To the gym like a ball: what happens to your skin if you wear makeup to workout?

Every one of us at least once in our lives has gone to a workout in full dress – you never know who you’re going to run into. Plus sometimes you just can’t do without it, especially if you need to cover up a traitorous pimple or go to an important meeting after class. But won’t it harm your skin?

Let’s find out with Albina Khisamova och Mariana Meryan.

Is it possible to wear makeup for training?

Cosmetologists and makeup artists do not recommend it. But if you really need it and you want to make makeup, you can use more gentle means.

Albina Khisamova

Makeup artist

I would recommend leaving your face clean, especially if it’s an active sport. If you are embarrassed by rashes or redness, you can apply some light BB cream instead of the usual foundation – it will even out your complexion. I would apply a heat protectant mascara on my eyes and a balm on my lips. That will be enough. The same goes for working out outdoors – it’s important to take care of your lips. On my personal example, I can tell you that while running in the fresh air, the skin of the lips dries out. This is very distracting. But it is care products that should be applied, not glosses.

The makeup artist recommends differentiating between study, work and sports. There is no need for battle coloring in training.

What can be the consequences?

No matter how you look at it, during intense exercise we are actively moving, we sweat, we are hot, we come into contact with the equipment. All of this applies to the face as well. Under a layer of foundation, the skin doesn’t breathe. And the fact that it spreads along with sweat on your face is not the most pleasant feeling. And from the outside it does not look very aesthetic. That is, makeup loses all meaning during active exercise or running in the fresh air. Plus, during training, the sebum is actively secreted, which is mixed with foundation.

In addition to irritation and dryness, you run the risk of other serious problems. That’s why it’s best to cleanse your skin completely before working out.

Mariana Merjan

Aesthetician cosmetologist

During a workout, sweat and toxins are released through the pores – this is how the body cleanses itself, and makeup hinders this process. As a result, impurities remain in the pores, comedones, black spots and uneven skin relief appear. And also this process over time can lead to skin sensitivity – a decrease in local immunity and redness. That is, in the future, the skin will not react to external factors in the best way.

How to avoid this?

You need to cleanse your skin in time before and after your workout. The best solution is a hydrophilic little. The means well dissolves and makeup, and impurities, and sweat. To prepare the skin for sports, it is enough to wash your face, use a toner and apply moisturizer. If it is an outdoor activity, be sure to use SPF cream over the main day cream. And it’s important to apply it not only on your face, but also on your neck, décolletage, arms, shoulders, ears and other exposed areas. This is important, especially now – in the summer sun.

And another important point. Even if you don’t wear makeup while working out, it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t wash your face afterward. Just rinsing and toweling it off isn’t enough. Carry a mild cleanser with you to the gym and use it while you shower. Afterwards, don’t forget to also apply a facial moisturizer – your skin needs to help restore its water balance. If you follow this rule, it will thank you.

Ideally, it is better to emphasize healthy skin. Unlike makeup, it will always be on-trend and in place everywhere. And it’s better to dress up and do makeup on special occasions.