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In our advice column, Ask a Strategist, we answer the hottest shopping questions by polling our friends, calling experts, and drawing on our own personal experiences. If you have any questions about online shopping, please send them to strategist@nymag.com with the subject line “Ask the Strategist.” We can help.
After 25 years of touching up my hair roots every month, not coloring my hair has given me space, time, and energy for more interesting activities like swimming. However, both swimming pools and the ocean put stress on your hair in a different way that you are not used to. I’m new to this, but I think untreated gray hair needs its own special treatment. Swimming, pools, and the ocean may or may not complicate things. Is there a way to reduce this damage to hair?
The damage your hair is suffering from is due to something very simple: mineral buildup. Chlorine and copper in pools and salt from the ocean can make your hair dry, brittle, and prone to breakage. Gray hair is already coarse, which may be why the drying effect feels so extreme. (However, contrary to what some of you may have read online, chlorine does not change your hair color or give it a greenish tint.)
My solution consists of two steps. First, use a cleansing shampoo at least once a week to break down chlorine, copper, and salt buildup in your hair. We love Ouai’s detox shampoo, which beauty columnist Rio Vieira Newton discovered while battling London’s notoriously hard water. It contains apple cider vinegar, which is the gold standard ingredient for cleaning almost everything that builds up in your hair. “Even if you’re not incredibly oily, this shampoo does a great job of cleaning your hair more deeply,” she says. “Adds volume while removing styling products from hair.”
Then, I think incorporate a deeply hydrating shampoo into your routine. From my research, you already know that Malin + Goetz is my favorite. I think your hair will really appreciate the moisturizing glycerin and the fact that it’s sulfate-free. This means it doesn’t strip your hair of any of its natural oils.
If you want to stick to a budget, Monday’s Moisturizing Shampoo is also a solid option.
While we’re on the topic, we’d also like to point out that untreated gray hair is more susceptible to UV damage than other hair colors. This may be contributing to the dryness, so you may want to consider incorporating products with UV protection into your hair. My favorite is Verb’s Ghost Conditioner. Let’s have fun swimming!
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The Strategist is designed to uncover the most useful expert recommendations for what to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. Some of our recent achievements include the best acne treatments, rolling bags, pillows for side sleepers, natural anxiety remedies, bath towels, and more. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change.
