Do you suspect that your workout is causing (or worsening) your acne?

Do you suspect that your workout is causing (or worsening) your acne? You could be right. If your workout is the culprit, you don’t have to stop exercising. You can continue to play sports, take your favorite exercise class, or hit the gym and still see clearer skin.

Here are our top tips to help breakouts while working out:
1). First things first, make sure you remove your makeup before your work but avoid the use of makeup wipes which may contain alcohol and harsh chemicals - use your favourite gentle cleanser pre-workout

2). Wear clean workout clothes (washed since you last wore them). Dead skin cells, bacteria, and oils on unwashed clothes can clog your pores, leading to acne.

3). As always, apply oil-free sunscreen before you head outside. If you’re going to exercise outdoors during the day, you can prevent breakouts by protecting your skin from the sun. In order to get the protection you need, you’ll want to apply a sunscreen that offers:
SPF 30 or higher.

During your workout:
To remove sweat during a workout, use a clean towel and gently pat the sweat from your skin.

1). Use a clean towel to wipe off sweat. You want a towel that has been washed since it was last used. When you remove sweat from your skin, gently pat it off. Rubbing your skin can cause acne to flare due to further stimulation of the oil glands.

2). Wipe off shared equipment before you use it. Shared equipment can be full of bacteria and oil. If you use the equipment and then wipe your forehead or other acne-prone skin, you can spread acne-causing bacteria and oil from the equipment to your skin.

3) Choose cotton clothing rather than synthetic materials often found in “active wear” as cotton draws sweat/oil away from the skin’s surface.


After your workout:

We recommend showering immediately after your workout. This will rinse away bacteria that can lead to acne breakouts and remove excessive oil/sweat from the skin’s surface.
When you wash acne-prone skin, you’ll want to use a cleanser that is:
-Mild/gentle
-Oil free (label may say “non-comedogenic” or “won’t clog pores” instead)

A mild, oil-free foaming or creamy cleanser can remove bacteria that can lead to acne and prevent clogged pores without irritating your skin.When washing skin with acne, be very gentle. Apply the cleanser with your fingertips and gently rinse it off with luke warm water. Rubbing the skin and excessively hot water can cause acne to flare.

For those prone to truncal acne or “Backne” you may add a body wash containing salicylic acid to help prevent acne breakouts.

If you aren’t able to shower, consider changing out of your workout clothes and wiping skin that tends to break out with pads that contain salicylic acid. This can prevent clogged pores.