Has life exhausted you (and your skin) and led you down the rabbit hole in search of those “feel-good” chemicals? Then here’s a peek at the discovery you are soon about to make: the answer lies not in Netflix and chilling, but in gyming and skin-winning instead.

Exercise is the closest thing known to a magic pill. You want to know why? Here’s not one, but multiple whys answered for you:

Feeling scattered and need to get that cognitive functioning on track? – Exercise. Want to combat the stress that isn’t just stress? – Exercise! Yearning for that heavenly feeling that a solid night of sleep gets you? Exercise!

Working out and breaking a sweat, without doubt, bears an extensive amount of goodies for us, however, it does affect our largest organ – skin, considerably along the way as overheating and sweating can irritate it. So grab your glasses because we are about to go down a long, bumpy road of repercussions exercising leaves behind and, derma-approved insights to help you get the skin you deserve.

Disaster – Body Acne

Did you think your face will be the only region on your body exposed to those pesky little zits and pimples? But then boom, one day you woke up with them all over your back, or maybe your shoulders, or worse, your chest, surprised much, huh? Don’t you worry though, you have got plenty of company. To counter this little existential crisis of yours, we need the know-how of what’s cookin’ underneath those layers of our skin.

Body acne is triggered due to the same factors that activate facial acne, which are overactive oil glands, surplus dead skin cells, and the mushrooming of acne-causing bacteria. The upper half of the body, mainly your back and chest, have many sebaceous glands making these regions an easy target for acne. And to top it off, factors such as rubbing or pressure on the skin, combined with heat and sweat can trigger acne by irritating and inflaming the follicles and clogging pores. Hence, making body breakouts usual for exercisers.

The Magic Remedy – Wash it all away

Now that we know what to hold accountable for this discomfort, unclogging pores and fighting bacteria is the target. The one basic way to do this is by hopping into the shower right after working out. While taking a rinse off, my personal preference is to use a seaweed deep cleansing gel wash to get the sweat and grime off my skin before it clogs pores and causes any inflammation.

Disaster – Forehead Breakouts:

Acne knocking on your doorstep again? Don’t you worry, this one is more common than the previously stated. Your one target enemy again is excess oil production. This bottled together with headbands and/or hair products can make things messy for you.

The Magic Remedy – Cleanse all the way

The most obvious way to avoid the hassle is by not using headbands and hair products altogether. However, in matters of the face, one can never be careful enough. So wiping off your makeup with a cleansing cloth to avoid extra build-up and soothing it with balancing rose mist should be a daily practice for all the exercises out there.

Disaster – Parched skin

If you thought getting rid of all the oils on your skin will give you wondrous results, then here’s a little update for you lot: dry skin can be a deal-breaker. The more you exercise, the more you will shower. But hey, showers are amazing, no? Uh, not entirely, no. Frequent long and hot showers can strip your skin of the natural oils resulting in dryness, and we don’t want that discomfort, right?

The Magic Remedy – Improvise and Moisturize

To tackle this situation, you need not skip showers. You should rather avoid prolonging them and try using cool water instead. Moreover, moisturizing is a key step in combatting dryness, so try incorporating a nourishing body wash into your routine followed by a hydrating lotion to help minimize trans-epidermal water loss.

Disaster – Sun damage

Outdoor workouts hit different early in the morning with fresh air and vitamin-d adding more to the basket of goods. However, there is one curb that you might want to look into – free radical damage from UV rays. This not only breaks down collagen and result in premature ageing but can potentially expose you to the risk of skin cancer.

The Magic Remedy – Sunscreen, your skin’s best friend

Applying sunscreen every day, be it indoor or outdoor, should be made a religious practice. It will go a long way in saving you so much trouble. Sunscreen, however, wears off easily due to some everyday activities, so it must be reapplied repetitively.

Disaster – Chafing

Our skin is delicate and must be handled with care. But friction finds its way through when your body rubs the wrong way against itself (your thighs!!) or clothing. This combined with sweat and moisture due to working out can irritate the skin.

The Magic Remedy – Breathe through your clothes

The answer to this painful problem is summed up in two words- breathable clothing. Wearing loose, breathable fabric not only allows the skin to remain dry and cool but also leaves less room for rubbing. However, if you still find yourself in distress, get yourself a skin lubricant.

Disaster – pigmentation

There is a startling connection between your workout routine and skin condition. Exercise can dilate blood vessels and trigger diseases like rosacea, resulting in inflamed and irritated skin. Therefore, if you are prone to pigmentation, it is essential to keep your skin temperature in check.

The Magic Remedy – Cooling cloth

To keep rosacea and any such flare-ups at bay while working out, the individuals must keep up with their regular prescriptions, but also keep a cooling cloth with them to avoid swinging changes of temperature on the face.

Disaster – Eczema

Although eczema is not caused by working out, it can flare up when your body heats up. This heat built-up and loss of fluids in the form of sweat can dehydrate the skin and result in irritation. This not only makes the rashes more visible but causes plenty of discomforts, too.

The Magic Remedy – Hydrate inside out

To keep the moisture barrier protected and in place, the intake of fluids is of grave importance. However, it is equally essential to hydrate your skin and keep the moisture locked in. Try referring to products containing ingredients such as hyaluronic acid and ceramides.

To Remember…

Yes, the post-workout glow is real but, you must keep in regards to the factors that can damage your skin along the way.

Before you go, here’s a tip based on personal experience: just as you let your muscles relax post exercising, cool your skin down, always.

Off you go and slay now!