If you’re devoted to making the most out of your workout routine, then looking after your skin post-workout is a must. There are tons of evidence suggesting that exercise is beneficial for the skin.
This study found that aerobic training may be beneficial in reducing skin aging. But simply working out isn’t enough. If you want to have the skin you’ve always wanted, then here is what your post-workout skin care routine should look like.
Washing Your Face and Body
We all know how messy workouts can get. But when you want to have the skin of your dreams, washing immediately after exercising is the first thing to do.
When we exercise, sweat and all kinds of debris can get inside the pores and clog them. When this happens, breakouts are a common thing. Thus, you’ll need to do a good job of washing your face and body to prevent that.
To get the job done, we recommend a salicylic acid cleanser.
Don’t Use Exfoliants
The first thing that comes to mind after a workout is to exfoliate. We hate to be bearers of bad news but exfoliating after working out isn’t good for your skin.
Exercising impacts our skin just as much as it does our muscles. The way it does this is by making it prone to micro-abrasions. Micro-abrasions are a smart way to say your skin is experiencing mild injuries. So the last thing you want is to exfoliate your skin.
We suggest you stick to the cleanser and put aside the exfoliant for now.
Use Serums
Whenever creating a post-workout skincare routine, you should definitely consider using serums. Post-workout redness is quite common. While it’s nothing serious, it does work against your efforts to achieve the skin you’ve always dreamt of.
But just because your face turns red after working out doesn’t mean you should take it. As a matter of fact, this is precisely why you should incorporate gentle serums into the routine.
Redness occurs due to inflammation. Serums contain all kinds of ingredients that reduce inflammation and encourage a healthy glow. Not only will you be stopping the redness, but you’ll be using a product that will make your skin beautiful. And everyone knows, the more beautiful you feel, the more beautiful life is.
Stop Fungal Acne
Fungal acne is quite common with people that exercise. It occurs thanks to yeast growth in the hair. But this shouldn’t concern you as everyone has this form of yeast in their hair.
The problem is that sometimes the yeast can clog the hair follicles and cause spots. These spots are called fungal acne, and there is something everyone can do to stop them.
To stop fungal acne, you’ll need to use antibacterial soap or more specifically, antifungal soap. Both products work excellently in stopping fungal acne and both can be incorporated into your post-workout skin care routine.
Applying Sunscreen
Not many gals are aware but sunscreen can be an important product for everyday use. We all know that sunscreen protects us from UV rays. The more we’re exposed to the sun, the more it degrades our collagen. Collagen is an important protein that prevents skin lines.
So after you’re finished working out, make sure to apply sunscreen to stop the sun from degrading collagen levels. This step is especially important if exercising outside and if the sun is beaming down your skin.
Cool It Down With A Cooling Mask
Every athlete understands the importance of needing to cool down their muscles post-workout. They do this to stop inflammation, injuries and alleviate pain.
But that’s not the reason why you should be doing it. This step is also important if you’re exercising outside in the heat. The more you exercise, the more your body gets hot. Add to the fact that the sun is shining down at you and your body temperature is going through the roof.
In these cases, the need to cool off has never been more important. If you don’t do it in time, your skin will start to peel off. So unless you want to shed like a snake, we suggest you apply a cooling mask the moment you get home. Many recommend this should be the second step of your post-workout skin care routine.
The reason why it’s so far down is that not everyone exercises in the sun.
Always Moisturize
And the last thing to add to your skincare routine is to moisturize. Moisturizing is important as all that sweating is making your skin lose fluids. This exposes your capillaries, which in turn bring blood to the surface.
Moisturizing after exercising will not only bring back lost fluids, but it will help with redness and itchiness.