How to Protect Your Skin while Swimming

Swimming is a fun activity. For millions of people around the world, swimming adds more excitement and enjoyment to their summer vacations.

Swimming is also great for your health. Swimming provides a full body workout which offers a wide range of physical health as well as mental health benefits.

Cardiovascular health, weight management, stronger bones, improved flexibility, better sleep and good mood are few of the many health benefits of swimming.

As many benefits as there are for swimming, there are also a few drawbacks of swimming. And one such drawback is skin issues.

When a person swims fairly regularly, he or she is at risk of developing skin issues (extreme dryness, rashes etc.) due to exposure to chlorinated water, salt water or contaminated water.

So, how to protect your skin while swimming? Here’s how—            

1. Take a quick shower before and after swimming.

Showering before and after a swim is a must for all swimmers.

When you take a shower before swimming, it helps in washing away sweat, body oils and certain pollutants (dust and smoke etc.) from your skin.

These substances can react with the chlorine in the water and cause irritation of the skin. Taking a shower before a swim also helps in keeping the pool-water clean.

Taking a shower after a swim helps in washing away chlorine, salt and other chemicals from your skin that you may have come in contact with while in the pool or the sea.

If you have wondered, how to protect skin from chlorine water naturally? This is how you can do it.      

2. Put on sunscreen before swimming.

Whether you go swimming in the sea or an outdoor pool, your skin is at the risk of sun-damage.

In order to protect your skin from the sun, use a good sunscreen; preferably with SPF 50 or higher. Make sure that the sunscreen you use is a broad-spectrum, water-resistant one.

Also, apply the sunscreen atleast 20 minutes before getting into the water for it to work properly.

When you spend a long time swimming under the sun, you would need to reapply sunscreen every two hours to protect your skin.

If you don’t keep reapplying sunscreen while swimming for long hours, you might end up getting a sunburn or other forms of UV damage (blisters, pain, age spots etc.).    

3. Keep your skin hydrated.

When it comes to skin care for swimmers, hydration is a major factor. Saltwater and chlorine— both can make your skin dry by stripping your skin of its natural oils.

To make sure that your skin is hydrated, drink an appropriate amount of water throughout the day.

And for your skin to stay hydrated, use a good moisturiser right after taking a shower. Doing this would help to lock-in moisture in your skin.

Also, go for skin-products that contain glycerin or hyaluronic acid. These substances are known for restoring your skin’s moisture quite efficiently.

4. Support your skin barrier.

The outermost layer of the skin— also known as the stratum corneum— is the skin barrier. It acts as a shield that protects the deeper layers against external elements.

The chlorine in swimming pools can compromise the functionality of the skin barrier; which can lead to dryness and irritation of the skin.

You can assist your skin barrier in doing the job it was built for. So, what can you do?

For protecting your skin barrier, you can use skincare products that support its repair and maintenance.

Hence, while choosing a moisturiser, face wash etc, look for skincare products that contain fatty acids or are ceramide based.

Also, since oil repels water, you can apply a layer of oil on your skin before getting into the water (swimming pool, sea, ocean).

If you have been asking yourself, how to protect your skin while swimming naturally? This is how.

Oil acts as a barrier and stops chlorine or salt from penetrating your skin.

Doing this would help you in maintaining a well-moisturised and healthy skin; especially if you swim on a regular basis.  

5. Choose your timings wisely.

When it comes to swimming, timings may seem insignificant. But, this is where you are wrong.

It is best to limit your time in a swimming pool to an hour max; unless you are prepping for a swim meet.

Also, it is best to avoid swimming when the sun is at its peak. In India, it is usually between 10 am to 2 pm.

The best time to swim outdoors is between 7 am to 9 am and after 4 pm.

If you swim in an indoor pool, then you don’t need to stick to these timings.

However, prolonged exposure to chlorine in swimming pools can cause greater damage to your skin than it would if you swim for an hour or less.

Also, you need to give time for your skin to recover from chlorine exposure. Especially if you like to swim on a regular basis and it is your preferred type of exercise.

It is best for you to swim on alternate days in order to minimise chlorine exposure.

6. Moisturise properly after every swim.

When swimming skin care routine is discussed, a question arises, what to apply on skin after swimming?

Anyone who swims on a regular basis knows that salt, chlorine and other chemicals in the water can make the skin super dry.

Hence, in order to maintain a healthy and well-hydrated skin, it is vital for you to restore all the moisture lost during swimming.

What you need is a good moisturiser that helps in keeping your skin moisturised and hydrated for hours. Apply it generously after taking your post-swim shower.

