The Do’s and Don’ts of Your Post Workout Skincare Routine
Image courtesy of Unsplash
Article by: Tess DiNapoli
We all know to eat the right foods and take a hot shower after an exhausting workout, but how do you make sure your skin doesn’t take as much of a battering as your biceps after an afternoon under the bench press? Read our guide to some of the things you should—and shouldn’t—do to keep your skin in the best condition when you get home from the gym.
Toweling Down
An underthought of but extremely important part of making sure your skin stays fresh after a workout has to do with the towel you decide to use. As Dr. Salameh points out, you’ll want to bring your own towel from home to dry up with, skip the scented cloths that the gym usually provides, and make sure it’s thick enough to do the job but not so plush that it will soak up unwanted bacteria as well.
Pick the Right Sunscreen
You probably already put on sunscreen if you go jogging in the bright morning sun, but did you know it can be good to use for indoor workouts as well? Studies show that wearing sunscreen during a workout can protect from the cancerous effects of indoor light, and help your pores from getting too beaten up while they exert themselves as well.
Scrubbing Down
Most people know to take a shower after they get through with a workout, but it’s just as important to not neglect your face and use a specialized facial scrub when you’re cleaning up. After all, the confidence boosts of staying fit won’t be nearly as powerful if you don’t have a clear face to go along with your toned muscles!
Image courtesy of Unsplash
Using a Good Cleanser
The gym is full of bacteria, and even a casual run down your neighborhood street can put you on a collision path with germs and microbes you definitely don’t want on your skin.
Make sure that you’re using a cleanser that exposes your pores while also protecting them—and if that ends up not working out, take heart that there are other strategies you can use to keep your skin fresh as well.
Take it In Stride
One of the biggest mistakes people can make with their skin is to wash it too aggressively after a workout, scrubbing under the assumption that the extra layer of grime needs extra force to wipe off; this can be just as bad for your skin as not cleaning it at all! Using a gentle cleanser to wipe your face as you would just before going to bed is usually the proper option.
Please Don’t Touch
It’s never a good idea to rub or touch your face too much if you want to keep it free of oils and bacteria, and this concept goes double if you’ve been gripping weights and pulleys that other people have been touching all day. Keep those fingers off your face until you can make it to the washroom to minimize the risk of having a breakout.
What did you think of our list of ways to keep your skin looking smooth when you come home from the gym? Do you have any post-workout skincare tips of your own that you’d like to share with our readers? Sound off in a comment below and let the world know your secrets for keeping your skin as fit as your muscles!
Tess DiNapoli is an artist, freelance writer, and content strategist. She has a passion for yoga and often writes about health and wellness, but also enjoys covering the fashion industry and world of fitness.
