Maintaining a healthy lifestyle is a primary contributor to the look and feel of your skin, but, at the same time, staying active comes with a litany of hazards that can keep you from perfect skin health.

Keep your skin as healthy as the rest of your body with this handy list of skin care tips so you can get the most out of your exercise routine without threatening your vibrant complexion.

Pay Extra Attention to Moisturizer

One of the most common dermal inflictions that athletes complain about is dry, cracked skin. Whether it’s lack of proper hydration, extra showers with hot water, or doing laps in chlorinated pools, there are countless ways in which your skin can be sapped of moisture during a workout.

Luckily, it’s easy to combat this issue with a little bit of consistency and a lot of moisturizer. By moisturizing both before and after a workout, you can alleviate the scourge of ashy elbows and keep your skin as plump and flawless as ever.

Weather is also an important factor to consider when planning your moisturizing routine. If you’re exercising in a colder climate, you may want to double up on your moisturizers by applying a light beauty oil followed by moisturizing lotion.

SPF is an Athlete’s Best Friend

Speaking of weather, if you’re exercising outside in rain, sleet, snow or heat, you need to protect your skin with a strong SPF. Without the proper SPF protection, an athlete’s skin doesn’t stand a chance over time.

Try using an oil-free sunblock so your dilated pores are less prone to clogging, which could result in a breakout. Zinc oxide is another important ingredient to look for in an active sunblock as it provides more substantial physical protection from UV radiation.

For the most part, sweat doesn’t interfere with the sunblock you applied, but the wicking away of sweat certainly does so re-applying after a heavy workout is an important step to remember as well.

Keep it Simple

There are a lot of things to consider when you’re prepping for your workout routine and, as a result, your skin care routine can often fall by the wayside.

That’s why it’s important to establish a simple and memorable skin care routine that coincides with your workout to alleviate the burden of remembering exactly how to protect your skin every time you need to work out.

Here’s an example of a simple and effective 4-step process that you can integrate into your pre and post-workout ritual:

1. Moisturize – Before your workout begins, apply moisturizer to any exposed area of your body, as well as joints and other problem areas.
2. SPF –  Apply a strong SPF before you walk outside, especially if you’re exercising outdoors.
3. Cleanse – After your workout, use a facial cleanser to wash away any excess dirt or sweat that may be clogging your pores.
4. Moisturize – Finish your workout the same way you started it by applying another layer of moisturizer to replenish the moisture lost during your hard work.

You can of course mix and match or add steps as you see fit, but the point remains that the simpler the process you make for yourself, the more likely you’ll maintain it every time you work out.

Full-Body Skin Care

When you set up an exercise schedule, you typically don’t solely focus on a single area of your body the whole time. You have a leg day, upper body and back day, core day, etc. You want to have a comprehensive workout routine to keep your entire body as healthy as possible.

That comprehensive philosophy should be mirrored in your skin care routine since your entire body needs all the help it can get to maintain overall healthy skin. Feel free to focus on your face since it has the most sensitive skin, but don’t neglect your arms, legs, back, and decollete when planning your routine.

Take Steps to Fight Inflammation

After a good cardio workout, the blood has rushed to your face and you are left with a rosy red glow in your cheeks and nose. This is a natural occurrence for everyone but, for some athletes, the redness doesn’t go away.

If this is the case, try using a cleanser with Salicylic Acid which calms the skin and reduces inflammation, balancing the color in your face.

Keeping your body in peak health is critical for skin health as it allows more natural blood flow which expedites your skin’s natural reparative functions. Combining exercise with these skin care tips will maximize the positive effects of a healthy lifestyle and leave you with the glowing complexion you’ve been dreaming of.

For everything you need to maintain your skin’s youthful beauty while maintaining an active lifestyle, check out the the incredible skin care lines at Lira Clinical!