Pre-Swim Hair Defense is the five-minute step between the locker room and the water: a cream you work through your hair 3 to 5 minutes before you swim, so chlorine, sun and the green tint meet a barrier instead of bare hair. It is made in California for lap swimmers, swim-team kids, ocean swimmers and anyone with blonde, color-treated or curly hair, and over 500,000 swimmers trust it.

"This is awesome... If you spend any time in the water, this is awesome for hair... really smart products, all made in America. They actually make your hair look and smell really good."

Tory Johnson, ABC's Good Morning America

What happens to hair in a pool, and what does this stop?

Chlorinated water strips the oils that coat hair and roughens the cuticle. Hair turns dry, tangles, breaks at the ends and lets color fade faster. It also takes up water like a sponge, and bleached, highlighted, chemically treated, fine or damaged hair takes up the most and shows it first.

Pre-Swim Hair Defense puts a nourishing barrier on the strand before any of that starts. The barrier locks in moisture and blocks chlorine damage, and it now carries UV protection for the sun.

Green hair is metal, not dye. Copper and other metals in the water are oxidized by chlorine and bind to light or porous hair, and pool chemistry varies. The barrier is made to keep that tint from taking hold and to protect your color.

Damp hair helps too: hair already wet with clean water takes up less pool water. Less, not none.

How to use

1. Dampen your hair with clean water, or start dry.
2. Apply a generous amount and pay special attention to the ends.
3. Wait 3 to 5 minutes so it absorbs into the hair.
4. Swim. It is made for pools, the ocean and fresh water.
5. Rinse with clear water afterward.

Who it is for

• Lap swimmers and swim-team kids, because exposure adds up over a season.
• Blonde, highlighted and color-treated hair. The brand says it works on platinum blonde, dyed hair and dense curls.
• Ocean swimmers and triathletes, since salt water pulls moisture out and leaves salt behind.
• People who swim on vacation, and kids. AQUA GUARD's team, most of them parents, calls it safe for kids.

What is inside

The conditioning ingredients are shea butter, sweet almond oil, argan oil, aloe and panthenol. It is formulated in the brand's own California lab.

Full ingredient list: Water, Cetearyl Alcohol, Stearalkonium Chloride, Glycerin, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil, Argania Spinosa (Argan) Kernel Oil, Trimethylsiloxyamodimethicone, C11-15 Pareth-7, C12-16 Pareth-9, C10-18 Triglycerides, Trideceth-12, Dimethicone, Panthenol, Quaternium-91, Behentrimonium Chloride, Myristyl Myristate, Disodium EDTA, Amodimethicone, Laureth-9, Glyceryl Stearate SE, Hydrogenated Palm Kernel Glycerides, Cyamopsis Tetragonoloba (Guar) Gum, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Fragrance.

Sizes

Single 5.3 oz, 2-Pack, and Family Size 16.9 oz.

Questions people ask

Do I put pre-swim hair treatment on wet or dry hair?

Either. The directions say wet or dry, and damp hair takes up less pool water to begin with, so a quick dampen is a small head start.

How long before swimming should I put it on?

Give it 3 to 5 minutes to absorb completely.

Does it stop blonde hair from turning green?

It is made to prevent the green tint and protect your color. The tint comes from copper and other metals, so how fast it shows depends on the pool.

Do I still need it if I wear a swim cap?

Yes. A cap keeps most water off your hair, not all of it.

What goes with it

After the swim, pair it with Chlorine Clarifying Shampoo and Everyday Conditioner for Swimmers, or buy the Swimmers Essential Hair Protection Bundle. Younger swimmers have Pre-Swim Hair Defense For Kids. The guide what to put in your hair before swimming goes deeper on this step.