I swim all year round, but there’s something about the summer that makes me constantly want to jump in a pool – or a lake, if I’m at the beach.  For me swimming is both a workout and fun activity, although most of the swimming I do is fitness-related.  Here’s a great swimming workout if you’re interested. But I’m always looking for a reason to hang out with my younger cousins just to hang out at the pool all day.

When I first started swimming, I had no idea that I couldn’t just use my everyday soap and shampoo and conditioner. I did this for about a week and realized that no amount of scrubbing could rid that terrible chlorine smell from my hair. I remember washing my hands at least 10 times in a row and still smelling like I just got out of the pool. My skin also became extremely dry.

Here are 5 easy ways to rescue dry skin!

I finally realized I needed to investigate some specialized swimmer products. My local athletic store had something called TriSwim that they recommended. I wasn’t thrilled about having to buy additional products – and they definitely weren’t cheap, but I’ll admit that it worked like a charm. As soon as I started using the TriSwim body wash, shampoo and conditioner, I could actually forget that I had gone swimming that morning.

As much as I hate using tons of products, this stuff has become a necessity for me. If you’re a swimmer and looking for a great product, I highly recommend TriSwim, although I’m sure there are plenty of other similar products. While I pay a bit more for my products because I like to support my local running (tri) shop, I also found it at a good price at Swim Outlet.

I just recently added the TriSwim lotion to my list of swimming products. It’s funny because I hardly ever wear lotion on a normal day (well, maybe a little during winter), but chlorine and other harsh pool chemicals have really taken a toll on my skin, and so I slapped that lotion on today. I’ll admit that I’m enjoying my smooth, soft skin now, instead of feeling like a reptile. It dried fairly fast, which is a must-have quality for me because I don’t have the patience or time to wait for lotion to dry.

Do you swim for fitness or fun? Does chlorine and other chemicals wreak havoc on your hair and skin? What are your favorite products?