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Now that you've been working out more, don't forget to take care of your skin after breaking a sweat

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Illustration. Getty Images
Illustration. Getty Images
  • With exercising regulations during Level 3 of the lockdown, more people are using the opportunity to go back to their pre-Covid-19 workout routine. Even if it's still at home rather than the gym.
  • Working up a sweat can positively impact our well-being in many ways, but it’s important to know the effect it can have on the skin as well.
  • Here's happens to your skin after your workout and how should you treat it. 

Here, we give you a few things to take into consideration when it comes to showering after a workout or a run. 

Once you start to cool off and you stop perspiring, the sweat dries up, leaving salts behind alongside the lipids as a thin film of residue on your skin. This residue is the perfect environment for natural skin bacteria to multiply. This is why it is important to have a shower after exercising to remove the salt and oils in order to stop the spread of this bacteria.

If they multiply around hair follicles and inflamed pores, they can lead to acne-like spots developing.

READ MORE: Your protective face mask might be causing your skin to breakout - How to deal with 'Mask-ne’

However, going overboard and showering too frequently in a day can also be harmful. 

If you over-cleanse the skin, removing too many of those lipids that are part of the body’s natural skin defenses, it can lead to dehydration and irritation. Avoid harsh soaps and gels, or scrubbing the skin too roughly. Try match your exercise times to normal washing times – that is, either in the morning or in the evening. 

Compiled by Afika Jadezweni

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