Exercise-Related Acne: How to Prevent Acne
Breakouts Caused by Exercising

Most people don’t know that exercise is in fact good for your skin. Not only that, it helps a person maintain a healthy body and more easily deal with stress levels. Unfortunately, some people find that exercising can actually cause more acne to occur. If you realize that your acne is aggravated by exercise, then you probably need to re-examine your exercise routine.

When exercising, what are you wearing? Where are you going? How hard are you exercising? Does your hair touch the acne-affected areas? While it is easy to relate the exercise to your acne, exercise-related acne is more often than not caused by something you have on your body rather than the exercise itself. By removing these exterior things, you may very well put an end to your “workout breakouts.” Below are just a few things to look out for.

Exercise Related Acne: Make-Up

When you are getting ready to exercise, you need to wear as little make-up as possible. In fact, it is a good idea to remove what make-up you already have on the acne-affected area. While exercising, make-up exacerbates the clogging of the skin pores. Even oil-free and non-pore-clogging makeup can clog the pores during moderate to heavy exercise. Once you have made it through your exercise routine, it is very important to wash your skin as quickly as possible.

Exercise Related Acne: Sunscreen

For those of you who like to exercise outdoors, you know the importance of keeping your skin safe from the sun. Sunscreen while exercising outdoors is a must. Not only is the sun damaging to your skin, some acne medications can make your skin extra sensitive to the sun, therefore sunscreen becomes even more important. Remember that recent studies have proven that prolonged exposure to the sun’s rays will promote clogged pores and subsequent acne flare-ups, not to mention the sun damage that comes right along with it. When purchasing a sunscreen, find one that offers oil-free protection of at least SPF15 for UVA and UVB rays. Sunscreen can easily clog pores, so it is important to wash it off immediately after your exercise routine.

Exercise Related Acne: Clothing

There are a couple of different ways to go when choosing the right clothing for your exercise time. First off, you want to avoid clothing made exclusively of Lycra or nylon. Fabrics such as these will trap moisture and warmth against your body. This is the ideal environment for the breeding and growth of bacteria, which contribute greatly to the development of acne. Instead, find some lightweight and loose-fitting clothing made from cotton or a blend of Lycra and cotton. This will allow your skin to breathe and decrease the chances of bacterial growth. Also, loose-fitting clothes will cause less friction on your skin. For those extreme exercisers out there, there are new fabrics today which are designed to tap moisture away from your skin. These new fabrics are ideal for heavy sweaters.

Exercise Related Acne: Equipment

Sports equipment such as helmets, pads and swimsuits has always proven to be an aggravator of acne-prone areas and lesions due to friction. The best way to stop the aggravation is to make sure your sports equipment fits you the way it was designed to fit. Make sure headwear fits correctly and doesn’t move around. Make sure swimsuits aren’t too tight under the arms or around the neck. If possible, line the areas that touch your body with a layer of soft cotton cloth, such as a cut up t-shirt. This will help absorb moisture and lessen the friction. Always remember to keep your equipment clean and dry when not in use.

Exercise Related Acne: Sweat and Moisture

No matter what sport or exercise routine you participate in, it is vitally important not to continue wearing sweaty and/or wet clothes when you are done. This counts for both exercise clothing and swimsuits alike. You should immediately shower and dry off, if possible. Otherwise it should be done as soon as possible after drying off as well as you can immediately after exercise. When you are washing your face, or other acne-prone areas, after exercising, make sure to blot the skin dry with a new, clean towel rather than wiping it. Wiping the skin can not only irritate it, but can push make-up and sunscreen even deeper into your pores, leading to clogging and acne.

Exercise Related Acne: Showering

It will be best for your acne-prone skin if you shower immediately after exercising and drying yourself thoroughly afterward. In the shower, it is fine to use a medicated exfoliant cleanser, if directed by a physician. Just remember not to scrub your skin extra hard. Doing so will not make you any cleaner than scrubbing gently, and hard scrubbing will irritate your skin as well. If you are unable to shower immediately after exercising, do the best you can by getting as dry as possible and gently wipe down acne-prone areas with medicated pads; always keep a few in your exercise bag.

A healthy body promotes healthy skin. Exercise is a very important part of an overall healthy lifestyle. Keep it up! However, if you are acne-prone or have acne-prone areas of skin, you’ll want to keep an eye out for the various triggers that can aggravate your acne before, during and after exercising.

For information about safe and inexpensive acne treatment, visit this Natural Acne Treatment website.

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