Working out is certainly one of the best routes to glowing skin. But have you ever thought that skin care post a workout is equally important for the health of your skin? After all, if you don’t maintain a regime after exercising, your skin can experience breakouts and blackheads. If you love your skin looking naturally pink and radiant after a workout, know that caring for it once you’ve returned is crucial too. Want to know how to kick-start a post gym skin care regime? We spoke to renowned dermatologist Dr. Aparna Santhanam to break it down for us...
 

Shower right

Shower right

Keeping your sweaty clothes on for too long can cause body acne and rashes. Do a favour to your skin and hop into the shower as soon as you return. Excessive sweat will clog your pores and ruin your skin for years to come. Dr. Aparna explains why, “Whether you’re exercising indoors or outdoors, you’re prone to fungal infections and it’s best to shower immediately. Use a non-fragrant soap in the shower but do make sure the water temperature is lukewarm so your immunity doesn’t get affected with extreme temperatures.”

 

Cleanse your face

Cleanse your face

While you’re in the shower, as a part of your skin care routine make sure you wash your face with a face wash suited for your skin type. Dr. Santhanam goes into the details, “There are high chances of your skin turning oily because sometimes, increase in sweat can cause increase in sebum production. This is why it’s imperative to use a cleanser after workout. Also, for those of you with acne prone skin, using a prescribed anti acne gel post workout is also a good idea.” We suggest using the Pond’s White Beauty Pearl Cleansing Gel Face Wash because the cleanser deals with your T-zone as well as removes all the dullness on your skin, thanks to its oxy-gel formula with pearl essence.

 

Don’t forget to reapply sunscreen

Don’t forget to reapply sunscreen

We’ve said this before, we’re saying it again— when it comes to skin care, sunscreen should be your holy grail. Dr. Aparna tells us why, “While you remember to apply sunscreen as a part of your skin care routine before exercising outdoors, you need to understand that applying it even after coming back is imperative. This is because the effect of sunscreen stays only for an hour. Hence, you need to keep reapplying every now and then if you truly want to stay protected from the sun.” We suggest using the Lakmé Sun Expert UV Lotion SPF 50 PA+++. This shields your skin against 97% UVB rays that can cause sunburns while the PA+++ saves your skin from UVA rays that can cause premature ageing.

 

Moisturise your body

Moisturise your body

It’s no rocket science to understand that moisturising is one of the biggest rules to post workout skin care if you really want your skin to stay supple and healthy. “If you work out in a gym, you should know that air conditioning can have alarming effects on the skin. Paradoxically, when you work out at the gym, you can suffer from dry skin. Also make sure you use a lotion to soothe your skin and keep it away from any irritation post a workout,” says Aparna. For a moisturiser, we suggest relying on the Lakmé Peach Milk Moisturiser SPF 24 PA++. With 2 AHAs, this moisturiser promises to hydrate your skin along with giving you sun protection. For lotion and to soothe your skin, use the Vaseline Intensive Care Aloe Soothe Body Lotion. This one has a non-sticky formula that contains pure aloe, stratys-3 multi-layer moisture that deeply moisturises the skin without making the skin feel greasy.

 

Rely on a deodorant

Rely on a deodorant

Since sweat can also cause infections and body odour, make sure you use a deo post your workout. Not only will it destroy bacteria but it will also leave you smelling good. We suggest using the Dove Whitening Original Deo Spray that gives you a 48 hour reliable protection. The good news is that it’s enriched with Vitamin E and fatty acids that help rejuvenate the skin and remove the dead cells over time.

 

Hydrate your body

Hydrate your body

It’s simple logic—you need to drink ample water to replace the fluid you lose from sweating. Moreover, this will also help in weight loss as water will fill you up for a while and ensure that you practice portion control automatically if you’re working out to lose weight.