7 Effects of Exercise on Your Skin
/We all know how amazing exercise is for our body and health. We've also been told countless times before that more than makeup, more than skincare or even diet, exercise can make us look and feel younger.
Part of that comes from the fact that when the muscles beneath are firm and well-toned, the skin covering them also looks firmer. When you exercise regularly, it makes you stronger, fitter and more flexible and that gives you the ease and grace of movements so typical for youth and health.
But how does exercise affect the skin? Well, that part is a bit complicated. Let's just say that there is a good reason why some girls are worried exercise could make them break out or worsen skin conditions. But there's an even better reason why most dermatologists advise to keep exercising despite temporary skin issues because it will be beneficial for your skin long term.
So here are all the ways exercise can affect your skin and how to minimize some of the potential skin problems...
Exposure to Sun
If you like to take your workouts outdoors, always make sure to apply generous amounts of sunscreen and reapply it regularly (every two hours or more often if you are sweating a lot). Exercise can make you somewhat look younger, but not if you let the sun kill all the collagen in your skin, make it dry and dull and cause sunburns.
It Can Cause Chafing and Rashes
Excess moisture in the areas where the skin often folds plus the friction that repeated movements cause can be very irritating to the skin. It can occur everywhere skin rubs against skin or clothing.
To prevent developing intertrigo (the red itchy patches) in the rash-prone areas, make sure to dry those areas often and to shower immediately after exercising. A lightweight moisturizer could also help reduce the friction -- and Flora’s Angels can help with that.
Exercise Can Worsen Flare-Ups
Increased blood flow to the skin and salt from perspiration can be a problem if you have skin conditions such as rosacea, psoriasis or eczema. However, any temporary problems should not stop you from exercising – by improving your overall health, most skin conditions also improve in the long term. Plus, you can reduce the skin flushing and redness by working out in a cool environment, choosing swimming as an exercise or applying cool compresses right after your workout.
It Can Contribute To Clogged Pores
Sweat on its own is not very likely to cause breakouts. However, if you don’t remove makeup before working out or if your sunscreen is comedogenic, these products could clog your pores and trap the sweat and the bacteria inside. Sounds terrible right? We know -- and it could lead to worsening acne.
The solution – choose a lightweight, non-comedogenic sunscreen and only wear that during your workout.
Now let’s talk a little about all the amazing things exercise can do for your skin…
Exercise Reduces Stress
And one of the most important benefits! By keeping your stress levels under control, you can also control the skin problems that get easily exacerbated by stress. These include acne breakouts, eczema, rosacea, atopic dermatitis and even hives. Plus, when you exercise, your body releases chemicals called endorphins – the feel-good hormones that directly affect how your skin looks.
It Improves Blood Circulation
Another important thing that exercise does is that it gets the heart rate up and when your blood flow is increased, that blood delivers more nutrients and oxygen to your skin. Exercise keeps the skin healthy and youthful, promotes skin repair and encourages the skin to produce more new, young skin cells.
Blood flow also flushes cellular debris out of the system. It helps carry away waste products and free radicals from the cells, cleansing the skin from the inside.
Post Workout Glow
You can see some of it right after the workout, but the maximum effect is usually visible after a few hours or the next day when that oxygen and nutrient-rich blood has had a chance to thoroughly nourish your skin from the inside.
Working out can add that healthy, youthful glow to your skin. The combination of increased blood flow and the endorphins released during exercise leads to that beautiful complexion that makes people ask which highlighter you are using.
Flora’s Angels is all about self-care through skincare and if you didn’t know -- exercise is a form of self-care AND skincare! Hopefully, the tips above help you understand the good and bad of exercising. Despite the negative effects (if you don’t take care of your skin while exercising), we strongly recommend exercising, not only for the skin benefits but also for the LIFE benefits. And don’t forget, after you exercise, apply one of our infused body oils as a lightweight moisturizer.
