Written by Imane Dodo
Image by @preciousleexoxo
Exercising will get you looking snatched and feeling great, but it also comes with its own headaches… Unfortunately, gyms and workout studios are the perfect breeding ground for yeast and bacteria due to limited ventilation, sweat, and heat. Add in the fact that you’re sharing equipment and space with others, and you can see how this might start to show on your skin, in the form of post-workout acne. Yes, we know what you are thinking – life is tough and we must keep up the good fight on all fronts because the devil works overtime. Luckily, we have some tips to prevent your gym life from clogging your pores.
Remove your make-up before working out
The combination of sweat from working out and makeup can lead to the buildup of bacteria, clog your pores and lead to acne. If you wear makeup, please remove it before working out. We all want to look cute at the gym, but this is your chance to practice some makeup-free self-confidence and flaunt the work (and money) you’ve been putting into your skincare routine. In general, try working out with a freshly washed, moisturized and SPF’d face to be on the safe side.
Avoid touching your face
We’ve all realized how dirty gyms are since we started wiping every single piece of equipment off during the pandemic. Now imagine touching your face with hands that have been on the pieces of equipment that you couldn’t clean, or the dirt that you may have missed from wiping off all the equipment. yuck. Hands are a breeding ground for bacteria, especially as you touch your phone and other items all the time while at the gym. Touch your face as little as possible during your workouts and take the time to wipe off any equipment that may touch your face such as mats. Even if you may look like a psycho, your skin will thank you for it.
Bring your own towel
Unless you are 100% confident that your gym takes cleaning seriously and doesn’t just put some perfume on the towels instead of dry cleaning them at a high temperature; bring your own towel and make sure that you bring a new towel for every session. may sound extra but we all know some people have questionable hygiene practices out there.
Protective styling!
Prioritize protective hairstyles if your hair is long. Natural oils from your hair can transfer onto the skin, clog pores and lead to breakouts. Protective styling makes you win on all fronts as it helps protect your hairstyle when working out. Check out our article here on how to protect your hairstyle when gyming if you have not done so already here!
Use mineral-based SPF
First, we just want to reiterate that you should never leave your house without wearing sunscreen. Now secondly, some sunscreens are more gym friendly than others. Sunscreens are either chemical or mineral-based. For workouts, prioritize sunscreens that are free of chemicals and any other irritants including fragrances, this will prevent your eyes from burning when sweat gets into your eyes (the objective isn’t to come out with a broken leg please), and minimize the touching of your face to soothe your eyes… it’s all related sis. In this case, mineral-based SPF (also called physical SPF, physical actives, or mineral actives) come out as our favorites.
