Looking after your skin during workouts
Regardless of what type of exercise helps you to escape, get out of puff or relax your mind, it is important for us to remember how to look after our skin during workouts.
A common side effect to regular active sessions (as well as burning glutes and perfect Downward Dogs) is skin breakouts. When we workout, our pores are often blocked by oil, dirt and excess sweat which leaves it unable to breathe and in turn develop spots and an uneven skin tone. With excess sweating, we also tend to wipe our sweat off with our (probably unclean) hands; this friction that can also trigger skin irritation and blemishes. Dr. Krafferts confirms that the frequency of acne-prone skin getting worse with sweating is about 20% and as more than 90% of world population is affected by a form of acne at some point in their life, looking after our skin before and after we workout seems more important than ever. We have detailed below so top tips for caring for your skin before and after exercising:
BEFORE YOU WORKOUT
If you are a morning exerciser, skip your morning facial routine ahead of working out. Experts claim that sweat is the best natural cleanser and should clean out your pores in the morning
Ideally, remove all traces of make up with a gentle cleanser or micellar water. When we exercise, our body temperature rises and our pores open – make up, excess oils and dirt can contribute to blocking these and in turn cause breakouts
If you would prefer to wear make up, aim to use products that are labelled ‘non-comedogenic’ as these are specially formulated to not clog pores
Wear a headband or a sweatband to protect your hairline and T-zone from excessive sweat
AFTER YOU WORKOUT
Wash your hands before you go anywhere near your face…the bacteria and dirt that you have collected on your hands from your work out environment can cause further skin damage
Post work out, it is important to help your skin recover to ensure that it can regulate and breathe. Always rinse your face with cool or lukewarm water to avoid shocking the skin, causing extra redness and prevent the breaking of blood vessels
Wash your face almost immediately after working out with a gentle cleanser that has cooling properties, calming ingredients such as Chamomile or anti-bacterial ingredients such as Tea-Tree
After cleansing, always pat your skin down; avoid a wiping/dragging motion as this will cause further irritation
Do not pat dry your face fully. If you let it air dry, you will avoid your skin feeling overly dry and tight
As well as hydrating your body with water, your skin will need extra hydration post workout. Be sure to use a Hyaluronic Acid rich moisturiser or serum to replenish dehydrated skin
It seems very natural to try and scrub and exfoliate our faces after a workout, but it is worth noting that you can be causing your skin more harm than good. Experts say that exfoliating post work out is a definite no as exercise is incredible for skin turnover and we want to avoid forceful scrubbing which will cause further irritation and redness
The only exception to this, seems to be Salicylic or Glycolic pads which are gentle exfoliates and will help to remove any residual make up or dirt that could be clogging your skin post workout
THE BEAUTY BRAND COACH
