Fitness is a big part of contemporary culture. Admit it, you drool over those abs littering Dwayne Johnson's body, don't you? That Americans spent over $10 billion in 2015 alone on fitness equipment tells you how fanatic we are about working out.
Of course, it is a good thing! Exercise relieves stress, enhances blood circulation to the cells in your skin, reducing acne.
But here comes the strange twist: exercising causes you to sweat profusely, accumulating bacteria, dirt, and oil on the skin. Sadly, this leads to more acne on your prized skin.
Uh-oh!
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Top 6 hacks to prevent post-workout acne
We know how disturbing post-work acne can be. But should you have to stop your exercise regimen and lose that hot bod you have been working towards? Hell No!
This is why we are sharing with you the following tips to keep off all that post-workout acne.
Touch your face as minimally as you can
For most of us, we struggle to keep our hands off our faces when working out. This doesn't mean well for your skin as bacteria breed on the-lathered equipment you exercise with.
So when you touch them and touch your face, you are transporting germs straight to your face. The results include dry patches, skin infections, and yes, breakouts.
Recognizing that face touching when working out is almost involuntary, it is wiser to thoroughly sanitize your exercise accessories before and after using them.
Hygiene-heavy practices like wiping down shared equipment may appear extreme. Still, they can be crucial in dispelling some of the bacteria, dirt, and oils that would have eventually migrated to your face and body.
Keep your makeup off
Few things encourage acne development as rampantly as the combination of dirt, sweat, and makeup. It is wise to take off your makeup before you hit the gym or start your workout regimen.
When the sweat from your workout combines with the makeup, oils, and consequent dirt, your skin pores are blocked. It is such an inability on the part of your skin to breathe that causes acne.
If you are engrossed with makeup, and can't do without them even while you exercise, we recommend light cosmetic products, preferably mineral-based. This reduces the propensity of your skin pores to clog.
Moisturizer? Bring it on!!!
We need not remind you that your skin health is largely connected with how optimally moisturized it is. Moisturization enhances the calmness of your skin even when you start pouring out all that barrel of sweat.
Naturally, your skin would redden when you sweat after a workout. This is due to the dilation of the capillaries sitting on your skin. Indeed, these capillaries are responsible for supplying blood to your skin top.
Calm and relaxed, your skin is less susceptible to itching and redness when you apply moisturizers due to such moisturizer's cooling and anti-inflammatory constituents.
It would be great to choose a water-based moisturizer (lightweight) optimized for your skin type. After working out, you can further take care of the blemishes and redness with the application of serum and mild cleanser to restore your skin glow.
Keep your workout apparel loose and moisture wicking
Come on, you were not going to wear that dashing fur coat to work out, were you? Keeping off post-workout acne involves reducing the time sweat stays on our skin.
This is why tight-fitting or thick clothes are a no-no, given their alarming tendency to trap moisture and conserve body heat.
Malassezia, a yeast notorious for thriving in moist and warm conditions, savors the environment created by your soaked workout clothes. Fungal acne could spring from an overgrowth of Malassezia on your skin.
Unfortunately, such fungal acne is commonly diagnosed inaccurately as bacterial acne. This means adopting the wrong therapies instead of the oral antifungal medications best suited to such yeast-overgrowth-inspired breakouts.
Try to keep your face free of your hair
Whether you are running on the treadmill or doing your push-ups, your hair tends to readily drape on your face.
But such bromance between your face and hair doesn't mean well for your facial skin. This would convey your hair care products (and even natural oils) to your skin.
All these can result in breakouts after your workout. It is advisable to keep your hair back as you exercise, or better still, tie your hair with it pulled back.
Try to shower ASAP
Yes, you read that right. Your bathroom is your best hospital for post-workout acne treatment. Showering at the earliest opportunity ensures that the accumulated dirt, bacteria, oil, and dirt from your workout don't stay too long on your skin.
In situations where your skin has a higher susceptibility to breakouts and your shower would be delayed, you could use face cleansers containing benzoyl peroxide.
This ingredient effectively clears the skin of Cutibacterium acnes, one of the guiltiest culprits behind acne.
There would be instances where your skin may find the benzoyl peroxide too aggressive. Then you can pivot to using micellar water or mild cleaners (totally rid of oils) to clean your face after your exercise.
Now that you know these hacks, you can say goodbye to post-workout acne for good. Next time you step out of the gym, your skin doesn't need to be overrun with breakouts.
