Courtesy of SwimSpray, a SwimSwam Partner.
FROM DR. CHADEAYNE:
Growing up, I spent 27 years of my life surrounded by chlorine. I started swimming lessons when I was two, competed in United States Swimming, and represented Princeton in the Ivy League. During that time, chlorine was my look and fragrance. It defined me as a swimmer.
All of this changed when I started my first “real world” job. The chlorine started really bothering me. Riding the subway in business attire in July is bad enough without chlorine. And, that nostalgic “eau de chlorine” becomes pretty caustic when you’re sharing a tiny inner office.
I tried all available products—swimmers’ shampoos, conditioners, body washes, pre-swim lotions. None of these worked. I was stuck. On the one hand, swimming was my favorite way to exercise. But, on the other hand, it was making me legitimately uncomfortable in the workplace. I decided to come up with my own solution.
Now, I should point out that I’m a chemist. I am a Princeton- and Cornell-trained chemist, and I’ve published articles about smell molecules (like chlorine) reacting with surfaces (like hair and skin). I am good at thinking about the world at the microscopic level—atoms and molecules.
I thought about my problem chemically. I learned that chlorine bonds tightly to hair and skin. I learned that existing products didn’t have the right ingredients to release chlorine from hair and skin. I discovered that I could neutralize chlorine by applying the right solution of vitamin C.
SwimSpray’s best selling point is that it actually works – my hair isn’t crunchy or dead anymore. My skin doesn’t burn or itch. Getting the chlorine off after swimming feels great.
This is not another “swimmers’ shampoo.” We are different. We are different based on fundamental chemical principles.
As a swimmer, I am very excited about SwimSpray. I think that we have improved swimming for all swimmers. Our vitamin c-based formula solves swimmers’ number 1 complaint with the sport.