Workouts can do great things for your complexion. When the blood pumps and you sweat, your pores naturally open and release toxins and debris trapped inside them. Free radicals/toxins also make their way out through the lymphatic drainage system, and  dermal cells receive a refill of oxygen and nutrients.

However, when sweat sits on the skin for an extended period of time, it can negatively impact your complexion. Sweat can disrupt your skin’s pH and moisture balance, (causing dehydration) and become a breeding ground for microbes and blemishes.

To enhance benefits, and minimize negatives following is a simple postworkout skincare regimen.

Post Workout: Start with Cleansing

Use a small amount of our Organic Cleanser (Dosha-specific) [with authentic African Black Soap (SLS/SLES free) as the base] and reap the benefits of pure botanical extracts. Our Ayurvedic formula cleansers gently and thoroughly remove impurities that have surfaced on your skin via sweat.

With PVO, you can choose your Cleansing Regimen according to your skin type:

• Daily Foaming Cleanser – for Dry/Normal skin, or
•  Pore Perfect Cleanser – for Oily/Combination skin and enlarged pores, or
• SBR Cleanser – for Sensitive/Rosacea or other inflammatory skin conditions like psoriasis and eczema.

Note that your body skin is different from your facial skin, hence a body shower gel must not be used for your face post-workout. Use only a gentle & dedicated facial cleanser to refresh without disrupting the skin’s natural protective barrier.

Hydrate & Moisturize

Firstly, just as your muscles relax post-workout, your skin also needs to calm down. The heat and stretching generated from a workout session can impact the restorative process of the skin.

For an instant soothing effect, use one of our dosha-specific Organic Hydrators/Toners. For those who suffer from Rosacea and/or Sensitive Skin, our SBR Hydrator contains natural botanical ingredients like Comfrey, Gotu Kola, Green Tea, Vitamins, and others that help retrain hyper-reactive skin to minimize flares. Our Oil-Balancing Pore Perfect Hydrator (for oily skin) helps regulate dermal hormones responsible for over-production while visibly reducing the size of enlarged pores.

Secondly, since water and minerals are lost through sweat, you should replace them with a nourishing Organic Serum. Thus, the final step of post-workout skincare is to moisturize with our BioScience Peptide Complex. This formula contains a rich essential oil blend and nourishing ingredients like CoQ10, Hyaluronic Acid, Vitamin E, Hempseed Oil, Peptides (Argireline & Matrixyl), DevaBright, and 30+ other clinically proven certified organic ingredients (Read more  about this Anti-aging Ayurvedic discovery…)

Note that those with Rosacea should use our SBR Serum instead of, (or in addition to) the BioScience Peptide Complex, in order to calm the skin down following heavy sweating.

If you are into a morning workout session, follow the above steps and then finish with the SunProtect SPF 30+. For evening sessions, you can simply skip the sunscreen part.

Treating Blemishes and Rashes Post Workout

As explained above, workout acne is not uncommon. If you develop acne blemishes, use our On the Spot Blemish Treatment. The Day Mask with Kaolin/Bentonite Clay works during the day and can also be used as a concealer under makeup. The Night Mask with French Green Clay works overnight to considerably reduce blemishes when you wake up!

Chafing is another issue caused by excessive rubbing of your skin. The best way to deal with this is by keeping the skin clean and spritzing on any of our Hydrators/Toners, or Puraveda AfterShave Balm & Toner with Pure Sandalwood Oil for instant calmness.

Special Attention for Outdoor Workouts

Outdoor Workouts are great as they usually cause more oxygen to be pumped into the body. We recommend that you never leave the house without your Morning Skincare Regimen, which includes using our mineral sunscreen as a final step.

Our Water & Sweat Resistant (learn more) SunProtect SPF 30+ is a Broad Spectrum Sunscreen that protects your skin from harmful UV radiation (should be reapplied after every 2 hours when heavily sweating).