Will swimming in salt water get my hair "clean"?

[Naomi Kim]

I'm going to be spending 6 weeks on a schooner in the Aegean Sea this coming summer. We're not going to have much water for showering with and so I'm wondering if swimming in the Sea will keep my hair "clean" enough to survive. I guess I'm mostly wondering if it will remove most of the sebum from my hair. Does anyone know?:confused:

[jojo]

I would think sea water would be very drying to the hair. I would personally buy bottled water and rinse hair with that and before going into the sea put plenty of oil or conditioner in to protect.

[Ursula]

It probably depends on your standards for "clean." It may be okay if you're wearing your hair up or braided most of the time in a casual setting, but you may not get the hair you want to wear it loose at a formal occasion.

You will get salt/mineral buildup from the sea water. I suggest you have a chelating treatment ready to go when you come home. Do a clarifying wash, then a chelating treatment, and then a deep moisturizing treatment, to get your hair back to normal.

[heidi w.]

I'm going to be spending 6 weeks on a schooner in the Aegean Sea this coming summer. We're not going to have much water for showering with and so I'm wondering if swimming in the Sea will keep my hair "clean" enough to survive. I guess I'm mostly wondering if it will remove most of the sebum from my hair. Does anyone know?:confused:

No, the salt may even bond with the cortex and you might need to do more than merely clarify after such a trip, but CHELATE which removes bonds at the level of the cortex (and the cuticle). ETA: I was posting at the same time Ursula was...I second the chelate and deep conditioning treatment when you get home. Chelating, like clarifying (only for what's on top of cuticle), must be followed by a solid conditioning treatment.)

It can be drying, and on top of sebum, it will just become cake-y.

As a person who has sailed and spent a lot of time in sea water, I recommend that on the boat you wear a bandanna that covers all the hair, wearing the hair up underneath the bandana (nothing loose).

Why?
1. wind will whip the hair into tangles you've never known even if you do a braided ponytail (there's a lot of rubbing of hair still and in this format still can get sea salt on it....see #2)

2. salt is ambient in the air in the ocean -- even if you don't directly apply sea water, this can land on your hair.

3. Depending on where you are, the water may not even be that clean

There are systems, probably too complex and expensive for your trip (if you were doing a year on board, or living on a boat forever, it would be worth considering), for distilling sea water to convert to drinking water (bathing water).

http://home.wanadoo.nl/ruud.merks/kayak/corfu/corfu.htm
Water destilation
We ran out of water. To our luck 2 engineers knew how to convert salt water in drinking water !
Formulae : 2 cc Salt water + 2 cc Camping Gaz = 1 cc sweet water.

This is a modest system in the picture in the link.

Tablets for purifying water probably don't work to convert sea water to potable water.
http://www.quakekare.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=26

http://www.prepare-for-emergency.com/purify-water.htm
Pregnant women should not take iodine tablets in the form of purified water.
Maybe there would be a small enough filtration system....

Purifying water is a different subject from converting sea water to drinkable or potable water.

There are portable camping showers, too...example:
http://www.e-omc.com/catalog/products/4333/MSR-Packshower.html
often these can be warmed by the available sun/heat.

heidi w.

[heidi w.]

Oh, and you know SUNSCREEN with a super high SPF factor for BOTH UVA & UVB. And moisturizer for all the skin. SUNSCREEN EVERYWHERE. Any exposed skin.

Sailing is drying to skin.

Been there, done that.

I used to race catamarans (16 & 18 footers) as a crew person; and I've sailed small yachts. I also windsurfed in the Bay Area of California. Not to mention body surfed in Santa Cruz and all around CA.

Even lake water can be problematic to hair, especially if sebum is built up a bit. It gets cake-y. Used to summer in our summer cabin close to the lake.

I just know you're going to have a grand time and a memory you'll never forget.

heidi w.

[jojo]

can somebody explain what Chelating is to me and how do you do it?

Thanks x

[heidi w.]

Chelating is just like clarifying.

Find a store product shampoo that has the word CHELATING on it.

Use it like a regular shampoo (do read the label, too), and follow with very good conditioning, possibly a deep conditioning treatment. Oil hair or use a leave-in per usual.

Chelating manages bonds that have occurred at the level of the cortex.

Clarifying only strips off what's on top of the cuticle.

Chelating is often a part of the process for those who have their hair chemically treated such as a permanent or straightening or that new thing thermal oh what's that called (for heaven's sake!) --rather the new term for a type of perm), -- thermal reconstruction (I think) -- for example.

Chelating is not a first step, and most often not needed. IF one does 2 clarifying treatments and things still aren't cleared up, then you may have to advance to chelating. I think it's very important to work a problem in stages, not go straight to chelating. In natural hair care, it's usually not needed to chelate.

heidi w.

