It's the perfect season to take your kids to the beach or pool. While it's fun to splash around and have fun at the pool, your child's hair could turn green if you're not careful. But what causes green pool hair?

People think chlorine causes green hair, but chlorine itself is not the culprit. This sanitizing agent oxidizes with other chemicals in both salt and fresh pool water, like manganese, copper, and iron, to keep the pool safe for swimming. While this oxidation protects you against microorganisms, it adversely affects your hair color.

When chlorine combines with the mineral build-up on your hair, it leaves a residue that adheres to hair proteins, causing a greenish undertone. This green color is more prominent in blonde, grey, and light-colored hair because the oxidized minerals are more visible. While dark-colored and brunette hair absorbs these minerals as lighter hair does, the green tone isn't as glaring. If your child's hair has turned green from the pool, or you'd like to prevent that from happening, we have the answers you seek!

Home Remedies for Kid’s Green Pool Hair

With a couple of household ingredients, you can reverse the green tone in your toddler's hair. Here's how.

Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV)

Apple cider vinegar seals the hair cuticle and prevents copper from adhering to hair strands pre-swim. ACV also chelates the chemical residue on your child's hair, effectively reversing green pool hair. To use:

• Pour ¼ cup ACV on hair while in the shower.
• Work into the scalp and roots and continue down your toddler's hair.
• Rinse out with warm water only, don't use a kids' swim shampoo.
• Follow up with a kids' swim conditioner to remove the strong sour smell.

Baking Soda

Aside from helping your fridge smell clean and making your cookies rise, baking soda can also help fix green pool hair.

• Mix ¼ to ½ cup baking soda with water to form a thick consistency.
• Dampen hair and work the product into the scalp and continue to the ends of the hair.
• Allow to sit for a minute and rinse with warm water.
• Proceed with a kids' swim shampoo and conditioner.

It works just as well if you add it to your kids' swim shampoo and proceed with a kids' swim conditioner.

Aspirin

Aspirin is an effective pain relief pill and hair color neutralizer.

• Crush 7-8 tablets in a clean bowl and mix with water.
• Once dissolved, apply the treatment to the hair.
• Let sit for 15-20 minutes and rinse with warm water.
• Then, wash and condition with kids' summer hair products.

Build a Working Kids Swim Hair Care Regimen

With a good swim hair care regimen, you can care for your toddler's hair pre- and post-swim to prevent and treat green pool hair.

• Immediately after swimming, wash and condition hair with Kids' swim hair care products formulated to clarify.
• Use products that contain ingredients from the citrus family, like lemon. The acid in the lemon will lighten the green-tinted hair.
• Add moisturizing hair products to your shelf. Exposing your toddler's hair to harsh sun rays and chlorine water can cause dry, crunchy hair.

One way to combat dry hair is to use products formulated with added oils and moisturizers. They will help nourish and prevent other damaging effects of UV rays and chlorine water.

Kids Swim Shampoo & Conditioner – Green Hair Fixers

Here are a couple of tricks to protect your toddler's hair before and after taking a dip in the pool.

• Use a kids' swim conditioner or spray pre-swim to prevent the chlorinated pool water from adhering to the hair.
• Dampen hair and coat in oil to help seal moisture and prevent dry, crunchy hair from chlorine water.
• Hair is like a sponge, and once it's saturated, it can't take any more moisture. Soak your hair in freshwater to prevent the hair from soaking up chlorine water.
• Tuck your child's hair in a silicone swim cap to prevent hair damage from copper and chlorine in pool water.
• Rinse hair right after swimming to take out the chlorine water your toddler's hair might have soaked up.
• Use a citrus rinse (lemon juice and club soda) to prevent or fix green hair.

Use these tips every time you visit the pool or beach. And if you're trying to correct your child's green pool hair, stop the treatment once you neutralize the green tint.

Simple Ways to Prevent the Chlorine Green Hair

To recap, some simple ways to prevent green hair are:

• Apple cider vinegar hair rinse.
• Baking soda paste or hair mask.
• Aspirin hair wash.
• Working swim hair care regimen.

 

But picture this. You have errands to run, close deadlines to meet, a family to take care of, and green pool hair to fix or avoid during a short trip to the pool. It's almost impossible to start raiding your kitchen pantry, mixing and measuring ingredients for a DIY green hair fixer.

So, we decided to make things much easier for you by formulating products with clean, premium, natural ingredients to protect and restore your child's hair. The best place to start is right here:

Mom's Buyers Guide for Kids Swim Shampoo

 

Here, you'll find only the best and most effective kids' swim products formulated to keep the green out and seal the moisture and nutrients into your toddler's hair.

Have fun, enjoy and stay safe!

 

Risa Barash,
Founder & Owner of the entire Fairy Tales Hair Care Family