Is a chlorine-free pool better for your skin?

Most people find it noticeably gentler. There is no chlorine to strip natural oils from skin and hair, no stinging eyes, and none of that chemical smell afterwards. For anyone with sensitive skin, the difference is usually obvious on the first swim.

What causes the irritation in a conventional pool is not really the chlorine itself but its by-products. When chlorine reacts with sweat, sunscreen, skin cells and other organic matter, it forms compounds called chloramines. Those are what produce the sharp “pool smell”, the red eyes, and the tight, dry skin afterwards — a strong chemical smell around a pool is a sign of more chloramines, not better sanitation.

A natural pool has none of this, because there is no chlorine to react with anything. The water is biologically balanced rather than chemically sterilised, and it is soft on skin in the way lake or spring water is.

For most swimmers this is a comfort difference rather than a medical one. For people with eczema, psoriasis or sensitive skin, and for those who find chlorinated pools irritate their airways, it is often the reason they went looking for a natural pool in the first place.

We should be careful here: we design pools, we are not medical professionals, and we are not going to claim a natural pool treats any condition. If you have a specific skin or respiratory condition, your doctor is the right person to ask.

What we can say plainly is that swimming in water containing no chlorine, no acid and no stabiliser removes an entire category of irritant. Our safety answer covers children and pets specifically.