It is important to stay active for your overall health and well-being. Whether it is peaceful and calming yoga session or a heart-pounding cardio workout, exercise offers many benefits for the body. Exercise is not only good for your muscles, it is also good for the skin. Studies have shown that endurance and high-intensity exercises can help to prevent and reduce signs of aging in the skin. Stress is known to contribute to skin aging and also exacerbate skin conditions like acne and psoriasis. Exercising can help to fight stress.
As you know one of the benefits of exercising is giving you a healthy complexion, you may want to follow through good skin care habits to prevent acne, keep your skin hydrated and reduce irritation. Working out and taking care of your skin can help to turn back the clock.
Many often overlooked post-workout skincare. Your skin has to go through a lot during workouts. From sweating to being exposed to outdoor elements or air-conditioning and drying, you would know why it is very important to have post workout skincare. Just like your body, your skin deserves to recover after those sweat-inducing routines. Below are some tips on how to take care of your skin before and after exercise, and the right products that can help you do that.
How To Take Care Of Your Skin Before Workout
Before you begin your workout session, you may wonder whether you should prep your skin before or after your exercise. It all depends on your skin type and the exercise you are going to do. If you have sensitive skin or blemished skin, it is best to use a gentle cleanser to wash your face, pat dry with a disposable face towel and then apply a lightweight moisturizer.
A gentle face wash will purify the skin deeply without being too harsh on sensitive skin. Next, dry your face with a single-use disposable face towel will leave your skin feeling fresh. Bacteria can build up on regular towels that are left to dry in the bathroom. If you use it to wipe your face, the bacteria can be transferred to your face and this can cause redness, breakouts and acne. Ditoi Disposable face towels can change your skincare game.
Follow up your cleansing routine with a moisturizer to strengthen the skin's moisture barrier and offers a protective shield that will last all day. For those with dry or mature skin, it is best to apply moisturizer before workout to help lock in moisture and prevent the skin from becoming dehydrated during exercise.
Do Not Forget Your SPF
Even if you are not exercising outdoor or planning to spend an extended time outdoor after workout, it is important to protect your skin from the harmful rays of the sun. Whenever there is any visible light, you are exposed to some parts of the UV rays and there are growing evidence that this may attribute to skin damage and aging. Consider a moisturize that contains SPF for convenience.
As you are likely to be sweating especially when outdoor, you may want to ensure that your SPF is sweatproof. Apply SPF to your face, ears, throat, chest, and back of the neck.
The Importance of Post Workout Skincare
After a strenuous workout, your skin needs a little bit of help to recover and stay healthy. Here are some simple steps to help you give your skin some love and leave it looking great in no time.
Cleansing
Cleansing should always be the first step in your after-workout skincare routine. Sweat, oil, and dirt can accumulate on the surface of your skin during exercise that these will lead to breakouts and clogged pores. Use a gentle cleanser to remove sweat and impurities without stripping away the skin's natural oil. If you have acne-prone skin, cleansing is essential to minimize the stubborn blemishes. You can also use a disposable clean face towel to cleanse the face together with the cleanser circular movements for gentle exfoliation. This will enhance the cleansing and is great for both removing the dead skin cells and brightening dull skin. Next, pat dry with a new piece of disposable face towel.
Toning
Although not everyone needs to use a toner, but it can help to balance the skin's pH levels. Use a toner that is alcohol-free and contains soothing ingredients.
Hydration
It is important to hydrate your skin after cleansing. Opt for a lightweight moisturizer to replenish lost moisture during your exercise. If you have dry skin, you may want to consider using a hydrating serum or a moisturizer with hyaluronic acid to lock in the hydration.
Skincare routine tips for different workouts
Ahead are some skincare tips for different workouts to help you tailor your skincare routine accordingly.
Yoga and Pilates
Low impact workouts as these may not caused you to be drenched in sweat but it is still important to cleanse your face afterward. Pilates and yoga are workouts that focus on mindfulness and self-care so take the post-workout skincare routine as part of your relaxation ritual. Use a gentle cleanser for face followed by a lightweight moisturizer.
High-intensity Workouts and Cardio
If you are doing HIIT, cardio or other high-intensity workouts, you will definitely sweat buckets. As such, cleansing is important to prevent post-workout irritants. Choose a foaming or gel cleanser to remove the sweat and impurities thoroughly. Use a disposable towel for face to exfoliate and then finish up with a moisturizer that is suitable for your skin type.
Cool Down Your Skin After Workout
Just like we need to cool down our muscles after exercising by stretching and walking, our face needs a break too. Heat can damage the skin so we need to guard our complexion against this, especially after prolonged heat exposure such as a hot yoga class or running outdoor in the summer. Simply wash your face with cool water, pat dry with a disposable cleansing towel and apply a cooling mask after.
Caring for your complexion after exercising is an important part of maintaining a healthy and glowing skin. No matter what type of workout you choose to do, it is essential to take care of your skin as well as your body.
