With over 12,500 chemicals for skin care products registered, and on top of this having potentially dangerous products, the market is full of potions that promise too much and deliver too little. Added to this, nearly 80 percent haven’t undergone evaluation for safety and efficacy.
If you’re looking to protect your skin from excess sweat, sunburn, or dry air, you need to consider safe products and practices that work as long and as hard as you do.
Ensure you have clean skin before you start and, never go for a workout wearing makeup. By keeping your face clean it allows your pores to breathe properly as you exercise and sweat. With makeup, your pores stay blocked leading to acne or even blackheads.
Training – sun protection, the caveat to not wearing makeup is time spent training outdoors, even in the winter months a level of SPF is beneficial. Using a natural mineral-based (preferably zinc oxide) formula (Balmy Fox SPF) will not only protect from UVA/UVB, but will also have ingredients that will allow the skin to breathe, whilst moisturising and protecting.
If you’ll want to conceal the smell that comes with sweat, only use natural deodorants. Also, showering either in the morning or night before a workout keeps your armpits fresh and clean.
And don’t forget your hydration and carry a water bottle with you to the gym or field. Hydration is the key to excellent skin, replenishing the fluids you lose through sweating.
Ensure that your hands and feet are softened and protected by keeping moisturised using a properly formulated natural repair cream, this will prevent damage to the skin, that at the least will cause minor discomfort, but at worst could become infected. Balmy Fox Hand and Foot Repair Cream has been specifically formulated for this and contains natural oils, butters, and waxes that soothe, repair, and protect.
Where possible avoid touching your face during training sessions.
When you’re hot from exercising, your skin pores open up for perspiration. This puts you at risk of skin disease breakouts caused by bacteria contracted from equipment, gym machines, weights, yoga mats, and more.
Always carry a clean towel to wipe off sweat from your face and hands, as well as lay it down on the benches, using sanitizers to clean equipment before and after use.
Chafing and rashes – the use of equipment and clothing in contact with your body can often cause chafing and rashes from the combination of contact, materials, and sweat to protect and reduce this. A good anti-chafe cream may help, it should contain butters and waxes to protect and essential oils with antiseptic and anti-fungal properties. Our Balmy Fox Anti-Chafe cream contains beeswax, hemp, arnica oil, and tea tree as just a few of the healing ingredients that will help.
Also, invest in a disinfecting spray to keep your equipment free of bacteria.
Do you know that you can get butt acne from sitting in sweaty clothes?
This is just one skin problem that can come after a workout. For maximum protection, consider the following post-training athlete skin care routine:
It’s vital to take a shower as soon as you finish a workout session to prevent rashes and acne.
Use a mild soap that gently cleanses your body and the face. You shouldn’t scrub your skin as it can cause severe irritation. If you can’t shower right away, at least wipe off the sweat and change your clothes.
Don’t harshly rub your skin after a shower.
Instead, pat it dry using a clean towel. It’s also advisable to apply natural body moisturiser while your skin is still wet. Find one with natural plant-based essential oils to benefit from its anti-bacterial properties.
If you’ll apply makeup or SPF sunscreen, ensure to first moisturise, the neck, as well as the face.
This keeps pores open while restoring your pH levels. You may also need to apply a natural anti-chafing product to prevent painful skin damage, especially if your workout was outdoors.
If you’re an athlete, you’re at risk of contracting the following conditions:
Blisters mostly occur on the feet because of too much heat, friction, and moisture.
To combat a blister, drain it without tearing off the skin. Then, cushion the area with either a bandage or clean socks. This will make it heal quickly.
You can then prevent the reoccurrence of blisters by always drying out your shoes and avoiding wearing them for too long, whilst ensuring that your feet are clean and well moisturised this will protect the skin and reduce further damage.
This fungal infection mostly attacks athletes exposed to a lot of moisture such as swimmers, runners, and skiers.
Some of the symptoms of this include discolored crumbly toenails, stinging sensations in your feet, and cracking skin.
With Athlete’s Foot, many remedies offer natural skin care for athletes. The most common ones involve the use of either baking soda, organic tea tree oil, or hydrogen peroxide. Balmy Fox Hand and Foot Repair Cream contains natural oils, waxes, and butters that soothe heal, and protect including tea tree oil – nature’s anti-fungal, antiseptic gift!
The colder it is, the drier your skin becomes.
For that reason, athletes should apply body oil while still damp from bathing, followed by a natural moisturizing lotion, like one of Repair or Anti-Chafe creams. This keeps the skin glowing no matter the weather conditions.
Sunscreen protects the skin from sun damage, which can lead to wrinkles and even cancer. For the best results, go for a natural SPF sunscreen and reapply (minimum every two hours) or every time your skin becomes wet.
Your skin will benefit and your hair will glow when you’re drinking lots of water and eating healthy.
A healthy – pick me-up, occasionally down a glass of beetroot-carrot-ginger-lemon juice. Beetroot has flavonoids that enhance the flow of blood, while carrots contain vitamin A, which is essential for healthy skin.
It’s easy to get too occupied with your training that you forget about your skin.
Going natural is the safest way to healthy, glowing skin.
Apply any of the above natural skin care tips for athletes to protect yourself from skin infections that come with extensive training and workouts.
If you’re a professional athlete who needs the best natural skin care products to protect and perform, please check out our formulas.
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