Working out keeps your body firm and smooth. However, it can have the opposite effect on your face, resulting in skin redness and other irritations.
A study on mice that appeared in the
Journal Mechanisms of Aging and Development shows that exercising for 30 minutes a day can cause
skin damage. Exercise generates heat, and heat has a variety of adverse effects on the skin. For one, blood vessels dilate during exercise to bring warm, oxygenated blood to the skin’s surface to help release heat. This leads to skin redness (temporarily) and blotchiness. Then there’s the issue of sweat, which is the body’s built-in cooling system. When temps rise, thousands of endocrine glands located throughout the body release perspiration. Sweat is mostly made of water and minerals such as sodium. It's released to regulate body temperature, and this loss of fluids can dehydrate skin. But, if sacrificing your sweat sesh for your skin is a no-go, here’s how to get in your workout, and keep your skin in tip-top shape!
Get Skin Redness Under Control with Hydration.
Dehydration not only causes rough skin texture and makes
wrinkles more pronounced, but it also impairs the body’s ability to generate more sweat, holding heat hostage within the body. And heat, research shows, can be as aging to the skin as the sun’s rays. A review of research published in the Journal of Dermatological Science suggests that heat exposure triggers MMP proteins. These proteins break down collagen (leading to wrinkles and sagging). Heat exposure also triggers melanocytes, which are pigment-producing cells that cause brown spots. That’s why Saudi Arabian women have sun damage even though they wear face coverings and are not exposed to the sun, and bakers—who spend all day working in the kitchen, not sunbathing on the beach—have spots on their arms caused by heat emanating from the ovens.
Pour Moi Skincare is the only line formulated to prevent this heat-triggered skin damage and associated skin redness. The
Day Creams are specially formulated for your particular climate, and all include a super-hydrating blend of three different sizes of
Hyaluronic Acid molecules plus White Truffle Oil from France to protect against dehydration (a propriety combination called
HyalurTruf+). They also contain
Squalane Oil (a natural component of skin sebum that is packed with antioxidants, boosts moisture, replenishes fatty acids, and helps the skin barrier repair itself) to protect against temperature fluctuations. In other words, it prevents your skin from freaking out when it’s 85 degrees outside and you walk into a frigid air-conditioned gym. Each
Pour Moi Day Cream contains a different amount of Squalane Oil to address
climate-specific temperature swings. For example, the
Tropical Day Cream includes the least amount of all Pour Moi Day Creams because air conditioning isn’t problematic in tropical climates. (In a humid atmosphere, heat gets trapped in the skin and A/C helps reduce humidity and cool skin down.) Other Day Creams, like the
Desert Day Cream, contain more Squalane Oil, as desert air is drying and air conditioning dries air out even more, leaving your skin especially parched and prone to skin redness.
Alternate Your Moisturizers.
Depending on
where you live, and what season it is, you may want to slather on a different
Pour Moi Day Cream before hitting the gym. One Southern California woman usually wears the
Desert Day Cream, as the SoCal area is typically very dry. But since California winters tend to be milder with a little more humidity, she switches to the
Temperate Day Cream during winter months. So while the outdoor air has more moisture, her gym is still cranking up the A/C, which dries out her skin (mimicking a desert climate). To combat the dryness, she applies her
Desert Day Cream in the morning before going to the gym. After she comes home and takes a shower, she applies the
Temperate Day Cream. Whatever climate you live in, the best way to beat the heat (and the dryness) during your workout is to slather on Pour Moi’s
3-step ritual, so skin gets different layers of moisturizing protection. Begin each morning with the
Hydrating Balancer. It’s a liquid prep that adds a first layer of hydration, while also getting skin ready for active skincare ingredients to follow, and
balancing skin’s pH levels. Next, choose a
Serum that contains concentrated amounts of active skincare ingredients, including vitamins and nutrients. Try
Black Serum for skin that tends to be dry, and
White Serum for oilier complexions. Finally, opt for a
Day Cream based on what your skin will encounter during your workout. They will keep your skin in as good a shape as your body!
