How Sweating Can Cause Acne

Exercise has many obvious advantages one often overlooked advantage is how good moderate exercise can be for your skin. It is quite common for people to assume that exercise and sweating are linked to higher chances of having acne. This is untrue, exercise does effect acne, poor hygiene during and after exercise can increase the likely of bacteria forming and acne becoming visible.

Exercise-related acne is usually caused by something you put on your skin rather than physical activity. It is not physical activity that increases your chances of getting acne, but the sweating that results from exercise.

What You Wear
If you have issues with acne breakouts when you exercise, avoid clothing made from synthetic materials because some synthetic fabrics can trap the heat and moisture against your skin. Trapped heat and moisture makes it easy for bacteria to form and creates acne. For exercise clothing, your best option is lightweight, loose-fitting cotton, or a mixture of lycra and cotton materials. These natural fabrics allow the skin to breathe, and loose garments are less likely to rub against the skin spreading bacteria.

Make-up and Sunscreen
If you exercise outdoors, always wear sunscreen and don't wear make-up. Scientific studies show that exposure to the sun actually promotes comedones (clogged pores) and, of course, sun damage. Also, some acne medications can make skin more sensitive to the sun, so sunscreen is even more important. When choosing a sunscreen, look for oil free products that have a protection factor of at least SPF 15. Make-up can also travel across the skin's surface and lodge in the pores, is make-up really necessary when you work out?

Sports Equipment
Some people are more likely to get acne or have their pimples aggravated on the parts of their skin that comes into contactin the areas affected by sports equipment. The best defense against friction-related breakouts is a good fit, for example: ensure your helmet doesn't slide around on your head, or your wetsuit isn't too tight. You can also curb equipment-triggered breakouts by lining your helmet with a layer of soft, washable cotton fabric. Remember to keep your sports equipment clean and dry when not in use.

Sweat
After a workout you should get out of your wet and sweaty clothes. Regardless of how you exercise - jogging cycling, swimming, tennis or whatever - after you have completed your workout, don't sit around in sweaty clothes or wet swimsuit. You should shower immediately and put on dry clothes before going home if you can. At the very least wipe the sweat off your body as best you can and change into dry clothes. When wiping sweat off your face, always use a clean cloth or towel, and pat your skin gently rather than wipe. Aggressive rubbing can irritate your skin, pushing sweat, make-up and sunscreen deeper into the pores.

For more information on acne and acne treatments and other skin care related articles, please visit 14 Day Acne Cure.