor pool. Inhaling those chemical can irritate the lining of your lungs and make conditions such as asthma worse.
Rinse, Repeat
Rinse yourself in a shower before getting into a pool. Placing water on your skin before entering a pool will provide a barrier to the chemicals that your skin will absorb. Continued rinsing during exposure will remove some of the chlorine sitting on and in your pores. Once your have finished swimming for the day, rinse again upon exiting the pool and then shower with soap. Removing as much chlorine as you can from your skin will help prevent any ill effects on your skin and help prevent dryness. Using a moisturizer after showering can also help any dryness that may occur on your skin.
Vitamin C
Chlorine is an oxidizing agent. Vitamin C is a de-oxidizer and sprayed topically or taken internally can guard against the ill effects caused by chlorine. You can make your own spray by dissolving vitamin C into filtered water and then spraying on your skin and gently rubbing it in. There are also Vitamin C sprays available to purchase. Using a spray after rinsing in clean water will help provide a strong barrier to chlorine as you enter the pool.
Limited Exposure is Key
As with most activities, exercising judgment and exposure in moderation is key. I know I can”t avoid the pool this summer. I can, however, rinse us, spray us all down and limit our trips and exposure time to our neighborhood pool. I can also make a shower and bath when we get home all part of the fun. Enjoy your pool time with your family and safeguard where you can!
Do you pit vitamin c spray before AND after swimming? Or just before?
Following, I do aqua aerobics twice a week. Am interested to know how to do the vitamin C spray. I take Meta Zinc and C in powdered form each day. This is already part of my daily routine so it’s easy.,
I’m curious to know about long-term ill effects of chlorine exposure from pools. I worked in aquatics for 6 years with almost 7 days a week exposure to chlorinated water. Is there any information on detoxing a high chemical load from this and where I could find information on the ill effects? I haven’t found much on my own.