Is your favourite workout ruining your skin?
Why your workout is RUINING your skin: Facialist reveals the biggest issues running and HIIT classes cause – and the best way to prevent them
- Your favourite workout might be enjoyable, but it might be ruining your skin
- Bootcamps often cause breakouts, running causes sagging and more
- Celebrity facialist Melanie Grant revealed how you can gym-proof your skin
While you might swear by spinning for strong legs or love running for the exercise high it gives you, often our favourite workouts can wreak havoc with our complexion.
But there is no need to let your exercise of choice get in the way of scoring knockout skin, provided you know how to treat the redness associated with hot yoga, or the breakouts that can come after bootcamp.
Here, speaking to FEMAIL, celebrity facialist Melanie Grant shares how you can match your workout to your skin – and the products to use to counteract any problems they might cause.
Speaking to FEMAIL, celebrity facialist Melanie Grant (pictured) shares how you can match your workout to your skin – and the products to use to counteract any problems they cause
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Often many dermatologists say they can spot a runner just by looking at their face – it can be characterised by a loss of volume in the temples and cheeks (stock image)
Running – sagging
When it comes to running, often many dermatologists say they can spot a runner just by looking at their face.
Charactersied by a loss of volume in the temples and the cheeks, this can eventually cause sagging – which can lead to a premature older look.
‘More often than not, runners run in the sun,’ Melanie – who looks after the likes of Lara Worthington – explained.
‘Collagen and elastin are responsible for giving the skin and youthful “bounce”, and elasticity and sun exposure and free radical damage are two of the most damaging factors when it comes to the depletion and degradation of collagen stores in the skin.’
She said that taking a preventative approach is key here, in order to protect from the UVA and UVB rays.
You can do this with a potent antioxidant serum liked Skinceuticals Phloretin CF, as well as a broad spectrum SPF 50+ like Dr Babor’s SPF 50 protective balm.
Chlorine can strip your precious skin of natural oils and break down your protective barrier, leaving your skin dry and itchy (stock image)
Swimming – dryness
Chlorine can strip your precious skin of natural oils and break down your protective barrier, leaving your skin dry and itchy.
‘I cannot imagine anything more drying on the skin,’ Melanie said. ‘Frequent swimmers often experience lipid-dryness as well as severe dehydration in the skin (and nails and hair) from exposure to chlorinated water.’
For swimmers, she said acid-based exfoliation is crucial, and added that you should start with a gentle AHA/BHA blend like the Biologique Rechere Lotion P50 every night after cleansing.
Each week, you should also try an enzyme treatment mask like Cosmedic Pure Enzymes to boost the circulation and get rid of all of your dead skin.
Oils and serums should also be made your best friend. Lather up at night in order to replenish your complexion.
The general visible symptoms of a lot of spinning might be irritation, sensitivity and redness (stock image)
Spinning – irritation
While they are incredibly fun and are great for burning calories, Melanie said that there is a negative side to the trend for spinning.
Melanie Grant (pictured) looks after the complexions of Lara Worthington and more
‘Intensive exercise, while extremely beneficial in moderation, has been known to stimulate stress hormones such as cortisol in the body which in turn can cause inflammation in the skin,’ she said.
The general visible symptoms of this might be irritation, sensitivity and redness.
The facialist recommends addressing this through both diet and lifestyle, but with your skincare, she said you should invest in a good hyaluronic acid serum, paired with a Vitamin B complex, that will help with anti-inflammatory properties.
‘A calming, soothing face mask used two or three times weekly will reduce redness or agitation and cocoon the skin with healing and nourishing ingredients,’ Melanie added.
She likes Biologique Recherche’s Creme Masque Vernix.
Bootcamp – breakouts
Bootcamps like Barry’s Bootcamp and F45 have never been more popular, thanks to their ability to help you burn hundreds of calories in under one hour.
But because ‘so much various equipment is used and often shared, bacteria is easily cross-contaminated from person to person and from hands, bodies and the workout environment to our faces’.
Melanie added that bacteria ‘also tends to breed in warm, humid environments’, which means sweaty gyms are great at making you break out.
The most important part of your skincare routine if you’re a bootcamp devotee is a decent cleanser ‘which will cleanse the skin of congestion-caused bacteria, sweat and grime and prevent the formation of comedones and pustules’.
Melanie recommends Cosmedix Purity Clean cleanser, as it’s gentle and effective, non-stripping and contains lactic acid to refine the skin at the same time’.
‘Hot yoga can induce erythema in the skin, due to exposure to intense temperatures for long periods of time,’ Melanie said (stock image)
Hot yoga – redness
‘Hot yoga can induce erythema in the skin, due to exposure to intense temperatures for long periods of time,’ Melanie said.
The excessive heat can also stimulate hormonal pigment like melasma or exacerbate dark spots.
‘If redness is presenting after your hot yoga class and seeming to stay put long after, reach for serums and creams that offer a vascular-constricting action like Biologique Rechere Serum Erythros’.
This product contains biological derivatives to reduce flushing in the skin as well as simultaneously strengthening capillaries so that they are less prone to bursting.
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