It’s still summer which means the warm, sunny weather lasts longer. Swimming or simply floating on a raft in the pool is the perfect way to cool off after spending hours having fun in the heat. After a long hot day, having a shower sounds like fun, right? Showers, like pools, have an oxidizing chemical, Chlorine, which is very damaging to skin and hair. So, swimming and showering might relax your mind, but not your body.
Based on freedrinkingwater. com, chlorine is the main chemical used to make our tap water safe for drinking and bathing. In today’s society, it’s normal for people to take a bath every day. If the skin is exposed to chlorine every day it can become irritated. The heat from the shower opens the pores and the chlorine can be absorbed more easily. Chlorine has an oxidizing effect on human skin because it separates hydrogen from water, causing the release of oxygen and hydrogen chloride. These gaseous compounds have been scientifically proven to cause tissue damage in our bodies at the molecular level.
Chlorine attacks the epidermis and strips it of its protective oil which makes the skin dry and cracked. With daily exposure to chlorine in the bathroom over time, premature wrinkles can develop that not even lotions and oils can cure.
To stop the chemicals from drying out and permanently damaging your skin, start taking chlorine-free showers.Smartskincare. com advise us to avoid using hot water and to clean the skin more than once a day.
The blog Realizebeauty says, “Replacing lost moisture is a good thing but getting waterlogged is another. Once your skin has too much water in it, the barrier function of the skin is compromised which means it can start letting stuff in that you might not want. In addition, it can also release the things you want such as the skin’s natural moisturizing factor. These two factors will make your skin drier!”
The L’Oreal company did research and says sunlight may be less damaging to hair than water. :
“This especially accentuates the negative effects of sunlight, another hair enemy. Melanin degradation is encouraged and sun-related decolorization is increased. Keratin itself is altered, making hair brittle and easily damaged.”
Hair absorbs water without saturating it when showering or swimming. It needs water vapor, which is all the time present in the air to a greater or lesser extent. This is why hair is so unruly in damp weather.
NaturallyCurly reports that “While we all need moisture in our hair to be healthy, water can also be very damaging to your hair. In fact, the more damaged your hair is, the more water will damage it.”
When hair is wet, it absorbs some of the water and the weight of the water causes the tensile strength (ability to be pulled or stretched) to be lost. Because of this shedding when wet hair is brushed, hair can be more prone to breakage and frizz.
Tips to Prevent Damage:
To solve this problem, use a conditioner with skid properties to help detangle. Gently brushing wet hair will help keep it healthy but won’t stop damage. Wet hair can even cause swelling in the hair and then result in uneven shrinkage as it dries or evaporates. This can cause hair follicles to tire and break under stress. Healing this sort of damage can be done with the fatty acids contained in coconut oil.
Umbrellaproduct.com sells water protectant cleansing treatments for hair. Four different products are sold raincoat, drizzle, heavy rain, and soaking. Their “Primer (Pre-Cleansing Waterproofing Gel)” coats the hair and skin to protect it from the damaging effects of follicles or Hygral Fatigue. “Umbrella Gel Cleanser” is formulated with polymers and natural organic Coconut Oil to block and repel water during a foaming experience. Hair becomes less wetter so it dries in less time, while drastically reducing the damaging effects of water. Umbrella products aren’t only good for your hair (and skincare coming soon), they’re also good for the environment and animals. Their brand promise is “UMBRELLAS uses pure organic, natural ingredients wherever possible without compromising science. We are not an organic brand. We are a pure brand. ‘everything in the world is poison – depending on the dose’.”
