How sport and acne are connected

Sport and exercise in themselves are essential for our physical and mental health. But there are some acne patients who complain of a worsening of their symptoms after physical activity. Especially in areas that are covered by clothing during training, blemishes can worsen through sweating and the like. But what is the recommendation – does sport generally help against acne, or do spots mostly get worse as a result?

Spots caused by sport

With genuine acne, sport is absolutely advisable. It increases our well-being and also raises the performance of our immune system. Together with a healthy diet, exercise can contribute to an improvement in the skin appearance. Circulation is stimulated and the skin is therefore better supplied with oxygen and nutrients – so sport is also one of the natural anti-ageing remedies. Naturally, there are exceptions here as well. Combination skin that tends towards blemishes is often irritated by all the sweating and new little spots appear. Here it is important to take preventive measures.

Cleansing the skin after training

That you should ideally take a shower after a strenuous training session ought to go without saying for any adult. But those with blemished skin should pay particular attention to thorough cleansing. During sweating the pores of the skin open, since harmful substances are transported out of the body in this way. Yet if we let the sweat dry, exactly the opposite happens and excess sebum and the like block the pores, which in turn creates a perfect damp and cheerful climate for acne-causing bacteria. On the chest and back in particular, the skin is often aggravated by sweaty clothing. These areas, just like the face and the neck, should be cleansed directly after every physical activity with a foaming, oil-free cleansing gel. In this way you can easily avoid additional blocking of the pores.

Contouring at the gym? Better not.

Generally, of course, there is nothing to be said against make-up during sport. Nevertheless, people with problem skin will surely already have had the experience that too much make-up is not exactly conducive to their natural glow. With combination skin, oily products and foundations should be avoided in any case. The skin already produces too much anyway, so more oil only brings more blemishes. It is therefore important, especially during sport, to make sure you apply a non-comedogenic foundation or BB cream – but ideally, of course, to go completely “bare-faced”.