Is Sea Water Good for Your Skin and Hair?

Is seawater good for your skin?

Yes and no.

Sea water is rich in beneficial minerals such as calcium, magnesium, chromium, potassium, vanadium, zinc, and selenium which could have exfoliating and antibacterial properties.

Research has shown that seawater can help overcome skin problems such as eczema and allergic rhinitis. An in vivo study found that seawater can help improve skin symptoms that include itching, dryness, infiltration of inflammatory cells, reduced epidermal thickness, transepidermal water loss, erythema, and edema.¹✅ JOURNAL REFERENCE DOI: 10.1155/2016/6520475

The existing research was conducted using deep sea water, which is seawater that’s obtained from a depth of more than 200 m. Deep sea water is more abundant in minerals compared to surface seawater.

Sea water does however have disadvantages for the skin. Excessive exposure to seawater can result in dry and itchy skin, white flakes, redness, and irritation. Spending prolonged amounts of time in salty sea water can disrupt the outermost barrier layer of the skin which helps to retain moisture and protect from irritants.

Small cracks can appear on the skin’s surface if it gets too dry, resulting in an increased risk of inflammation. This dryness can also cause the oil glands to overcompensate and produce more oil, which can result in acne breakouts.

There are however ways to mitigate the harmful effects that seawater has on the skin.

What to do to protect your skin before and after swimming in the ocean.

Before swimming in the ocean, the Pre & Post Swim Body Lotion from Trihard provides the skin with an extra protective layer that will help in preventing any of the seawater’s potential adverse effects.

After swimming in the ocean, the Pre & Post Swim Body Lotion helps to hydrate the skin, as well as soothe dry and itchy skin.

Is seawater good for your hair?

Yes and no

Similar to seawater’s effect on the skin, mineral-rich seawater can provide your scalp and hair with some essential nutrients. The salty ocean water can also act as an exfoliant for the dead skin cells found on the scalp. Sea water’s salt crystals add body and fullness to hair.

The antifungal properties of seawater help with dandruff by eliminating the fungus that causes it. The exfoliating properties of seawater can also help to stimulate blood flow and circulation to the scalp.

But seawater is not without its disadvantages. It can make your hair dry and rough and make your scalp itchy and irritated.

When the cells of the hair are exposed to seawater, the process of osmosis draws water out of the hair cells. The hair shaft becomes dehydrated and leads to dry and brittle hair. which can cause it to break unevenly at the shaft.

What to do to protect your hair before and after swimming in the ocean

Wash the hair soon after exposure to seawater as the buildup of sodium-chlorine from the ocean water can cause irreversible damage to your hair. Trihard’s Swimmers Shampoo removes saltwater from swimmers’ hair and scalp and is formulated with Argan and Shea Oils for the hydration of dry hair and relief of potentially itchy scalps.

Creating a protective layer around your hair before swimming with a specialized conditioner such as Trihard’s Pre & Post Swim Conditioner is another option.