Top 5 Skincare Tips for Active Women

Embracing an active, healthy lifestyle is something we all aspire for. Whether we hit the gym, the hiking trail or the yoga mat, we know the immense benefits we’re reaping from our efforts. But did you know that those same healthy habits can have negative consequences on our skin? While exercise will do wonders for our overall health and skin vitality, women with active lifestyles have to take extra care of their skin to avoid irritations and breakouts. Sweat, dirt, oil, bacteria… you get our drift. Here are Dr. Jacqueline Schaffer’s top skincare tips for active women: 

Apply a Strong SPF

Beach run anyone? If you love working out outdoors, make sure you’re using a strong SPF, rain or shine! Yes, we know we sound like a broken record but we can’t emphasize this enough. Here’s an interesting tidbit though. If you have at least 5 servings of carrots a day, you can increase your internal SPF by 5%. Thank you carotenoids! And don’t forget to throw on your favorite cap for extra sun protection.

Pre-Cleanse

Pre-cleansing is super important. We’re all guilty of showing up to the gym with makeup on. Though we look extra cute in those gym selfies (guilty again), we’re doing a huge disservice to our skin. Wipe off any makeup before working out. Try to take a quick rinse before. This will help decrease oil production and will help not attract as much bacteria. When we’re working out, our pores open up naturally (to cool our internal temperature down). When we leave our makeup on too long during the day, we attract pollution from the environment, then we sweat and basically convert our skin into a petri dish for more bacteria to build up.

Post-Cleanse

Wash your face right after working out. In fact, try to take a shower within 30 minutes after exercising to swipe off the built-up sebum, sweat, dirt and oil that you’ve attracted during your workout.

Be Careful What You Touch at the Gym

For all of you gym lovers out there, be careful what you touch at the gym. Whether it’s machinery or weights, don’t assume that those antibacterial wipes have made them perfectly clean. Be as hygienic as you can in terms of what you touch. Most importantly, DON’T touch your face and never wipe off sweat with your hands.

Beware of Your Hair Products

It goes without saying that you should have your hair tied back during your workout. But sometimes, not even a headband is enough to prevent those pimples from popping up on our forehead and around our hairline. Why? Check the hair conditioner or styling product you’re using. Some products have so many oils to hydrate and nourish the hair. When we sweat, these oils seep into our skin and clog our pores.

So, don’t ignore your skin while you’re focused on being healthy and fit. As your largest organ, it too demands some attention and care!