How can exercise affect acne?

In addition to sweating excessively, exercising can also cause a build-up of oil, dirt, and bacteria on your skin, which can lead to acne.

The good news is that you can achieve clear skin without quitting exercise.

To maintain proper hygiene before, during, and after exercise, you must follow a few simple guidelines.

Whether it's a new year’s resolution, getting ready for your summer holiday or just wanting to work on your fitness, the gym can be the right place to start.

Working out has so many benefits, increased heart rate, lowered blood pressure and it's even very beneficial for your mental health. This is due to an increase in dopamine levels in the brain, which can decrease stress and depression.

Although working out is healthy in so many aspects, it can sometimes come at a small cost for our skin. Due to the amount of sweat and bacteria that can build up in the pores, working out can cause pimples to break out. 

This does not mean we should stop working out. We can just take a few extra steps to avoid pimples when working out.

• Remove makeup before working out.

During exercise, we sweat. Wiping our faces whilst wearing makeup can push it into our pores causing them to become clogged with excess products.

• Wear the correct clothing.

We suggest wearing loose clothing. Tight fitting clothes can rub on our skin and cause irritation to our oil glands and hair follicles. Clothing that can breathe and absorb any moisture will help prevent this from happening.

• Wear clean clothes.

Wearing clean clothes whilst working out can reduce the risk of bacteria entering the pores while we exercise. Removing sweaty clothes right after a workout also stops moisture from spending too long on the skin.

• Shower straight after exercise.

We recommend taking a shower as soon as possible after exercise. This will prevent sweat and oils from clogging the pores and causing breakouts.

Besides the external effects of exercising on our skin, working out can actually have a positive effect on our skin from the inside out.

When we exercise, our happy hormones (endorphins) are released. This helps reduce our stress levels and decreases cortisol along with other acne aggravating hormones that show up when we're under stress.