How To Care For Your Skin When Working Out

If you’re a health enthusiasts, regular exercise is part of your weekly routine, but do you get confused as to how you should be caring for your skin before, during and after? Here’s my expert advice to keep your skin calm and clear.

Pre-Workout: How To Care For Your Skin Before Exercising

Remove heavy makeup.

It’s actually more important to wash your skin after working out than it is to wash your skin before working out. This is because oils, bacteria, and sweat will have accumulated on the skin. But, if you are wearing a heavy foundation, I recommend to wash your skin pre-workout as well. The reason for this is because heat, sweat, and makeup can be a bad combination. Cleanse with a mild, non-drying cleanser, follow with an alcohol-free toner and and lastly, apply a lightweight, oil-free lotion like Skin Recovery Lotion.

Protect against UV.

If you will be exposed to daylight or sunlight during exercise, use a lightweight, non pore-clogging moisturizer with sunscreen, like Weightless Protection SPF 30. To give additional sun protection, I recommend dusting on an SPF-infused mineral powder like ColorScience SPF 50 Mineral Powder. It’s lightweight, water-resistant, gives a tiny bit of coverage to even out your complexion, and, most importantly, it protects your skin from UV rays.

*If you’re going to be exercising outdoors in the hot sun and will be sweating a lot, read these sweat-proof sunscreen tips.

During a Workout: How To Care For Your Skin While Exercising

Avoid touching your face.

During workouts, especially when using cardio or weightlifting machines. These machines breed bacteria, so it is best to keep your hands off your skin. You don’t want to introduce bacteria to the skin as this could possibly result in new breakouts or in the spreading of existing breakouts. Always wash your hands before and after working out.

Post-Workout: How To Care For Your Skin After Exercising

Cleanse.

Post-workout, wash with a mild gel cleanser as this will help thoroughly remove oil, toxins, and sweat. I LOVE using Luxe Mint Cleansing Gel because the mint botanicals feel so refreshing on the skin, and it helps to cool me down fast. (Summers in Austin, Texas are rough!) Whether after a workout or any time you wash your skin, be sure to avoid cleansers that contain Sodium or Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate. These ingredients will pull water out of the skin’s cells, leaving it dehydrated.

Moisturize and protect.

After cleansing, wipe an alcohol-free toner over the skin and immediately apply a moisturizer meant for your skin type. If it’s still daytime and your skin will be exposed to daylight, be sure to either apply a moisturizer with sunscreen or dust on an SPF mineral powder.

Soothe.

If you have a lot of redness in your skin after your workout, look for moisturizers or skin serums with soothing ingredients like white tea, sea whip, azulene, chamomile and bisabolol (found in Redness Care Firming Serum. This will help calm the skin down by taking pressure off of capillaries. (Read more about how to get rid of broken capillaries.)

Cool down.

If you have the time when you get home, apply a thin layer of a gel-based mask like Bio Calm Repair Masque. This will cool heat-activated skin and infuse water deep into the cells. If you keep it stored in the refrigerator, it will calm the skin down even faster. The skin feels sooooo good after it’s rinsed off. If you’re someone prone to clogged pores and breakouts, then Rapid Response Detox Masque is a cooling gel meant to reduce bacteria that leads to blemishes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I remove all of my makeup before working out?

Eye makeup and lipstick are fine to wear. If you’re wearing a light foundation, tinted moisturizer, or mineral powder, you may be just fine leaving your skin as is and waiting to clean it off post-workout. Speaking of makeup, here are 12 common makeup mistakes that are harming your skin.

Should I use a misting spray while working out?

Misting your skin is not recommended. If you mist your skin with a water-based toner and do not apply any moisturizer over it to seal in the hydrating ingredients, the moisture within your skin will evaporate out, leaving skin tight, dry, and dehydrated. This is also true of misting your skin on an airplane, which so many people do.

Should I wash my face before working out and skip moisturizer?

No. I never suggest leaving the skin bare after cleansing, because this leads to skin becoming dehydrated. Using a lightweight moisturizer after cleansing will help your skin retain water. If you are exercising outdoors, it’s best to use a very light moisturizer with a sunscreen.

Should I wear a headband, hat, or bandana to stop the sweat from dripping down my face?

For acne-prone skin types, headbands, hats, or bandanas across the forehead are not recommended as they may cause a backup of oil and perspiration in the pores. This results in small clogged bumps or breakouts. If your skin is not prone to breakouts, this may not be an issue for you. If you find that you’re getting clogged pores, try to keep your headband or bandana further back in your hairline, but not directly across the forehead. Read: Does sweat cause acne?

How important it is for my skin that I drink lots of water before and after a workout?
Since you lose so much water from sweating, it is crucial that you replace it by drinking plenty of fluids before, during, and after workouts. Drinks that replace electrolytes are especially helpful for rehydrating the body. That being said, research concludes that drinking water is the least efficient way to actually hydrate the skin, and that skin hydration levels have much more to do with what you are using topically. Drinking water won’t hydrate the skin—but these three things will.

Keep up the great work with your exercise program and follow these tips to ensure your skin stays clear and healthy-looking!

As for workout clothing, see what I no longer wear during exercise.

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