Chlorine Protocol:

Today I am sharing the recipe & a couple new ingredients that I have found helpful for my kids.

(AND - I'll also explain why you need the chlorine protocol even in a saltwater pool 👀)​

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PROTOCOL FOR SALTWATER & CHLORINE:

For Review - let's talk about those saltwater pools & why you need that protocol there also...

Not much can stop me from swimming in the Georgia summer - but I DO have a protocol that I use on myself and my kids when we swim.

Saltwater systems still generate chlorine - they just do it on-site through electrolysis. That means you’re still swimming in chlorine, the same disinfectant found in traditional pools.

When chlorine reacts with organic matter like sweat or skin cells, it forms disinfection byproducts (DBPs) like chloramines and trihalomethanes (THMs) - compounds linked to:

Skin and eye irritation

Respiratory issues

Potential endocrine disruption and even DNA damage

And yes - you’re still absorbing these chemicals through your skin, inhaling them while you swim, and disrupting your skin microbiome and EZ (exclusion zone) water layer.

That’s why I never swim without my chlorine protocol & vitamin C spray to neutralize chlorine on the skin instantly.

Now for our swimming in chlorine/saltwater protocol:

Here's a protocol you can follow to help protect yourself and your kids from chlorine exposure when swimming:

1. Pre-Swim Preparation: Coconut Oil Application: Before swimming, do a quick shower & apply a thin layer of coconut oil to your skin. This can help create a barrier between your skin and the chlorine in the water. 
2. Swimming: Enjoy your time in the pool!  (Click here for a more natural sunscreen I like)
3. Post-Swim Routine:
   • Shower: Immediately after swimming, rinse off thoroughly with fresh water.
   • Spray bottle click here for the glass one we use or this amber glass one
   • Vitamin C Spray: Prepare a vitamin C spray by opening & dissolving 3 capsules of this vitamin C (ascorbic acid or sodium ascorbate) in 1 cup of distilled water. Spray this solution onto your skin and gently rub it in. Vitamin C is known to neutralize chlorine.
   • Optional (we have been using this - but SKIP if you have hashimotos) - 1 drop of iodine in the mixture
   • Optional - Glutathione patch while in the water (You are meant to wear them for 12 hours total - so we apply before coconut oil application & keep on for the duration of the day. If this does not work for you - you can always apply after you are done swimming to clean dry skin & wear for 12 hours)
   • We also use this special shampoo & this special conditioner with my kids 
   • That night we also do a mineral soak in the bathtub
   • Click here for all the items in one place (except for the glutathione patch)
4. Moisturize:
   • After the vitamin C treatment, apply a moisturizer (this is my favorite tallow cream - code sarahk) to replenish your skin's hydration.  My son does not tolerate tallow - so we use this cream with him.
5. Hydration & Hydrogen:
   • Ensure you and you and your kids drink plenty of clean mineral water to stay hydrated, which can help your body recover from any exposure to chlorine (click here for my hydrogen protocols & FAQs article & click here for my hydration article that gives you all my favorite waters and minerals)

Extra resources:  Click here for SUNWISE: My extensive course on safe sun exposure​ - sunglasses - sunscreen and more!

Community question: What if my kids are in and out of the pool all day long?

If your kids are swimming on and off all day, you don’t need to run a full chlorine protocol every single time they get out of the pool.

Instead, think in layers:

• Quick rinse when you can

  Even 30-60 seconds helps remove what’s sitting on the skin

• Save the full protocol for the end of the day

  This is where it matters most:

  → shower

  → neutralize (vitamin C spray)

  → rehydrate + minerals

• Build in natural breaks

• Support from the inside

  Hydration + minerals become even more important on high-exposure days 

It’s reducing what you can… and supporting what you can’t.

The truth is that having your kids outside, swimming, moving, and getting natural light is still a net positive environment.

We just clean up the exposure after.

PS - Don't forget to enjoy yourself, and remember that when we are happy - joyful & don't stress over EVERY detail: this is also extremely health promoting when you look at the work of Dr. Martin Picard - emotional stress & mitochondria.

As I always say: Consistency over perfection!