You can tell when you’re really working out hard – you sweat a lot, need to drink more water, feel the burn in your muscles, and feel awesome afterward, right? Well, most of you does. It’s natural to feel that high after sweating to your favorite workout for an hour, but what does that sweat do for your skin? If you feel like you really need a shower after a trip to the gym, you would be right. But, it is more than that. You must properly cleanse your skin without leaving behind excess body oils and products that can cause problems for your skin. We have a short guide on how to care for your skin post-workout!
First, you must cleanse your skin as soon as possible after your workout. Many soaps out there are very harsh, so opt for one that is gentle and that also will not leave residue on your skin. It should strip excess oils and toxins from your skin and pores, but it shouldn’t hurt or leave a rash. Medicine Mama’s will be releasing a gentle soap soon, so keep your eyes open on our product page!
We also recommend showering or bathing in lukewarm water rather than hot water. Hot water can damage your skin cells by drying them out too much. A nice cool or mildly warm shower should be able to get you very clean after your workout!
Next, know that scrubbing your whole body is necessary. Use a gentle loofah or sponge and cover all the areas of your body that you may typically forget. Your upper back is one that is especially vulnerable to workout-related acne as sweat runs down your neck. If you are a lady that wears sports bras, you may have an even tougher time with back acne since those tightly fitted bras can trap in sweat and oil. Make sure to wash areas like these carefully. The backs of the knees, neck, and underarms are other common places where sweat buildup can cause skin problems.
Once you are clean, there is another step you must not forget, and that is to moisturize! Removing oil and dirt from your skin is necessary to clean your pores and prevent bacteria growth. However, using soap removes bad and good oils. Therefore, we must replace those in our skin with a great moisturizer. Our Sweet Bee Magic is especially perfect because all of the ingredients are natural and organic, as well as there are no harsh chemicals or fragrances that actually do harm to your skin cells over time. Be sure that while moisturizing your skin, you don’t use a product that is placing alcohols and chemicals into your skin, and make sure to cover those hard-to-reach areas – they need love, too!
Finally, for long-term skin maintenance, remember that exfoliation is important. Medicine Mama always recommends dry skin brushing, and you can read our blog about this here. However, since we are talking about after workout care, we must mention that your dry skin brushing would be better performed at another time during your day when your skin is completely dry and free of oil buildup.
Happy workouts to all of your beautiful people out there, and don’t forget to take care of your skin!