Bad skin from sweating?

SuperScrabbleGirl
SuperScrabbleGirl Posts: 310 Member
edited November 9 in Health and Weight Loss
Mmm, really attractive forum topic, eh?

So since I've started losing weight and exercising more, I've found my facial skin is getting a lot spottier. I never used to get spots and now they are a regular occurrence. I couldn't work out why because I'm obviously eating better and I always drink my water (over most days).

THEN one of my lovely MFP friends suggested it might be my pores getting clogged with sweat (gross). I wash after exercising, obviously, but does anyone have any tips for helping to open pores more. Weekly home facials perhaps? Really great cleansers. Sports-specific cleansers? Do they even exist?

Skin help please!

Replies

  • RAFValentina
    RAFValentina Posts: 1,231 Member
    Wash after going to the gym and you shouldn't be having any problems... It's probably due to not washing thoroughly enough to remove the expelled electrolytes and other products in sweat after exercising. Use a loofah or something similar, like a body puff to help remove the dead cells that are sticking to it too.
  • SammyPacks
    SammyPacks Posts: 697 Member
    Do you work out with make up on? :) Maybe you need to drink more water too... I found once I started drinking more water my skin cleared a lot :D
  • siouxana
    siouxana Posts: 4
    Wash your face before you work out to get bacteria off your skin before sweating opens your pores. Make sure you use a clean towel on you face during workouts. Bring one from home, and a new one each day. Do not use this towel on the machines at the gym. This is where you're getting all the bacteria from. And, don't touch your face with out washing your hands first.
  • SuperScrabbleGirl
    SuperScrabbleGirl Posts: 310 Member
    Wash after going to the gym and you shouldn't be having any problems... It's probably due to not washing thoroughly enough to remove the expelled electrolytes and other products in sweat after exercising. Use a loofah or something similar, like a body puff to help remove the dead cells that are sticking to it too.
    It's facial! Don't fancy using a loofah there.

    I'm already drinking a ton of water, but I'll definitely give washing my face before I work out a go. I always bring a towel from home because I'm too poor to go to a fancy gym that provides them ;) All we get at ours is water!
  • Smuterella
    Smuterella Posts: 1,623 Member
    Same here, I've started using a face wipe before exercising and taking a shower immediately after. Seems to help.
  • angel_north
    angel_north Posts: 51 Member
    I use Clinique products 2x's a day. That sure made a diff..
  • SuperScrabbleGirl
    SuperScrabbleGirl Posts: 310 Member
    I use Clinique products 2x's a day. That sure made a diff..

    Damn yeah, one of my friends swears by it.
  • kayleighfred
    kayleighfred Posts: 20
    I've never had brilliant skin but I've been using Lush Dark Angels cleanser for a couple of weeks and my skin has improved no end! Really deep cleanses and exfoliates too,not crazy about the smell or the fact that its black (nightmare for white bathroom sinks!) But hey,I suffer for my beauty ;) haha hope this helps! Xx
  • spectralmoon
    spectralmoon Posts: 1,179 Member
    A combination of Olay pore scrubs (not the blemish control; those make me worse for some reason) and Olay's Pro-X facial brush keep my 'prone skin in check. The brush is fantastic; Clarisonic has a version called the Mia for reference, and Olay's Pro-X has been rated higher at only 1/5 the cost!
  • Generalle
    Generalle Posts: 201 Member
    Baby wipes!!! I have a pack in my gym bag and if I feel my skin getting 'cloggy' I just give it a wipe. They are cheaper than proper make-up ones, and gentle on your skin too.
  • marykeblom
    marykeblom Posts: 56
    Skin Doctors and Filorga is great contains Glycolic Acids and Alpha Hydroxy acids which removes the outer old layer of skin. I use Clinique's Turn Around Scrub Masque twice a week (that stuff is wickedly good). You need to use a high spf when you're using any Alphay Hydroxy or Glycolic Acid product as it thins out the dermis. Keep in mind, it might not just be the exercise that's causing your skin to clog up. Remember when you're losing weight your body releases toxins. Usually if your break outs are worse around the chin area it means your liver is detoxing. So keep this in mind too. It's wise to get something like Magnesium and Zinc tablets to help that, you can also help the detox process by getting milk thistle, it will speed up the process of detoxing.

    You can also pour three tablespoons of lemon juice in some luke warm water and wash your face in that, it's great at cleaning the skin and also contains some natural fruit acids to help heal and rejuvenate your skin.

    I'm currently using Kanebo products and have to say i love them. First week my skin broke out, but that's because i'm also following a strict diet now so everything is detoxing but it helped to keep most of my problem areas in control. The price is reasonable too.

    You're other option is to go to a dermatologist or a very good reputable beautician and get some advice and help there.

