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The Gym & Your Skin: How to Care for Your Skin While Working Out

You might try to find a million excuses to skip your next gym session, but post-workout breakouts shouldn’t be one of them.

Sure, the gym is full of germs and a good workout can lead to sweating, dehydration and clogged pores, but there are plenty of ways to see better results – for both your skin and overall health.

With the proper routine and a little bit of caution, there’s no reason your workout can’t leave your skin glowing, dewy and happy. Just follow these easy steps that you can take before, during and after your workout to ensure beautiful, healthy skin.

skincare for the gym

Care for your Skin Before the Gym

Remove makeup. One of the most important things to do before a workout is to remove your makeup and wash your face. When your body gets moving and starts to perspire, your pores open up, allowing for sweat secretion. A face full of makeup will lead to build-up and immediately clog your freshly opened pores. While forgetting to remove your makeup may seem like no big deal, it can actually be the main cause of post-workout breakouts. If you head to the gym straight from work, try tossing makeup removing wipes in your gym bag. Or, if you have time to go home, there are plenty of all-natural makeup removers including milk, avocado and cucumber.

Pull your hair back tightly. There are several important reasons to pull your hair back before working out. The first is to prevent you from sweating too much. When your hair is in your face, you’ll sweat more, which will lead you to reach for a towel. However, using a towel to absorb the sweat from your face can irritate and clog the pores.

Also, any product you have in your hair will sweat onto your face, leaving your skin exposed to the product’s ingredients. If you really want to avoid hairline pimples, wear a headband. But wear it over your hairline, not your forehead – covering your forehead can trap the sweat and also cause clogged pores.

Take Care of your Skin While You Workout

Don’t touch your face. One of the biggest mistakes you can make is touching your face after using the gym equipment. While there might be a policy stating users are required to sanitize equipment after using it, not everyone follows the rules. The last thing you want to do is touch your face after touching the germ-infested equipment. If you really want to be cautious, try wearing a pair of training gloves to the gym. In fact, according to Michael Lin, MD, dermatologist and founder of Dr. Lin Skincare, gloves prevent the transmission of bacteria and viruses.

Drink plenty of water. Dehydration is bad for every part of your body, including your skin. You want to make sure to drink water throughout your workout and continue to hydrate afterwards, too. This will not only help you feel better, but it will keep your skin from drying out. You lose a lot of fluids through sweating, and you need to replenish. Dehydration can cause your skin to look older and can also lead to dead skin build-up, which clogs your pores. To avoid wrinkles and pimples, fill up on H2O! WebMD recommends the following regimen:

+ Drink 15 to 20 ounces of water an hour or two before your workout.

+ Drink 8 to 10 ounces of water 15 minutes before your workout.

+ Drink an additional 8 ounces every 15 minutes during your workout.

Skincare for After the Gym

Bathe. This might seem like a no-brainer, but you should always shower immediately after a workout to wash off all the sweat residue left on your body and face. Use an oil free cleanser that will remove all the dirt and bacteria. Also, pick a cleanser that’s going to balance your complexion, as sweating can throw off your skin’s pH levels. If you’re prone to pimples, try Indie Lee’s brightening cleanser.

Moisturize. Although drinking water helps, it isn’t enough to keep your skin moisturized and healthy. Apply an oil-free moisturizer after washing your skin to keep it glowing and happy. Sweating can really dry out your skin, so you need to take proper care afterwards

Taking care of your skin is a necessary part of your workout routine. With these tips and tricks, there’s no reason to sweat the small stuff like breakouts.

For more healthy living ideas, check out The Elements of Living, a lifestyle blog created by FirstService Residential, North America’s leading residential property management company. Image from BigStock.

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