Is Your Workout Sweat Causing Your Breakouts?
You’ve just finished a sweaty HIIT class or a tough PT session here at The Hogarth, what’s the first thing you do afterwards? We’re going to show you why your answer should be running to the changing rooms to cleanse your face!
We all know that working out and getting a sweat on has amazing benefits for our body and mind, but what impact does that sweat have on our skin?
While sweating is a natural and essential process for regulating body temperature, its effects on our skin, particularly our pores, can be significant.
If you do struggle with breakouts and you’re struggling to find solutions, we’d recommend visiting our friendly skin experts here at The Medispa when you’re next visiting The Hogarth. Our team knows everything there is to know about skin and can give you a full skin analysis to help develop a personalised skincare programme just for you. Your workout may be tough, but clear skin doesn’t have to be!
Let’s explore exactly what happens to our pores when we work out, the importance of proper skincare pre and post-workout, and how it can help you find and maintain clear and healthy skin.
What happens to our skin when we sweat?
When you exercise here at The Hogarth Health Club, no matter whether it’s a super sweaty group cycle class with Terry or a relaxing Yoga session with Karen, your body temperature rises. But what happens to your body after that?
• Our bodies sweat in an effort to cool ourselves down
• This sweat is primarily composed of water, electrolytes, and trace amounts of toxins and, as sweat evaporates from the skin's surface, it can leave behind residue, including dirt, oil, and dead skin cells
• This mixture can accumulate in our pores, potentially leading to clogged pores, breakouts and skin irritation
If you’re someone who likes to wear makeup during workouts, unfortunately, you might find the pore-clogging effect gets amplified.
Makeup forms a barrier on the skin, trapping sweat and impurities underneath, which can lead to bacterial growth and acne flare-ups.
To prevent this, it's best to opt for a clean, makeup-free face before hitting the gym. If you prefer some coverage, consider using lightweight, non-comedogenic products specifically formulated for active lifestyles.
So, how do we prevent breakouts caused by sweat?
Prepping your skin before your workout here at The Hogarth can drastically help reduce the risk of breakouts and skin irritation. Our skin experts at The Medispa recommend the below skincare routine pre-workout to give yourself the best possible chance of preventing breakouts:
• Start by cleansing your face with a gentle, non-stripping cleanser to remove any dirt, oil, and makeup residue.
• Follow up with a lightweight moisturiser to hydrate and protect your skin barrier.
• If you're exercising outdoors, don't forget to apply a broad-spectrum sun cream to shield your skin from harmful UV rays.
• If you feel confident enough, skip the makeup until after your workout. Taking these steps forms the first line of defence for your skin and helps prevent those annoying spots from popping up.
What should we do to our skin after a workout to prevent breakouts?
Post-workout skincare is equally important for ensuring that your pores remain clear and your skin stays balanced.
After sweating, it's essential to cleanse your skin thoroughly to remove sweat, bacteria, and impurities that have accumulated during exercise.
Our Medispa team recommend trying the following post-workout:
• If you are cleansing multiple times in one day, you’ll want to use a gentle cleanser again to ensure you don’t strip your skin of its good, healthy oils that are key to maintaining healthy skin. If you’re unsure on what cleanser to try, speak to our Medispa team and they can share some professional skincare products that are suited to you
• Follow up with a soothing toner to rebalance your skin's pH
• Then apply a lightweight, oil-free moisturiser to add hydration back into your skin without clogging pores.
The sooner you can cleanse your skin after a workout, the better, as this means any acne-causing dirt and impurities are cleared away before they have time to sink into pores and clog them. The great news is, if you’ve finished your workout at The Hogarth Health Club, you can pop straight into The Hogarth Medispa for a relaxing facial that’ll cleanse away any impurities, helping to reduce the risk of breakouts all whilst feeling pretty good too! Here at the Hogarth Medispa, we also offer a whole range of acne-fighting treatments so if you’re searching for clearer skin, browse all of our facial treatments here.
Maintaining clear and healthy skin goes beyond just skincare products – it's about adopting a holistic approach that includes proper skincare before and after workouts.