My pre-workout skincare routine is the height of minimalism. I cleanse, and if I’m running or spending time outside, I’ll slap some SPF and call it a day. After the session, however, that’s when it starts to get more complicated. I have acne-prone skin, so post-workout breakouts are a very real concern for me.
Vogue’s post-gym skincare routine at a glance:
La Roche-Posay Toleriane Dermo-Cleanser
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The Best For Oily Skin: Haruharu Wonder Black Rice Moisture 5.5 Soft Cleansing Gel
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“If your skin seems to punish you for doing something healthy, you’re not imagining it,” skin specialist Libi Roos confirms. “Post-workout breakouts are incredibly common – but also completely fixable once you understand what’s really going on.
I take a “time is of the essence” approach to removing the sweat and bacteria from my face, and even though body acne isn’t something I generally experience, I jump in the shower as quickly as possible as a preventative measure. But why does it occur? “It’s not the sweat,” Roos stresses. “It’s what happens afterwards.”
She is not referring to the workout itself, but the go, go, go nature of modern life. “Sweat is not your enemy. It’s mostly water and salt – your body doing exactly what it should. The problem? Real life. You do the class, take a call on the way home, grab a coffee — and the sweat just sits there. That’s when it starts mixing with sebum (your skin’s natural oil), dead skin cells and bacteria (including whatever was on that Pilates mat). This creates the perfect pore-clogging cocktail. At the same time, your skin is in a more vulnerable state; your barrier is slightly compromised, your pH is disrupted, and your pores are more open from heat. So anything already on your skin – SPF, leftover make-up, pollution (especially in a city like London) – is now part of the problem.”
