Is Sweating Good or Bad for Your Skin?

After cleansing myself through daily hot yoga this week I was fully prepared to look in the mirror and feel amazing about my body and my skin. I mean, come on, what’s better for your skin than some serious sweat, right? Wrong. Well...sometimes wrong.

I started noticing a few breakouts or blotchy areas on my face and began to panic. Everyone always talks about that “post yoga skin glow,” and I simply wasn’t feeling radiant. Isn’t sweat supposed to be good for your skin? Why was my face not cooperating?

Here’s where I went wrong:

As it turns out, sweat can be extremely beneficial to your complexion...if you treat it properly. Sweat has all kinds of positive impacts on our bodies. For starters, sweating usually goes along with exercise. This means all of the endorphins you’re releasing are helping you destress and stay positive. The less stressed you are, the less prone to breakouts you will be! Sweating also reduces your chances of getting sick because it contains peptides that break down harmful bacteria, helping your body fight off nasty, unwanted germs and viruses. Finally, sweat actually helps with acne. It opens up your pores and releases toxins that were once trapped within them. But, of course, there is a catch. If you want that post yoga glow (or any kind of post exercise glow), you have to follow these steps:

1. Take your makeup off before sweating!

   1. I don’t mean quickly splash some water on your face and hit the treadmill. You should fully wash your face or at least go over it heavily with a makeup wipe to ensure you have eliminated any makeup, dirt or oil from your face.

2. Wash your face immediately after sweating!

   1. I got in the habit of coming home, making dinner, watching TV, etc. before I even thought about washing my face. However, it’s not good for sweat to stay on your skin for a prolonged period of time. As soon as you’re done working out, wash your face or take another makeup wipe to wipe it all off!

3. Moisturize

   1. Unfortunately, sweat can accidentally dry your skin out. After washing your face again, be sure to add a little moisturizer to give your face a little extra hydration.

Boom. Flawless. After following these rules, I’m already seeing positive changes in my skin and my mindset!