These Chlorine Removing Shampoos Will Save Your Post-Swim Strands

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There are so many upsides to pool season—fun in the sun, exercise, and welcome, cooling dips on a hot summer day. But one downside is the chemicals used to treat pool water—they easily weigh strands down, making hair feel gummy, tangled, and lackluster. Thankfully, the haircare industry has kept up with this problem with chlorine shampoo. These shampoos are made to restore post-laps tresses to their original soft states.

Meet the Experts: Tylor Johnson, expert hair colorist and founder of Nous Haircare, Abby Haliti, world-renowned hairstylist and founder of Abby Haliti Color Studio, and Chaz Dean, celebrity hairstylist, colorist, and founder of WEN Hair & Body.

Shampoos for chlorine removal are similar to clarifying shampoos in that they remove build-up, but they contain special ingredients that break down chlorine molecules, therefore accomplishing a more thorough cleanse than most, explains Abby Haliti, world-renowned hairstylist and founder of Abby Haliti Color Studio. Chlorine shampoos also work to restore moisture and balance to the hair, and they can treat and prevent the dreaded green tint that can come with too much chlorine exposure.

There are various ingredients, natural and otherwise, that can get the job done, and most formulas are color-safe. But, “it’s always a good idea to consult with a hair colorist if you have any specific sensitivities,” Haliti adds. If you’re looking to protect your hair from the elements this summer, look no further than these expert-approved picks.

Swimmers Wellness Shampoo

Affordable? Check. High-quality? Check. Expert-approved? Check. “My personal favorite and what I recommend to most of my clients is Malibu C Swimmers Wellness,” says Tylor Johnson, expert hair colorist and founder of Nous Haircare. “It’s my favorite because it is effective and gentle enough to use on the hair of people who swim often.” The sulfate-free formula uses crystallized vitamin C—the antioxidant in its purest form—to activate in water and restore softness, shine, and hydration to post-swim strands.

Chlorine Removal & Hard Water Treatment Shampoo

This best-selling shampoo (which has over 3,000 ratings and nearly five stars on Amazon) is a staple for swimmers. It softens hair and removes green tint with sodium laureth sulfate and urea, and replenishes moisture with vitamin E and aloe. It’s gentle enough to use often, making it perfect for those who take dips on the daily. Some people who live with hard water also swear by it for keeping their hair soft. “I’m a frequent swimmer and over time my hair has gotten unmanageable and gummy,” a reviewer wrote. “I’ve tried things like clarifying shampoo and shampoos to remove chlorine and I found UltraSwim above average.”

Davines Solu Shampoo

Sustainably made in Italy, this clarifying shampoo washes away build up of any kind, including chlorine and the rest of the gunk that hangs out in pool water. Haliti loves it because “it has natural active ingredients, and it works great for so many of my clients,” she says.

Cucumber Aloe Cleansing Conditioner

Dean created WEN as a stylist who doesn’t believe in traditional lathering shampoos, as they can be stripping to the hair, he says. All of his products are lather-free, including the Cucumber Aloe Cleansing Conditioner, which he recommends using as a main “clarifier” after swimming. “This formula is the most clarifying and astringent, it has witch hazel, soothing cucumber, and hydrating avocado oil, which is so gentle on the hair and scalp and leaves you feeling rejuvenated,” he says. “It’s the number one formula I tell all my swimming clients to use.”

Apple Cider Vinegar Shampoo

Johnson says apple cider vinegar is one of the best natural remedies for chlorine damage, and this shampoo delivers its magic for under $10. It’s especially great for oily hair types or those struggling with build-up related dullness. And don’t worry about it irritating your scalp, Aveeno’s signature colloidal oat makes it nothing but soothing. “After two times of using it, I felt like all traces of the chlorine [were] gone,” a reviewer raved.

Apple Cider Vinegar Hair Rinse

If you’re between washes or don’t want to dedicate an entirely separate shampoo to your post-swim routine, this rinse is a great solution. It can be used as a pre-shampoo treatment to dissolve buildup, or a lather-free rinse-and-go for a quick refresh without the full hour-long, scalp-scrubbing shower. Formulated by celebrity hairstylist Justin Anderson, it’s the real deal.

Water Works Clarifying Shampoo

Clarifying fruit extracts in this formula work to gently cleanse away impurities and build-up without fully stripping dry hair of the nutrients and oils it needs to stay supple. Even then, it also delivers an extra drink to strands with nourishing vitamin E. “This shampoo is thorough enough to remove all the product build-up but gentle enough not to leave my hair dry and brittle. Definitely worth the buy,” a reviewer wrote.

Cleansing Shampoo

Tracee Ellis Ross created Pattern Beauty for curly hair—a line that nourishes and shapes curls without stripping them of moisture, revealing their best, shiniest form, and this clarifying shampoo is no exception. It contains rosemary leaf extract, safflower seed extract, and aloe leaf extract to nourish and cleanse, and reviewers say the texture is almost conditioner-like, yet it leaves the scalp feeling clean.

Shampoo Three

Prevent “chlorine green” and build-up with this shampoo specifically formulated with swimmers in mind. Using sodium laureth sulfate, it dissolves chlorine molecules and leaves hair smelling of zesty fresh grapefruit and orange blossom. “I tried all the shampoos that are ‘designed for swimmers’ but they didn’t do anything,” a reviewer wrote. “I tried this and it worked like a miracle. My hair is back to the original shade of red it was and there is no [green] tint!”

Swimmer’s Shampoo

Chlorine tends to leave hair feeling ropey, gummy, and tangled, and this shampoo reverses those problems. Sodium laureth sulfate and vitamin C break down the molecules, and glycerin and panthenol restore moisture and shine. One reviewer said it does a great job at not only removing the pool smell from their hair, but their skin, too. “It leaves my hair nice and manageable,” they added.

How to choose the best chlorine shampoos

Johnson says most chlorine shampoos contain a version of sodium thiosulfate and/or vitamin C (ascorbic acid) to break down chlorine molecules. A more natural route for the same result is apple cider vinegar, he adds.

If you do buy one with those ingredients, Haliti adds that it’s important to also look for hydrators like aloe vera and plant oils to “help counteract hair that may feel dry from chlorine or damaged from heat.”

Does any shampoo remove chlorine from hair?

You can technically use any clarifying shampoo, however, because chlorine causes hair to dry out, become porous, and leaves a chemical residue behind, it is best removed with a shampoo made with specific sulfates and ingredients designed to remove it, explains Johnson.

Chlorine shampoos “help break down and remove chlorine from the hair by binding to chlorine molecules and then washing them away,” adds Haliti.

How often should I use chlorine removal shampoo?

You can use chlorine shampoos as often as you swim—but be aware that they may be drying if overused and may require the supplemental moisture of a leave-in conditioner or hair mask.

How we chose the best chlorine shampoos

We spoke with Tylor Johnson, expert hair colorist and founder of Nous Haircare, Abby Haliti, world-renowned hairstylist and founder of Abby Haliti Color Studio, and Chaz Dean, celebrity hairstylist, colorist, and founder of WEN Hair & Body. We also consulted dozens of customer reviews to narrow down the best picks.

Why trust us

For more than 70 years, Prevention has been a leading provider of trustworthy health information, empowering readers with practical strategies to improve their physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Our editors interview medical experts to help guide our health-focused product selections. Additionally, Prevention also examines hundreds of reviews—and often conducts personal testing done by our staff—to help you make informed decisions.

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