Perhaps you want to increase your protein intake or correlate your diet to your fitness plan, but have you ever thought about aligning your skincare with your exercise plan?

While this is something that not many people think about, exercising can play a large role in your skincare, and it brings some of its own advantages and disadvantages along with it. One of the biggest impacts that workouts have on your skin is the risk of a breakout, and this is caused by surface oils and dirt being trapped in the pores as they open when sweating. If you want to find out how you can adapt your skincare plan to your workouts, here’s how!

Part 1: Pre-Workout Skincare Routine

Step 1

The first, and arguably most important step for acne skin, that you need to follow before working out is to cleanse your face. The importance of cleansing is that it removes any surface oils, grime and dirt from the skin, leaving a completely fresh complexion, and this is exactly how you want to be starting your workout.

When you work out, there’s increased blood flow to the skin and causes the pores to open, and this allows anything on the surface of your skin to enter. Over time, this can trap dirt and oils as your pores close after cooling down, and this can cause, or worsen any existing, acne.

If you’re working out in the morning, use a gentle gel cleanser to wash your face and remove any oil build-up from overnight. If its later in the day, perhaps during the evening, use a double cleansing method to ensure you’re removing all makeup. Begin by removing surface grime, makeup and sunscreen with micellar water, and follow this with a gel cleanser.

Step 2

Once your skin has been cleaned, it should feel much fresher than before, and you are ready to move onto the next step. Remember here that it’s important not to overload your face with products, as this can both irritate your skin and, when your pores open up, some heavy products may be taken in by the pores, which you want to avoid.

However, you’ll probably find that, even if your skin is oily, you need to wear a moisturizer to prevent the skin’s surface from becoming tight and dry, so a lightweight product is perfect. A lightweight antioxidant moisturizer will protect your skin from free radicals that can come from pollution, the surrounding environment, or diffused sunlight that seeps through windows.

Step 3

Finally, one of the most important skincare products in any beauty routine is sunscreen, and it should never be forgotten. When working outside, you should always remember to wear a suitable protection level of sunscreen, ideally SPF 30 or above, even in the colder months, and the same applies if you are working out near a window.

While you may not think your skin is being directly targeted by the sun, windows and other openings can allow indirect sunlight in, and this still has the ability to damage your skin, so you should still use a sunscreen when inside near a window for this reason. Plus, remember to apply it every 2 hours if you’re exercising for a long period of time, to ensure it remains effective.

Part 2: Post-Workout Skincare Routine

Step 1

Once your workout has ended, your best choice is to start with your skincare regimen as soon as possible, as this will make it most effective, and ensure that nothing is left to absorb into the skin that shouldn’t be.

You should begin by washing your face immediately, or at least within 30 minutes after finishing your workout, as this will allow you to remove any surface residue before it has the chance to set into your pores. If this residue does manage to be absorbed into your pores, it can cause breakouts, and nobody wants an easily avoidable breakout. If it feels more comfortable, feel free to wash down your face with cool water, too, as this can reduce any redness.

Step 2

Once again, it’s time to go in with the same antioxidant moisturizer you used earlier, and this is essential for re-instilling some balance and hydration in the skin. Although you may sweat during your exercise session, this isn’t the same as applying a moisturizing or hydrating product, and sweat by itself can actually leave your skin feeling drier once it’s been rinsed off.

Therefore, it’s important to use a moisturizer, even if it’s just a lightweight one, and the antioxidants will protect you from damage caused by free radicals.

Step 3

Finally, you can apply a sunscreen once again, although your choice to do this does depend on the time of day. If it’s already dark, there’s obviously no point in using the product anymore, as the sun can’t damage your skin when it’s not out. But, if it is light outside, you should definitely reapply your sunscreen, once again at least SPF 30, which will help protect your from sun damage.

If you’re using a chemical sunscreen, it’s always best to wait at least 20 minutes after application before going back outside again, as chemical sunscreens need time to be absorbed into your skin to become effective. If you would rather just apply and go, stick with a mineral-based sunscreen.

Photo by Heather Ford on Unsplash