Pre- and Post-Workout Skin Care for the New Year

If your New Year’s resolutions include an upgrade to your fitness routine, improving your pre- and post-workout skin care may be in order. Getting active and healthy can have tremendous benefits for your skin, especially when your new wholesome habits include more water intake, a better sleep routine, and a healthier diet. If you’re seeing great results at the gym, but you’re experiencing an uptick in breakouts and skin irritation, your skin care before and after exercise may need an update. Use our skin care tips to change up your face wash and implement finishing touches to make you glow inside and out.

Pre-Workout Skin Care Routine

When you start your New Year’s fitness habits, adopting a pre-workout skin care routine can help prevent breakouts and protect your face and body from sun damage. Follow these steps every day you exercise, whether it’s in a gym, at home, or outdoors. 

1 | Start Every Workout With a Clean Face

Your sweaty workouts in the New Year can lead to more breakouts if you’re not careful. Taking the time to cleanse your face and remove any existing bacteria, oil, or impurities before your next sweatfest is critical to preventing breakout-causing culprits from penetrating your skin. Begin your pre-workout skin care with Quench Cleanse face wash. This creamy formula is a gentle way to start your day, remove impurities, and prep for your workout. 

LimeLife by Alcone’s Quench Cleanse

If you exercise midday, keep makeup remover in your gym bag to wash your face anywhere. Our wipes are portable and require no rinsing so you can workout fresh-faced and makeup free. Not only will you spend the balance of your day without smeared makeup, but your cosmetics won’t clog your pores. Use our fast and flawless 5-minute makeup tutorial to learn how to reapply your look before heading back to the conference room.

2 | Moisturize Your Skin Pre-Workout

Including moisturizers in your skin care routine before working out can create a protective barrier to prevent impurities from getting into your pores. Our Cool Balm is a lightweight, hydrating moisturizer formulated for sensitive skin, its ultra-soothing and calming properties are ideal for use first thing in the morning. If you prefer a serum, One Drop Wonder is a lightweight option that provides instant hydration and can be combined with any of your skin care products to improve their performance. 

3 | Apply Sunscreen Before Working Out

Top off your pre-workout skin care routine with high-quality mineral sun care. Whether you’re hitting the pavement for a quick jog or heading to the gym, sunscreen is a self-care essential. Our Perfect Sunscreen provides SPF 30 protection against UVA and UVB rays, while the healthy, simple ingredients align nicely with your New Year’s resolutions. Give your body the same protection with our reef-safe Zinc sunscreen. It blocks harmful rays during any long run in the sun, and the organic ingredients won’t irritate your skin, so you can focus on your fitness. 

4 | Select a Natural Deodorant

Hit your fitness goals with fresh confidence thanks to our High Five aluminum-free deodorant. This lightweight spray leaves no white residue under your arms and it blocks odor without any of the bad stuff: aluminum, baking soda, sulfates, parabens, or phthalates. Choose from Sweet Peony, Citrus Sand, and Fragrance-Free. 

Post-Workout Skin Care Routine

Follow up your great workout with an even greater skin care routine. Taking care of your face and body after a sweat session keeps your pores cleared and your skin happy. Use these post-workout tips to give your face and body the care they deserve. 

1 | Post-Workout Body Wash

Remove your gym clothes and take a shower ASAP to limit the time bacteria has to set up shop and cause breakouts and body acne. When it comes to what kind of soap to use, choose a natural, nutrient-rich body soap to treat puffy post-workout skin with a soothing blend of essential oils. Our Farm to Tub Cocoa Butter & Bamboo is a favorite natural body soap that exfoliates, hydrates, and cleanses in one step, leaving your skin squeaky clean and super soft. 

2 | Cleanse Your Face After Workouts

A quality face wash is a must-have in your post-workout skin care regimen. Removing the sweat, oil, and impurities with a gentle, nutrient-rich cleanser can reduce any irritation caused by your workout and keep fungal acne at bay. Our Dream Clean facial cleanser features natural extracts and antioxidants that combat bacteria while working wonders on damaged skin, so your post-gym face looks fresh and ready for anything. When your face feels extra dry or looks dull, cycle in our Power Start exfoliating cleanser to remove dead skin and heal facial damage with a blend of Eucalyptus and Peppermint Leaf Oil. 

3 | Reapply Moisturizer & SPF

Before reapplying makeup, top off your clean skin with your favorite daily moisturizer and SPF primer. If your workouts are an evening gig, give yourself a spa-like treatment before bed with our Glowing Green toner pads and Green Smoothie face cream. This powerful combo firms, smooths, and refines the appearance of pores for a brighter, more even looking complexion.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I wash my face before working out?

Always wash your face before working out to remove any impurities on your skin. Sweating causes pores to open up, allowing dirt and oil that were already on your face to seep in and cause breakouts. 

Should I moisturize before the gym?

Yes, moisturizing before the gym gives your face a protective barrier against pore-clogging dirt, oil, and bacteria.

How can I protect my skin while working out?

A quality SPF moisturizer and sunblock will protect your skin from sun damage while you’re exercising outdoors. Mineral sun care products sit on top of your skin to block harmful rays, and because they don’t need to soak in to work, they’re less likely to clog your pores.

Is it better to wash your face before or after a workout?

For best results, wash your face before and after a workout. Wash your face pre-workout with your favorite gentle cleanser, and finish off your workout with a daily cleansing routine for morning or night, depending on when you workout.

How do I take care of my skin after working out?

After working out, cleanse and moisturize thoroughly using natural skin care products to calm heat rash or inflamed, irritated areas. A soothing, hydrating body soap, gentle face wash, and nutrient-rich moisturizer can repair damage and prevent skin issues.

How can I get glowing skin after exercise?

A proper post-workout skin care routine can help your skin glow after exercise. Select an exfoliating face wash and body soap to smooth dry, dull skin and add in a nutrient-rich body oil and facial oil to boost skin cell regeneration and achieve a toned, glowing appearance from head to toe. 

Make this New Year the best yet by sticking to your resolution and benefiting from a boosted pre- and post-workout skin care routine. Tell us about your gym bag must-haves in the comments below!

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