My Post-workout skincare routine – biohacking my way to clear skin.

Post-Workout skincare routine, my personal biohacking to clear skin.

This is going to be a more personal blog than most beauty posts here. I will share how I like to approach my post-workout skincare routine to keep my combination skin clear after a excercise. How I do things might not be to the book, but I find a way to stay in control of my skin. To an extent. Call it biohacking to my best skin.

* This post includes some press samples and some links are affiliate links.

If you worry that as soon as you sweat a little, you are going to get breakouts than this post might give you ideas on how to adjust your skincare.  

I will talk you through what is on my skin during the workout and why I think it also matters. I shall keep it brief -ish. Then, I go over my post skincare routine, which I hope will give you good ideas on how to adjust yours so you too can enjoy both the exercise and a good skin day. 

Why it matters what is on your skin during the workout?

Woman in sports clothes with a cup of tea, smiling. Ewa from SocialBeautify blog.

We can’t talk about my post-workout skincare routine if we are not going to discuss what is on it during it. I believe it makes a difference too. 

Why? 

Well, because if you have something like a Double Wear foundation that nothing can move off your face, you are not giving it the best chance to ‘breathe’. The kind of stuff you have to double cleanse* twice to get off your complexion. 

Hate word ‘breathe’ with relation to skin, but bear with me. 

Sweat needs to be able to come out of your pores. If your skin is also dehydrated, it’ll produce oil too. If you have all that slap on, dirt, oil and makeup can get trapped in your pores. It’s a recipe for a zit. 

Add to this sun protection products, and it starts to be a story for a horror movie. This is why it does matter what is on your skin when you exercise. 

What’s on my skin during the exercise?

Keeping skin clear of makeup during the workout. Ewa from SocialBeautify sitting in the garden ready to practice yoga.

When I exercise first thing in the morning, the only thing that is on my face is the sun protection product. I’m not trying to create a red carpet look when I go for a jog. Frankly, I don’t care how I look, and you shouldn’t either. 

A  bottle of Daily UV protection Mousse from EVY Technology.
EVY Daily UV Face Mousse if my top choice in the morning as it is hydrating and doesn’t clog pores. Plus it has anti-pollution protection too.

When I run in the evening. In that case, I usually will have minimal remains of my makeup. The most important part here is that I don’t use foundation daily. I wear CC or BB cream (for a bit more coverage) usually one from Erborian. Therefore, it isn’t much on my skin at all so it can ‘breathe’. During the summer, I tend to spray a little bit of sun protection on top of whatever is on my skin too. I used to love using Firolga. 

Filorga SPF 50 Spray, one of my favourite products to top up my sun protection before an evening run.
A tub of BB Creme and CC Creme from Erborian, in a hand, next to other vanites.
I use either CC or BB cream from Erborian daily to perfect my skin. They look the most natural and feel lightweight on the skin.

In case I have a foundation on, I will use something like Multi Miracle Glow Balm to remove it. Just the foundation, not the mascara. I will have a deep cleanse after the workout. 

An open jar of Multi Miracle Glow Balm from Charlotte Tilbury.
Multi Miracle Glow Balm.

The underestimated cleansing routine. 

Post-workout skincare routine cleansing product for double cleanse.
My current two-step evening cleansing routine.

After the run, I will always double cleanse. Currently, I’m using cleansing oil from Erborian and face wash from FIlorga. The oil cleanser is fabulous to remove makeup, sun protection product and all grime from your skin without stripping it off its natural protection. For me, that is a crucial element because I have a low immune system, and therefore, my skin’s natural protection barrier also isn’t at it’s best. 

Next, I wash my face with a face wash. My Filorga had sadly run out the other week, but I love it as my skin felt clean yet hydrated. My current wash leaves my skin feeling a little ‘squeaky clean**’. From my experience, that isn’t best for me. When a cleanser leaves my skin feeling like this, it tends to dehydrate my skin too much. My skin is starting to get oiler to compensate for the loss of moisture and here come the spots.  

Golden thought about cleansing. 

The most expensive moisturiser is not going to help you if you haven’t cleansed your skin well. 

What does, cleansing skin well mean, hah? 

A good cleanse means ensuring that all of your makeup and residue of any skincare product you have used is removed. At the same time, making sure you are not stripping your skin off its natural protective barrier or over-exfoliating. 

Twenty years in the beauty industry and I still encounter women who underestimate the power of decent cleansing routine. Don’t be one of them. 

The game-changing step. The power of gentle exfoliation. 

Paula's Choice bottle of 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant on a tray. next to it a cotton pad and hand holding a tray.
2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant from Paula’s Choice. It works wonders even on my delicate skin. No irritation only beautifully glowing and smooth skin.

There is so much about on the net about exfoliating products and all of them being ‘oh so good’ I can’t cope. 

With my skin that has hardly any immune system most of them are ruled out.

Too harsh.

Too drying. 

Too strong.

Too irritating.

Causes too much redness. The story goes on. At the same time I know, we know. Removing gently and regularly dead skin cells can help your skin to stay clear, brighter and look smoother. 

Some of my top products which I was able to use and still have skin on my face was Pixi Glow Tonic. It was good but without any of the exfoliation, not enough. 

Recently, I discovered Paula’s Choice 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant and OMG, this is amazing stuff. After the first use, I woke up with a skin that looked like after a salon facia. I can use this product nearly every day and there are no ‘side effects’. My skin feels completely happy about it. Gentle, very gentle but regular exfoliation helped me to reduce any blemishes. Skin looks more glowing and smoother. Adding this step into my post-workout skincare routine made the biggest positive difference in the last year when it comes to keeping my skin clear from breakouts after working out. I highly recommend it.

Ewa from SocialBeautify in a dressing gown with wet hair and glowing skin form skincare alone.
Post Shower glow using 2% BHA and Paula’s Choice Moitrusiser with SPF 30.

The cream goes last.

post-workout skincare routine moisturisers and serum.
My current moisturisers I use after the workout. I switch between Chantecaille and Paula’s Choice.

The final step in my post-workout skincare routine is my moisturiser. In the morning I use daily SPF product followed by my Chantecaille moisturiser (as it also helps to strengthen my skin natural protective barrier) or a moisturiser with SPF 30 from Paula’s Choice when I know I will be mostly at home. 

In the evening I will use a deeply hydrating serum followed by a moisturiser. I tend to keep my formulas creamy but not rich. 

I hope you found this post useful. There are posts in the pipeline on various subjects related to fitness and skincare. Don’t miss out follow me on Instagram for a daily dose of beauty. You can also follow me on Bloglovin and get new blog post right into your mailbox. 

Ewa x

*Double Cleanse – a skin cleaning method that consists of two steps cleansing routine. First, you use a face oil or balm to oil to lift dirt, makeup and any sebum that is on the surface of your skin. Then you wash it off and follow with a face wash. The double cleanse routine is recommended for an evening cleanse. 

** Squeaky Clean – my very personal description of the post-cleansing feeling of the skin. It refers to those moments when you feel the blatant sense when you move your fingers over your face. When your skin is feeling tight and a bit dry. You have an urge to apply half of the tub of your cream to compensate for it. 

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