Being an athlete doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice your skin. As a matter of fact, because your skin is your largest organ, it means you should spend time caring for it to increase overall wellness.
Triathletes especially are exposed to excess sun, dirt, chlorine, salt, wind, heat, and maybe a few cuts and bruises here and there. These stressors can cause the skin to become reactive with things such as redness, discoloration, uneven skin tone and texture, congestion, and many other forms of irritation.
The skin acts as our first line of protection against whatever is on the equipment we use during workouts, locker rooms, outdoor pollution, and everything else you come into come into contact with.
So it’s time to learn what the skin needs and make sure you’re actually using products with beneficial ingredients, not just ones who throw the word “sport” on the label to target this market:
1. Sunscreen: obviously this is always a given. It is important to use a water resistant/proof physical SPF. Look for ones containing zinc oxide and/or titanium oxide. (At least for your first application of the day.) These sunscreens will actually reflect the UVA and UVB rays, whereas chemical SPFs absorb UV rays and convert them to heat energy. Meaning you’re still taking a little bit of damage and creating inflammation (due to heat) at the same time.
2. Cleanse both before and after your workout: this is super important especially if you are wearing makeup. Make sure to remove the makeup before you begin your workout because this can become a breeding ground for bacteria to get trapped and cause breakouts. The best advice I can give you is to not let sweat to sit on your skin. This allows for your sweat to trap dirt, bacteria, and debris in your pores, which can result in some nasty breakouts.
3. Use a toner after cleansing: Toners help balance your skin’s PH level and can help tighten pores and cell gaps after cleansing, reducing the penetration of impurities and environmental contaminants into the skin. Toners can even remove chlorine. (Great for after a swim.)
4. Use an antioxidant serum: I’m going to try to explain this without geeking out too much. Antioxidant serums boost our sun protection because Infrared Radiation- we experience this as the heat from the sun- releases free radicals which damage cells and accelerate aging. It is important to use an antioxidant serum because antioxidants donate the electrons necessary to neutralize those free radicals. Not only can they can help save your skin from future damage, but they are retroactive to cell damage that has already occurred and they boost your immunity.
5. Moisturize- DOUBLE moisturize if you need to! Athletes typically shower quite a bit. This means you are stripping your skin of its natural oils and that tends to damage your skin’s protective barrier. And a damaged skin barrier is the main cause of transepidermal water loss- which causes dryness, irritation, inflammation, sensitivity, aging, etc. So seal in your serums with a good moisturizer to prevent further cell damage and keep that barrier healthy.