How to Protect Semi-Permanent Color at the Pool
Whether you’re on Spring Break, summer vacation or just hitting the beach or pool, we’re here to help you protect your semi-permanent color and care for your hair. So before you throw on that Instagram-worthy swimsuit, take these easy steps to minimize damage, fading and dryness caused by UV rays and chlorine. Let’s dive in!
Step 1. Rinse Off
Before you dive in, follow this universal and important pool rule! Hitting the shower before you hit the water will actually help prolong the life of your oVertone hair color. That’s because saturating your mane with clean water makes it harder for chlorine, salt and other damaging chemicals to permeate your strands, strip away your color or turn your beach blonde hair chlorine green.
Step 2. Bust Out The Hair Oil
Grab your favorite protective hair oil (we recommend coconut, argan or camellia). Apply a light layer to freshly-rinsed strands, making sure to focus on dry or damaged ends. Doing this will create a protective barrier between your strands and pool (or salt) water.
Step 3. Take 5
After you apply the oil, give it at least five minutes to sink in. While you’re waiting on it, grab some waterproof sunblock and slather it all over your body to protect your gorgeous skin.
Step 4: You Need a Hat, No Cap
We’re not lying when we tell you that you need a pool lid, like stat. Throw on that adorable dad hat, baseball cap or a stylin’ oVertone Bucket Hat to shield your hair from color-zapping UV rays.
Bonus: It also protects your eyes and face.
Step 5: Stay Hydrated
If you’re hanging at the pool all day long, make sure you check in on your hair periodically! If it’s feeling dry, apply more oil to your mane (and sunscreen to your body).
Step 6. Treat Your Strands to Some Post-Swim Love
When you’re done soaking up the sun, head straight to the shower and apply a nourishing hair mask or ultra-hydrating deep conditioning treatment (The Remedy anyone?) This will refresh your color, replenish any moisture that’s been lost and help repair fragile or processed hair.
Step 7: Tone It Up
If chlorine has turned your blonde hair green, don’t panic. Reach for our Pink Toning Conditioner and read this blog to get all the info you need on removing unwanted undertones from your mane.
Got your own color-saving tips? Share them with community by dropping them in the comments.
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32 comments on “How to Protect Semi-Permanent Color at the Pool”
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Can you still swim with it in?
It’s totally safe to go swimming with oVertone, in the pool and in the ocean! But we do recommend taking a few extra steps to make sure your color stays bright and mermaid-y. A great tip is to create a barrier by applying your favorite hair oil to your strands before diving in!
I am absolutely loving your blog! Super informative 🙂
As a person who loves colouring her hair AND swimming, I’ve had to sacrifice one for the other. Gonna try out these tips this summer.
But before that, thinking I’m going to take the plunge and order some products!
Stay Awesome.
Are their any other ways to protect it, I can’t use oil because I have to wear a swim cap during practice and the oil would make it fall off
Hey Maddie! For the best advice, get with our Color Consultants at hi@overtone.co – they’ll be able to help out!
Has anyone tried these steps? I’m scared I’m going to do everything it says, then jump in the pool and everyone’s going to see a stream of red ( If you know what I mean) while I do laps.
How long after the first coloring do you need to wait to swim? I dont want to bleed my lovely pinkness in our community pool lol
Swimmer here! Do take that pre-swim shower (that we all skip). Get your hair super wet then put your cap on. If you saturate your hair with fresh water, your hair will absorb it and wont adsorb chlorine as quickly. Don’t jump in the pool with out that cap.
My kids are trying Overtone this summer, but I’m worried about bleeding in the pool and also on their bedsheets! How bad does the color bleed when swimming or wet?
Thanks so much for the swimming tips. I had no idea! Just in time for 4th of July cannonballs!! 🧨💥🇺🇸🏊
I’d love to see the answer to this question easier to find. My daughter is a competitive swimmer also and she really wants to color her hair – but yeah, no oil with a swim cap.
What is the jar of Deep Treatment that is mentioned in step 5.
In July, transitioned from red to purple (bayalage). Never went into a pool with my red because I didn’t want the color to strip. This time around I asked my hair stylist for tips on protecting my hair. She recommended sunscreen not oil. Tried it, but not sure if I didn’t add enough. My purple/magenta color seriously lightened up. Ordered the indigo kit, hoping to add the color back. Next time, I’ll try coconut oil.
Will it turn pink hair (if used rose gold for brown hair) a funky color?
I wish I had read this before. I applied my hair color in the morning and ended up at the beach that afternoon. Color is basically washed out of most of my hair leaving it super uneven 😫 I’ve never had died hair before so I didn’t know any of the rules…
I have a little bit of the color left in my container, so I will probably just try to fix it up.
Can I use the deep treatment everyday when on vacation at the beach? My hair is pink but am afraid of it looking gross towards the end 🙁
I surf almost every day and using a deep treatment every day will get expensive/tedious. Will the color fade faster since I am in the salt water so often?
Thank you for the info. My biggest vanity concern was getting into the pool and suddenly all of my Overtone would be flooding the water. I will use the recommended steps on my trip to Mandalay Bay. You are appreciated.
Question: here you say” If you’re out for multiple hours, be sure that you check in on your hair periodically! Is your hair starting to feel dry? Apply more oil as necessary.”
So should we not let our hair dry completely between swims?
Please skip the oil if you’re swimming in a public pool. It makes a mess of the water, and for lap swimmers it’s disgusting to swim through clouds of oil.
I am concerned about the color washing out in my pool. I am not concerned about my hair but the pool itself. I just don’t wanna mess up my pool and it’s chemicals or color. Is it safe to swim in a chlorinated pool or should I cover my head?
How can you not have a big cloud of colour when you get into the pool? Especially if it’s chlorinated.
Does pure coconut oil from my pantry work?
Yes! It sure does.
The color should not affect your pool at all.
You sure can. Just start the steps all over again.
Safe travels!
Yes, unfortunately sun and salt are a combo for fast fading. But you can help keep up your color by using our Healthy Color Duo and following these steps.
Pro tip: buy sample sized pink coloring conditioners and daily conditioners and use them to recolor on the road.
Rinsing off with water in the shower first will definitely help major bleed.
Just dry and then start the steps all over again!
Unfortunately UV rays and salt water are a combo for fast fading. We suggest wearing a hat, using our Healthy Color Duo and following these steps to minimize fading. The level of fade depends on how porous your hair is as well, so it can stay a bit longer in some hair than others.