Taking care of your skin post-workout can be just as important as your morning and night time routines, which you can read about mine HERE and HERE. And while you may already have your post-workout skin care regimen on lock, you could be—unknowingly—committing some major post-workout skin care faux paus. Today, I am sharing 7 mistakes you don’t want to make after a sweaty workout.
But first, let’s quickly talk about what you should be doing skin-wise BEFORE hitting the gym. Some say you should cleanse, tone, and moisturize (with SPF) before a workout. Others say you should skip the routine altogether and do it after your workout. I fall somewhere in between.. it’s not black and white to me because everyone works out at different times of the day.. some in the morning, some on their lunch break, and some in the evening.
I tend to workout mid-morning after my son’s nap so I don’t like to wake up and not do ANYTHING because otherwise it feels dull and dehydrated and I have to be seen at school drop off 😉 But since I had only done my nighttime skincare routine less than 10 hours before my intended workout, I usually skip the cleanser in the morning and just rinse with cold water and a clean towel. A splash of cold water really gets things moving, you know? The one thing I put on my face every morning before a workout is SPF.. the only miracle worker in a long line up of products. I save my full AM routine for after the gym. Now.. I am not saying my way is the right way.. it’s just what works for my skin. Some people wake up oily and NEED that immediate cleanse and toner. Do you.. but whatever you do, don’t EVER skip the SPF, ok?! Get a good one like this from Supergoop.
Now let’s get to the blog post… what mistakes are you making post-workout?
#1: SKIPPING OUT ON CLEANSER
Just like your morning and evening skin care routines, one of the most important steps of a post-workout skin care routine is cleansing your skin. Cleansing is necessary in order to rinse away sweat and any pore-clogging dirt and debris that your skin may have come into contact with doing all those squats and burpees.. woof. My recommendation is to stick with something “clean” without any harsh irritants or scents.. more on that next. But my favorite cleanser to keep in my bag is Drunk Elephant’s Jelly.
Side note: using makeup wipes is a no-no in my opinion. They are advertised as being the miracle to getting makeup off your face but don’t be fooled. This is NOT the best way to remove makeup or sweat and in fact, just smears it around and into your pores. Gross. Ditch the wipes and cleanse the old fashion way with warm water, cleanser and a CLEAN MICROFIBER TOWEL (don’t use your gym towel, sicko). ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS bring two towels to the gym/yoga studio/whatever it may be.. one for your face and one for your body.
#2: USING PRODUCTS WITH SCENTS OR OTHER IRRITANTS
Another post gym no-no? Applying scented products to your skin. After your workout, your skin can feel more sensitive than usual, which in turn can make it more sensitive to scented skin care products. When packing your gym bag with skin care products, try to choose ones that are fragrance-free or formulated for sensitive skin types. Obviously Drunk Elephant is one of our very favorite skincare brands and their Littles Package of products would be PERFECT for any post-workout. (ps this post is NOT sponsored in any way.. just a true love for their line.)
#3: APPLYING PRODUCTS IF YOU’RE STILL SWEATING
After a particularly intense workout you can often find yourself sweating long after you’ve completed that last rep.. Orange Theory anyone?! To get the most from your skin care products you’ll want to give your body a chance to cool down before completing your post-workout skin care routine. That way you won’t find yourself wiping your sweaty face on your dirty gym towel and having to go through your regimen all over again. If you don’t have time to spare and can’t wait, just spritz a soothing facial mist on your complexion to cool things down. Many are formulated with ingredients like aloe vera and rosewater and can leave your skin feeling refreshed upon application. My favorites are by Mario Badescu.
#4: KEEPING YOUR SWEATY CLOTHES ON
If you want to go down a fast track to body breakouts—cough cough NO ONE—leave your sweaty gym clothes on. Some of you don’t have a choice as you’re off to work the second after a workout but for those stay at home moms who live in their leggings, just because it’s acceptable to wear them in public does not mean you should go from a hot yoga class to the grocery store in those SAME leggings. Always bring a change of clothes to change into. Better yet, rinse off in the shower and throw on your fresh change of clothes. The sweat and dirt that you may have rinsed off your complexion post-workout could be lingering on your sweaty workout clothes, waiting to wreak havoc on your body skin.
#5: LETTING YOUR HAIR DOWN
If you just finished a sweaty workout, the last thing you’ll want to do is take your hair down. The sweat, dirt, oils, and product from your hair could come in contact with your hairline or skin and leave you with some unnecessary breakouts. Unless you have plans to rinse your hair in the locker room shower, you’re better off keeping it tied back in a ponytail, bun, braid, headband.. so you probs need some cute hair accessories like this right?!
#6: TOUCHING YOUR FACE
After working out at the gym, one of the last things you want to do is touch your face.. in fact, you should try and stop touching your face altogether (except when doing your skincare routine, of course) but I know that’s a big ask. Whether you ran on the treadmill, lifted weights, or did some yoga, chances are you came in contact with other people’s germs, sweat, and oil. And even your own sweat, germs and oil can wreak havoc on your skin so do yourself a favorite and WASH YO HANDS.
#7: FORGETTING TO DRINK WATER
This one is sort of a no brainer, right? Like, DUH. For health and skin reasons, drinking water throughout the day is always a good idea… especially after sweating some of your body’s moisture out at the gym. So, before grabbing that sports drink, protein shake, green smoothie, or whatever else you like you fuel up on after an intense workout, drink some water! In fact, try and finish that water bottle you brought with you to your workout. Sometimes, I don’t always drink the entire 40 oz of water I brought in my baby blue hydro flask with pink top and the second I get in the car, I chug it. Your body (and skin) will thank you in the long run.
Thank you to all who joined our event this past weekend at The Sweat Studios in Fremont as we talked about this very topic along with ways to get your nutrition back on track! We had so much fun exercising, eating, drinking, learning and chatting with this inspiring group of women.
xx, H
