Why You Should Think Twice Before Wearing Makeup To The Gym
If you're someone who chooses to wear makeup to the gym, it's something you should probably reconsider. As celebrity makeup artist Jo Baker told Byrdie, "it is a skin crime to wear makeup at the gym." Here's why.
According to Consultant Dermatologist and British Skin Foundation Spokesperson, Dr. Anjali Mahto, "Sweat and increased temperature brought on by exercise can lead to open pores which can become blocked by particles of make-up." Speaking to ELLE, she explained, "This can easily lead to breakouts and, in turn, uneven skin texture," she continued. Yikes!
If that's not reason enough to ditch your foundation at the gym, working out makeup-free can actually work wonders for your skin. "The gym is a great healthy way to let your skin do what it's supposed to — breathe and sweat and flush out any unwanted toxins that need an easy exit path," Baker told Byrdie. In other words, it's a great chance to let your body do its thing.
You should always cleanse your face after working out
In fact, not only is exercising good for your health and skin, it can actually make you younger. "Regular exercise has been linked to longer telomeres, which is a genetic marker of age — ie. exercise makes you genetically younger," Dr. Daniel Glass of The Dermatology Clinic London told Ladders. No need to let your bronzer get in the way of that!
If you absolutely must wear makeup to the gym, don't fret. At the end of the day, wearing makeup to the gym isn't going to kill you. "It's OK to wear makeup while you work out, as long as you use non-comodegenic products that won't clog your pores", London Dermatologist, Dr. Sam Bunting, told Women's Health. But "it's also advisable to get rid of sweat by cleansing your skin post workout," she warned.
Post-gym, "I'd recommend gentle cleansing," Rosi Chapman, skincare specialist and founder of Transformulas, told Ladders. "Mild foaming or gel cleansers that contain glycolic acid remove make-up and sebum more effectively, whilst also regenerating smoother and softer skin, without causing dryness."