Usually, your face and your body’s skin need different moisturisers as the skin on your face is much more sensitive than the skin on the rest of your body.

Find a facial moisturiser according to your skin-type and a rich body lotion for optimal results.

Keeping your skin properly moisturised is one of the most important tips for skin care for swimmers.              

7. Do not forget to exfoliate regularly.

Saltwater and chlorine, both can create a buildup of dead skin cells.

If you want to unclog your skin-pores and have healthy & smooth skin, then you need to exfoliate your skin once or twice a week.

Make sure that the exfoliant you choose is mild and hence, is gentle on your skin.

The exfoliant needs to do its job efficiently without causing any irritation or breakouts on your skin.

Exfoliants that have hydroxy acids are very useful for regular swimmers as they are good at dissolving dead skin cells.

Along with commercially available exfoliants, fruits like tomatoes are a natural source of this substance.

Another function of hydroxy acids is that it increases the generation of new skin cells and helps in making your skin barrier stronger.  

8. Choose the right skincare products.

How to protect your skin while swimming pools have chlorine and seas have saltwater?

Along with following all the above mentioned swimming skincare tips, choosing the right skincare products is important.

Particularly, if you are a regular swimmer, then you need to invest in good skincare products that are specially designed to fight the effects of chlorine and saltwater.

In addition to moisturisers, body lotions, face washes and lip balms specially formulated for swimmers, you can look for Vitamin C sprays.

Vitamin C sprays are very useful in removing chlorine residue and restoring skin-balance.

Also, it is best to avoid face washes, soaps and body washes that can cause additional dryness of the skin.

When it comes to these products, look for mild ones that are soothing to the skin and provide relief if you get skin irritations, rashes or burns.

The ones with ingredients like aloe vera and chamomile are good options.      

9. Pay attention to lip and under-eye care.

In a list of skincare tips for swimmers, this one is often forgotten. But, none-the-less, it holds great significance.

The area under your eyes and the skin of your lips are more sensitive than the skin on other parts of your face or body.

So, it is important to protect those areas from the harmful effects of UV rays and chlorine.

For you to do that, you can apply an under-eye cream and a nourishing lip balm. Both of these things need to have a high SPF.          

Skin Protection for Swimmers FAQs

Does vaseline protect skin from chlorine?

Yes. Vaseline is one of those products that contain petroleum jelly. Vaseline acts like a barrier between your skin and the chlorine in swimming pools.

Thus, vaseline protects your skin from chlorine by reducing chlorine absorption significantly. Which in turn, reduces irritation and dryness of the skin.

For it to work properly, apply a thin layer of vaseline to the exposed skin areas before you hop into a pool.

If you are a new swimmer and were not sure about how to protect skin from chlorine water while swimming, then you have your answer now.        

Does swimming damage the skin barrier?

Chlorine is quite useful to kill the bacteria in swimming pools and keep the water clean.

However, when a certain amount of chlorine comes into contact with the skin, it strips the skin of its natural protective oil (called sebum).

When this goes on for an extended period of time, it can weaken your skin barrier. When that happens, you can suffer from severe dryness, itching and irritability of the skin.

In short, swimming can damage the skin barrier. But with a proper skin care routine for swimmers, you can still have healthy and beautiful skin.      

What can I put on my skin before swimming?

Before swimming, you can apply a waterproof sunscreen or barrier cream on your skin. It helps in creating a protective layer on your skin.

Also, right before you get into the water, take a quick shower in order to hydrate your skin and hair.

Don’t forget to wear a swim cap in order to protect your hair from prolonged chlorine exposure.

Do swimmers put oil on their skin?

Regular swimmers apply waterproof sunscreen for the protection of their skin from UV rays. It is also helpful in the prevention of sunburn.

Some professional swimmers may use special lotions that can aid in reducing drag in the water.

Many of them use petroleum jelly or anti-chafing balms that can reduce friction and also prevent skin irritation that are caused by swimsuits in long-duration swims.

Does swimming reduce belly fat?

Swimming is a full-body workout that helps in burning calories and toning muscles. Hence, it can reduce belly fat.

Swimming engages a number of different muscle groups. It is also considered to be a good cardio exercise.

It is a great exercise for maintaining overall health— mental and physical.    

What not to do before swimming?

It is best to not eat a heavy meal right before swimming. It is best to wait for atleast 30 mins after a meal, before you get into the water for a swim.

It is also believed that lifting heavy weights (while working out at the gym etc.) can make your muscles tighter. Tight muscles can affect your swimming technique.

Thus, it is advisable to not lift heavy weights a day or two before you go swimming.