You’ve now finished your gym session. What’s next? Taking a few extra minutes in the locker room to take care of your skin can truly make a real difference in keeping your skin clean, healthy and glowy. Here are some skincare tricks and tips to help you keep your skin glowing post-workout.
#1 Wash your face
Wash your face ASAP post-exercise before hitting the shower to beat the grease and sweat, plus to remove any build-up of bacteria in the pores. Use lukewarm water instead of hot, as it can strip your skin of natural oils, leaving your skin dry and irritated. Apply cleansers with your fingers and massage the cleanser in with gentle circular motions. Then wash off with warm water and pat dry with a soft cotton cloth or towel. Don’t rub, remember to keep it gentle.
#2 Hop in the shower
Remove your sweaty clothes and hit the shower immediately after you are done washing your face. Why? The longer you sit around in your sweaty gym clothes, the more likely you will be to experience a body breakout, think bacne, chest and butt acne. No time to shower? No problem. Use wet wipes to wipe off acne-prone areas like chest and back, where sweat accumulates most to keep pores clear and breakouts at bay. Then head home for a shower.
#3 Calm your skin
Flushed after your sweat session? The quickest way to cool you down and ease the redness is spritzing your face with thermal spring water or a refreshing face mist with soothing ingredients like camomile, cucumber or aloe vera. Or you may soak two to three cotton pads into a calming toner, and then stick them to your face like a mask for 5-10 minutes. It can calm, hydrate your skin in a few minutes.
#4 Boost hydration
Slather on moisturizer to replenish water lost through sweating during workout. Look out for a deep hydrating lotion or cream formulated with hyaluronic acid, ceramides that help lock water into your skin to maintain supple and soft skin. Don’t forget to drink plenty of water and nourish your skin from the inside out.