    Good Luck :D
  • amiles21693
    amiles21693 Posts: 104 Member
    Careful using towels and loofahs. They can contain lots of bacteria, even if they are clean. I would agree with washing your face before and after but use a gentle cleanser so not to dry your skin out.
  • marykeblom
    marykeblom Posts: 56
    What i tend to do is when i use the Clinique turnaround masque, i steam my face with boiling hot water... pour boiling water into a plastic bowl with handles sit in the bathroom with my face under a towel and then i keep the bowl covered so the steam doesn't escape. Get the picture? anyway, i also ad some lavender oil. I then put the masque on and steam my face again like before for 10 minutes. While that happens i rub the masque all over my face because it's got some grains in it. This helps to open pores and the product gets into my skin. then i just put moisturizer on afterwards. Hope this helps. :)
  • andrea198721
    andrea198721 Posts: 173 Member
    I love St. Ives brightening scrub and I do that about 3 to 4 times a week before I go to bed at night.... Exfoliates :) Also, I like to use a hot wash cloth (clean and as hot as I can stand) to put on my face before regular washing. Then I use a really good moisturizer (Clinique dramatically different)

    If I have extra money to spend I LOVE Origins! They have awesome natural products and you can go into one of their stores and they will do a free facial for you and most of the time they give me samples ;)
  • pixiestick
    pixiestick Posts: 839 Member
    Also, if you are working out in a public gym, make an extreme effort to avoid touching your face at all during work outs... even with your own towel (as you are placing it where other people have been shedding skin cells, bacteria, and other such lovelies).
  • lucyrose_
    lucyrose_ Posts: 55 Member
    Liz Earle hot cloth cleanser! It's AMAZE!
  • MsAziz
    MsAziz Posts: 71 Member
    Biggest mistake I think people make is over washing their face, because they think they are breaking out because of the 'dirt' on their skin. But remember the more you wash your face the more oil your skin will produce to over compensate for the loss of oils. So always moisturize after workout and at night etc; but make sure it says that it is a non-comedogenic moisturizers on it (basically means non-pore blocking). Otherwise you'll just be clogging all the pores! :)
  • jessicasloan91
    jessicasloan91 Posts: 184 Member
    BUMP
  • cherdan
    cherdan Posts: 162 Member
    Whenever I am losing again I start to break out. Read up and learned when you're losing weight your body is literally expelling fat (adipose tissue) from its surface, along with other toxins. Since my early 20s my skin has been relatively very clear, and it sounds mad but I actually sort of look forward to the random break outs.. means I'm losing again, as I don't menstruate (due to 10+ years of being on the pill every day, skipping the inactives) and I don't work out really anymore.

    I don't know what kind of skin you have, but mine used to be combination back when I had acne, but now it's clear yet very oily. I avoid salicylic acid like the plague.. makes me break out and irritates the hell out of my skin. Just about every OTC acne product here in US seems to have it, as its a cheap sub for benzoyl peroxide and other medicated acne fighting ingredients. I still think bp is the best acne fighting ingredient out there, though naturalists/etc decry it for its highly chemical nature and ability to bleach any fabric. Recently started Neutrogena Clear Pore Daily Scrub, and it is absolutely amazing. It is definitely now my cleanser for life. The only thing I've found without SA. Oil free, has the scrubbers to slough off dead cells/unclog pores, but doesn't have all this other weird **** in it (scents/chemicals) that the other brand pore scrubbing cleansers have that seem to irritate my skin. It is not too high in BP 3.7%, but just using that every day has gotten rid of a lot of the little blackhead things I get around my chin and on my cheeks.
    I also use witch hazel as my astringent now as it has less alcohol than a typical astringent/less drying, and most US astringents have salicylic acid in them. Did I mention I HATE salicylic acid??
  • islandjumper
    islandjumper Posts: 369 Member
    When i first moved to the tropics and started sweating all the time my skin completely freaked out, but I started using a tea tree acne face wash (Thursday Plantation - I'm pretty sure it's in the UK as well, if not I'm sure you can find it online) and it's amazing, my skin is so much better since I started using it....
    but no matter what facial cleanser you use only use it once a day because you can over-wash your face, then your body tries to make up for the lack of oils on your face by producing more, making your skin more oily. Every other time you wash your face in a day just use water.
    Also, avoid using scrubs on a daily basis, they're great for maybe once a week, but the harsh abrasives can actually make your skin worse.
  • ambivalence11
    ambivalence11 Posts: 93 Member
    Make my sugar scrub. I use it for my face and whole body and I can't tell you the last time I had a break out. And I was a zit farm before.

    Start with -
    1 cup white sugar (you can half it with salt if you like)

    Add -
    about a tablespoon of coconut oil warmed to a liquid if you have it, if not, just add a bit more olive oil
    about 1/2 a tablespoon cinnamon
    olive oil while stirring until sugar is moist and kind of clumpy, but not wet looking

    Then -
    stir in lemon juice until it is kinda runny

    it's great for your face and I really love it for my legs before shaving. And waaay cheaper than the stuff the stores sell and better for you since it's not full of chemicals and preservatives.
  • ambivalence11
    ambivalence11 Posts: 93 Member
    Oh, I forgot to mention that you should only make enough for about 1-2 weeks. Since it doesn't have preservatives it can "expire", though the lemon juice is acidic enough most bacteria wont grow for a while. I use it for my whole body and the recipe above lasts me about a week used daily.
  • moonbaby1o1
    moonbaby1o1 Posts: 10 Member
    I am a hair dresser, and in CA we learn everything about hair skin and nails. Always shower after working out, it will help keep your skin clear but the order in which you clean your body is also important. Wash your hair first, then your body and lastly your face. Cleansing your body in that order will also make sure that the pores that opened up during physical activity get all the other cleansing products and conditioners that you used earlier in your shower out of your facial pores so they don't get even more backed up with gunk. Also make sure to slough off those dead skin cells. Many break outs start with dead skin cells blocking the entrance of your pores. Also the idea of always using a clean towel is a must. Keep extra bacteria away from your face if you are having a problem with break outs cause it will only make it worse. I hope that helps. Everyone has had some great ideas :)
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