Hello, Gorgeous!
Exercise is good for us. Not washing our face immediately afterwards is BAD for us! I know, we’ve all been there…workout finished, check. Quick stop at the grocery store on our way home, check. Oh and while I’m out, I should run into the dry cleaners, post office and that cute new shop, check, check and check. Meanwhile, as we continue to check items off of our to-do list, our dried sweat, oil, and dirt from our workout is clogging our pores. Can you guess the ending to this story? Yep, say hello to my little, red friend…a pimple (or two)! The only way to avoid this inevitable ending is to wash your face ASAP after working out. A gentle cleanser is best, not a makeup wipe. Makeup wipes are too harsh for the skin and disrupt our skin’s natural pH level which can cause even more breakouts. For those that are acne-prone, a cleanser with salicylic acid would be best to break up congested pores. Another thing to prevent post-workout blemishes is to keep your hands clean and away from
your face during your workout. Equipment in a gym is dirty and so are your hands after you
touch it.
Other tips and tricks for keeping those pesky pimples at bay:
If you’re exercising first thing in the morning, you only need to rinse your face with water or
wipe with a toner before going to the gym. Save your cleanser for after your workout. Also,
do not apply a heavy moisturizer, as this will “seal” your skin and trap sweat in your pores. A
light moisturizer is fine to use.
If you’re working out in the middle or the end of the day, it’s a good idea to take your makeup
off first. It’s ok to leave your eye makeup on; but heavy foundations, like heavy moisturizers,
tend to trap debris in the pores. After your sweat-sesh, you can reapply your makeup to a
clean face without worrying about having to reapply your morning facial serums (Vitamin C,
growth factors, etc.). The only exception is sunscreen. A broad-spectrum sunscreen (SPF
30+) must be reapplied. Speaking of sunscreen, if you plan on exercising outside, make sure
your sunscreen says, “sweatproof” or “sweat-resistant” on the label, note the duration and
reapply, as necessary.
“I learned a long time ago, the wisest thing I can do is be on my own side” Maya Angelou
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