Please don't think that since you have relaxed hair you cannot go swimming! Swimming + Summer go hand and hand and while relaxed hair might not fit smoothly in with those two it certainly doesn't exclude you from having a good ol' time poolside and underwater this summer.
I'm relaxed and during the summer months I spend a great deal of time underwater! Over the years I've figured out how to keep my hair healthy despite all the exposure to chlorine and saltwater (but that's another blog post).
#1. Always thoroughly rinse out any and all chlorine from your hair. During my younger years I was forced to wear a swim cap to "protect" my hair from the water. No matter what brand, how many caps, or how I positioned them on my head some of my hair always got wet. Now did I always rinse it out? Nope, because I didn't know any better and I figured since only a very small area got wet what's the point? The point is that leaving chlorine on relaxed hair results in damage. Point blank period. It always did for me.
#2. Don't always use shampoo. Some of you might be confused, because Rule #1 clearly states you must rinse out any and all chlorine from you hair. Please note I said RINSE, not wash. If you swim as much as I do you would be shampooing every day or every other day at the least, now we all know that's a no no. Instead - co wash! Need a quick refresher on co-washing? Read up on it here.
#3. Condition like crazy. I know my hair and I like to think you know your hair too. During swimming season my hair craves conditoner, chlorine drys out my hair something terrible so to reverse that I deep condition my hair so much more during the summer. Especially the edges and my ends.
Side note: You gotta love Queen Bey with her red lips and drink in hand! Super Fab!