With regular exercise comes multiple benefits – from burning calories, making you fit mentally and physically, to boosting blood circulation and improving the texture of skin – the list of gains linked to any form of physical activity is just endless! Talking about how exercise affects skin, exercise has been known to help acne by regulating the body’s balance of hormones like testosterone that cause excessive sebum production. Also, cortisol, the stress hormone, wreaks havoc on the skin, and there’s a strong link between high cortisol levels and acne breakouts. That’s why even moderate amount of exercise can enhance blood circulation, bringing oxygen-rich blood to the skin, keeping it healthy and free of breakouts. However, some women do complain of frequent breakouts with exercise and after burning calories after an intense gym session. So, in this post, we decided to find out different reasons that trigger post-workout acne and how to prevent them.
1. Avoid Wearing Makeup: We agree that you wanna look great even while working out, but if there’s one place where you should avoid wearing makeup, it’s to the gym and during home workouts. Excess sweat production during exercise can trap bacteria, not allowing the skin to breathe, leading to clogged pores, and acne breakouts. Wipe away all makeup during workout session or at least switch to non-comedogenic makeup products to keep pimples at bay.
2. Take a Shower After Exercising: As we have mentioned above, excessive sweat and sebum production can clog pores, and trigger bacterial growth. After an intense workout, do remember to shower and change into fresh clothes.
3. Use Anti-Bacterial Wipes to Sanitize Headphones and Phones: Sweat and moisture can easily get transferred on to headphones and phones where they become a breeding ground for germs and acne-producing bacteria. Do remember to sanitize headphones and phones on a regular basis to prevent breakouts.
4. Do Not Touch your Face Often While Exercising: In fact, do not touch your face too often in any case. Germs and bacteria can reach your face from other surfaces through your hands, so if you have acne-prone skin, pull your hands back.
5. Wipe Commonly-Shared Workout Equipment: The leg curl machine is a gym equipment where your face can come in contact with a surface and if it has not been sanitized, blame it for your breakouts. Apart from leg curl machine, make it a point to sanitize every commonly shared workout equipment to prevent pimples.
Apart from these points, pull back your hair into a ponytail or bun, away from the face while working out to prevent product buildup and oil from reaching the face, because hair products and hair oils can irritate the skin and cause breakouts.
Does Exercise Help Acne
10 Top Non-Comedogenic Foundations For Acne-Prone Skin
20 Ways To Remove Acne Scars and Pimple Marks
