A guide to pre and post-workout skincare

Pre-workout skincare routine

Whatever workout you’re about to take on, whether it’s yoga, spin, running, or a strength-based class, we’d recommend going into your session with a fresh, clean face. There are a number of reasons why this is beneficial, not least because wearing makeup on your face and eyes can actually get in the way when you are working out and trying to concentrate on exercise; nobody wants makeup running into eyes or feeling uncomfortable on the cheeks. Working out with makeup, sweat, dirt, or debris on your face is not going to be beneficial for the health and appearance of your skin,. As well as feeling uncomfortable, pores can become easily clogged, leading to breakouts and acne so its therefore worth taking an extra five minutes to do a speedy skincare routine before you get going.  

Of course, it’s not really worth doing a full 6-step+ routine when you’ll likely just sweat product off, but a quick 3-step one won’t take you long and is definitely worth doing. This begins with a cleanse or double cleanse if you’re wearing makeup, to maintain a fresh, healthy base before exercise. Finish with a light layer of moisturiser to wrap things up. SPF is important, especially if you are exercising outside or will be near a window in the gym (a large proportion of UV rays can penetrate through glass).

Your pre-workout routine:

1. Oat Cleansing Balm followed by a wash-off cleanser like Fulvic Acid Cleanser, both of which are available in travel size for your gym bag.
2. Omega Water Cream.
3. Dewy SPF 30 Daily Sunscreen

Post-workout skincare routine

There are two aims of your skincare routine post-workout: returning skin to its cleansed, happy self, and cooling down if you’ve gotten extra hot or flushed.

While sweat is a sign of a productive workout, it’s not a friend to skin. Not only can it cause pores to become blocked and irritated if left too long, it also shows just how much water your body is losing. Cleansing and re-hydrating are therefore essential in your post-workout regime.

As soon as you finish a workout, we recommend washing skin to keep it clean and remove sweat, debris, and dirt that could do damage to pores if left for too long. Reach for your Fulvic Acid Brightening Cleanser (in mini travel size!) and thoroughly wash the face, repeating if you feel extra sweaty or oily.

Next, turn your attention to re-hydrating and cooling the skin down, reducing any redness that may have occurred. A layer of Hyaluronic Acid Serum will begin to hydrate skin that’s lost water through sweat, followed by Polyglutamic Acid Serum to work as a sealant on top. Depending on what time of day you’re working out, either a nice nourishing moisturiser or an SPF followed by a brightening eye cream to de-puff skin and prep you for the day ahead will work well to round up an easy-to-follow, effective routine.  

Your post-workout routine: 

1. Fulvic Acid Cleanser, repeated use if necessary. 
2. Hyaluronic Acid Serum.
3. Polyglutamic Acid Serum.
4. Omega Water Cream (evening) or Dewy SPF 30 Daily Sunscreen (morning), followed by Caffeine Eye Cream.

Learn how to build your perfect skincare routine here.