Physical activity can benefit the body and mind in numerous ways. It can decrease risk of many types of cancer. It also decreases risk of diabetes and heart disease. Exercise is also linked to increased mental health. Exercise also benefits the skin by increasing blood circulation. This delivers more oxygen and nutrients to the skin. However, taking proper care of the skin is important for athletes, especially if their sport is outdoors. Here are some skin care tips for athletes.
1. Exercise and Cleansing
Wash your face before exercising.
Make sure you are starting your workout without makeup. Makeup can clog pores and we don’t want sweat and makeup mixing and dripping down your face.
Cleanse after Exercising.
Cleanse as soon after exercise as possible to remove sweat. While sweating is good for you and for your skin, leaving sweat on the skin can increase the risk of breakouts. Sweat helps regulate body temperature. It also helps to remove toxins from the body. When sweat stays on the skin it can clog pores, change the skin pH and lead to a higher chance of acne breakouts. Sweat can also cause skin irritation. Use a clean towel to dab away sweat while exercising.
Wash gently after exercise. Your skin can be more sensitive when hot. Personally, this is when I like to use an oil cleanser like Yarrow Oil Cleanser/ Makeup Remover. This is a very gentle cleanser and can remove the secretions from the sweat glands to minimize pore clogging.
It might be good to rotate cleansers every day.
Try a clay mask to help control acne breakouts. Do this once or twice a week.
2. Hydrate during exercise.
Sweat also removes water from the body that needs to be replenished by drinking more water. Keep a bottle near you when working out.
3. Prevent skin infections during exercise.
Avoid touching your face while in the gym. Your hands have most likely picked up bacteria from the gym equipment and touching your face may spread that bacteria leading to infections. Skin infections in athletes are quite common. These can be fungal, bacterial or viral infections. And of course, wash your hands after using gym equipment.
4. Care and prevention for prickly heat rash.
Athletes are prone to prickly heat rash, medically known as miliaria. This rash usually occurs in skin folds or where clothing can rub against the skin. Heat rash is an inflammation of the sweat ducts of the skin. If you experience heat rash, reduce the heat of the skin with cool water or use a hydrating mist. Remove wet cloths. Use a powder before working our to prevent the area from being too moist. We recommend Chalk Creek Deodorant Powder. This powder can help keep skin dry and has ingredients to decrease itch.
5. Moisturize the skin after exercise.
Hot skin can react poorly to moisturizers. Wait a few minutes until the heat clears to apply your moisturizer. Use a face & body mist to sprtiz the face to cool down. Also use it after a workout to restore your skin’s natural pH. Use a product high in nutrients such as Springtide Gold Face Cream.
Moisturizing is especially important after swimming. Pool chemicals can really dry the skin. After swimming, take a shower to remove these chemicals from the skin. Then moisturize the entire body with a good lotion or body oil. We recommend our botanical Body & Massage Oil with herb extracts that provide skin nutrients or Mountain Mist Hand & Body Lotion.
6. Wear sunscreen.
Outdoor athletes have an increased risk of skin cancer. Sunscreen and protective clothing are important.
Keep your most important skin care products in your gym bag. This way you will have them when you need them. These might include cleanser, face moisturizer, body moisturizer, face/body mist and body powder. You don’t have to be a hardcore athlete to take advantage of these tips. They work for everyone.
Recommendations for Athlete Skin Care
Chalk Creek Deodorant Body Powder
Mountain Mist Hand & Body Lotion