[Naomi Kim]

So I wash my hair near my scalp about once a week and condition it all, normally. We will be using mostly sea water for bathing as far as I know.

I'm planing to wear my hair up at all times anyway. one problem with the whole clarifying after I get home is that I might not be home for about two months after I get done on the schooner, but it'll all work out. I just want the best, most doable option, not the perfect one.

I remember a year or so ago, reading something about avocado in your hair and then swimming in the ocean to rinse it out and it worked wonders apparently, does anyone know about/have any input on this?

Thanks for all the advice, girls. :D

[AnnaMarie]

Talk to your local hair salon or have a look around at some hair product stores. You can actually buy Shampoos and Conditioners specially designed to be used in salt water. I've seen them before at hair salons and a friend of mine who is a surfer was thinking about using them. Might be worth checking out? :)

[Teazel]

Yes, you can wash your hair in seawater, but you need a detergent (shampoo) that will lather in salt water. My mother and sisters and I kept our hair clean when we were sailing in Tonga and Fiji using Badedas - I'm sure there are better options available now! The salt will make your hair sticky and dry, however.

[Anje]

I have little experience with salt water, but as stated earlier, the salt will definitely build up on your hair and be drying and generally harsh to it.

If I were you, I'd plan on dunking the hair in fresh water before and after going into the sea water, just to get salt off and keep it from absorbing.

Sebum won't hurt your hair any -- in fact, it might help protect it from the drying effects of the salt water and sea spray. There's would be no need for you to wash your hair if you weren't going to be in a salt environment, unless you want to look non-greasy for someone. (Without having done it, I can still tell you I would be just fine bathing in a lake for months at a time. Hair will change texture a little, like the WO washers all report, but it certainly won't suffer much permanent damage if you can keep it moisturized.)

[GlassEyes]

Chelating is often a part of the process for those who have their hair chemically treated such as a permanent or straightening or that new thing thermal oh what's that called (for heaven's sake!) --rather the new term for a type of perm), -- thermal reconstruction (I think)

heidi w.

You got it right. XD; It's also known as 'thermal straightening' or a 'heat perm', I believe.

Can't help with the salt water though. I know it won't clean anything.

[Akiko]

I'm going to be spending 6 weeks on a schooner in the Aegean Sea this coming summer. We're not going to have much water for showering with and so I'm wondering if swimming in the Sea will keep my hair "clean" enough to survive. I guess I'm mostly wondering if it will remove most of the sebum from my hair. Does anyone know?:confused:

Oh, no. I used to scuba dive a lot and my hair was in sea water all the time. If you let hair dry after swimming in the sea without washing with fresh water, hair will end up sticky. I would recommend regular washing with shampoo/conditioner. I had to. Just rinsing with fresh water left my hair crunchy.

[VanillaTresses]

Just wanted to add: Don't know if it is true for everyone, but at least for me the repeated saltwater exposure (esp. when combined with sun) really bleaches my hair out. I would advise oiling and updos...

But being out on the ocean that much sure does sound like a lot of fun! I hope you enjoy it! :)

[Cinnamon Hair]

Salt water is very bad for your hair. Basically, you just described what to me would be a hair nightmare, but if you cant get over that, it sounds like a wonderful trip. Fortunately your hair isn't super long, so hopefully you will be able to get through the experience without too much damage. Try to keep it braided and tangle free so you won't have to manipulate it any more than necessary. Aside from that, you could try oiling heavily before going in the water, but considering you will be washing with salt water.... eek. :scared:

I guess my best advice would be, wash with tap water whenever possible, keep it braided, try to protect your hair from the salt water by using lots of oil, and expect to lose a few inches to trims when you return home. You will need to do some major deep conditioning once you return, to get it back into shape. So just enjoy the trip and try not to worry too much about what the salt water is doing to your hair.

ETA: Here is a thread (http://archive.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=12690&highlight=snowymoon+salt+water)from the archive boards. It describes SnowyMoon's experience with using salt water on her hair for an extended period of time. You may want to hold off reading it until you return.

[BittSweetCherry]

If fresh water is scarce, use your ration for rinsing your hair as thoroughly as possible after swimming - before the seawater in your hair dries. Salt crystals will form when the seawater evaporates, and in this case it will happen on your hair and under your hair cuticles, lifting them up, making your hair tangly and more prone to damage. Over a few weeks your hair can turn to straw. Sebum, while a little icky, won't damage your hair.

Ever wondered why rock platforms near headlands are at sea level? It's less to do with wave erosion and more to do with chemical erosion. Salt crystals break sand grains out of sandstone with ease, which is no mean feat.