Promise, your workouts don't need to mess with your beauty goals
I’ve just done the hardest boxing session of my life. My entire body is now, in fact, jelly, and I’m dripping in sweat. While I feel exhilarated – blood pumping and endorphins incoming – I also kinda just want to curl into a ball and roll home. But I can’t, because it’s 8am and I have to get to work and look somewhat presentable by 9am. Thus begins the 30-minute extreme makeover from bedraggled gym rat to beauty director.
Quick question: does lugging my 1kg makeup bag to and from central London count as weightlifting? And it’s not just on the days I’m working out that I have to factor in how my exercise and beauty routines combine; aligning my type 4 hair washday with gym sessions has become a scheduling nightmare. Oh, and don’t get me started on the mission to keep rashes and bacne at bay thanks to spandex workout gear. The truth is, while exercising is one of the best things you can do for your body, the toll it takes on our beauty routines is tough.
Over time, I’ve found a way to make both work, so that I feel good, but also feel like I look good. However, it’s not been a walk in the park to get there – more like a long incline run on a treadmill.
Exercise – Face + Body
With the mix of sweat and hot skin, is it any surprise that exercise can wreak havoc on both your face and body? But before we delve any further into the issues that can arise, it’s important to remember the pluses. ‘Working out can positively affect the skin by increasing blood circulation, which delivers more oxygen and nutrients, resulting
in a healthier complexion,’ notes dermatologist and brand founder Dr Shereene Idriss, adding that the process of sweating ‘helps detoxify the skin, flushing out impurities and promoting a clearer appearance’.
Issues really crop up when the skin isn’t managed properly post-workout. ‘The biggest no-no when it comes to skin and exercise is not cleansing after a workout,’ she warns. ‘Leaving sweat, oil and bacteria on your skin can clog pores, leading to breakouts, irritation and even body acne. This is especially problematic if you’ve been wearing makeup, which can trap impurities against the skin, worsening the issue. Post-workout cleansing helps remove sweat and dirt, allowing your skin to breathe and stay healthy.’
While your full skincare routine will vary depending on your skin type, Dr Idriss advises just a splash of water pre- workout if you’re going first thing in the morning (plus SPF if outdoors), then following up with your skincare after you complete your session. Heading straight to work with limited space in your gym bag? Stick to hydration and protection on gym days (a hydrating serum and SPF moisturiser) and, if redness is a concern, ingredients like centella asiatica help reduce the pink flush (as found in Dr Idriss’ The Depuffer Serum, £39). For evenings, remove all makeup before working out, then, when you finish, follow with your full night-time routine.
Body-wise, if you’re partial to going from gym sesh to coffee shop to Vinted drop-offs in your sweaty workout clothes on a Saturday morning (same), time to have a rethink, as the heat and the sweat are a recipe for rashes and body breakouts. To keep skin bump- free, pop an exfoliating body wash into a weekly ‘everything shower’. ‘Acids such as salicylic or glycolic help clear out clogged pores by dissolving dead skin cells and excess sebum, reducing the likelihood of breakouts,’ says Dr Idriss.
Micellar Water Sensitive Skin 700ml
Hydr8 B5™ Intense
My review of PLAY Everyday Lotion SPF 50
The Depuffer
The Smoother Glycolic Acid Body Lotion
Salicylic Acid 0.5% Body Serum
Exercise – Hair + Scalp
Confession time. For most of my late 20s, I put off working out most weeks because I didn’t want to sweat out my silk press. And I know I’m not alone. For anyone who chooses to wear their hair straight when it has any texture – whether that’s waves, curls or coils – the thought of sweating out all your hard work can be so off-putting. And no matter what your texture, concealing a sweaty scalp isn’t easy. And this is all before we get to the health of your scalp, which exercise can really impact.
Because the thing is, excess sweating can affect scalp health and hair growth. ‘Sweat accumulation on the scalp can block hair follicles, creating an unhealthy environment for hair growth,’ says Steven Goldsworthy, trichologist and director at Goldsworthy’s, Swindon. He adds that ‘excessive perspiration creates a warm, moist scalp environment, which can promote the growth of bacteria or fungi, leading to scalp infections’.
When it comes to hair washing, it’s a difficult balance to strike, even if you already wash your hair regularly. ‘While the ideal frequency depends on your hair and scalp condition, shampooing two or three times a week is generally recommended,’ says Goldsworthy, but he also notes that ‘washing too frequently can strip the hair of essential oils, leading to dryness’. A real predicament. If you’re gymming more than four times a week, rather than washing your hair after each session, Goldsworthy suggest a cold- water rinse after intense workouts – ‘it can help to remove sweat without stripping the scalp of natural oils’.
If you must reach for a dry shampoo, he advises you to use it pre-workout to absorb sweat as it hits the scalp. ‘But it’s not an alternative to shampooing, as a build-up of dry shampoo can also have detrimental effects on the scalp and hair follicles,’ he warns.
Flaky/Itchy Scalp Anti-Dandruff Scalp Toner 75ml
STRAAND The Crown Cleanse Concentrated Anti-Dandruff Prebiotic Shampoo 350ml
Batiste On The Go Dry Shampoo 50ml
Celebrity hairstylist Dionne Smith doesn’t advise using dry shampoo on Afro-textured hair unless absolutely necessary. ‘Afro-textured hair types tend to be a lot drier and using dry shampoo can exacerbate that,’ she says.
As a Black girl who refuses to wash her hair more than once a week, I’ve had to try hard to make my hair routines work for me, and I’ve finally found a formula that fits. I wash my hair every five or six days and work out three times a week. Every workout session, I rely on headbands to keep my edges from frizzing up, which allows me to rock a ‘clean girl’ bun for the latter half of the week until my weekly wash.
The sweat-wicking Bind London Dina Headband, £29.99, has become a staple to keep my coils in check, and brand founder Kayleigh Benoit has received positive feedback across the Black community. ‘A level of trust and loyalty has built up over time and [the fact that] I have proof that it works on my hair type gives customers that reassurance,’ she says. Another hair hit has been the Gymshark Diffuse Sweat Headband, £20, which was created with the Black community in mind, to stop hair maintenance being a barrier to exercise.
Diffuse Sweat Headband
Styling Wax Stick
Hair Ties - Cleopatra - Black
When it comes to working out and washdays, someone who’s had to figure it out is Marsha Lindsay, founder of Nobu Pilates. ‘With Black hair needing attention and love, I do find my needs versus my fast- paced lifestyle tricky to manage,’ she admits. ‘When I wear my hair natural, I have a big routine for haircare on Sundays, as I can take time to wash, apply treatments, steam, blow- dry and silk press. But midweek, I’ll have a quicker version to get my scalp clean.’ Using a scalp toner is perfect for a midweek refresh.
And for weaved girlies? ‘My weave sometimes feels a little easier [to care for] and therefore I’ll do three washes per week to ensure my scalp is clean,’ Lindsay says. ‘It’s also very simple to shampoo and condition, then I use my hood attachment to make sure the braids are thoroughly dry – a tip I got from my hairstylist Zateesha Barbour.’
You Might Also Like
