Find Skincare to Protect & Revive Sweaty Skin

Love to Work Out and Stay Active?

Exercise, sun and sweat are great for body and soul, but can cause skin damage. So what can you do? Well, first of all, the positive benefits of exercise far outweigh the negatives so you shouldn’t stop exercising. It’s important to note that women who exercise regularly have unique skin care needs. To prevent and repair the damage caused by sun and sweat it is crucial to find the right products to build up your skin’s resilience. So, to make sure you find the right skincare routine to create healthy and resilient skin, we have prepared a short guide to the skin damage caused by exercise and sweat along with some helpful pointers on what you can do to prevent and repair damage.

Sweat Makes Sun Damage Worse

If you love working out in the great outdoors then unfortunately you are prone to even more skin damage than during indoor workouts. According to Dr. Sharon Rozenblat, Doctor in Biochemistry and Expert in Dermatology, sweat increases skin's photosensitivity (sensitivity to sun exposure). Essentially the wetter your skin, the more UV rays are absorbed, which means sweat intensifies sun damage. The bad news is, the combination of sun and sweat accelerates premature aging even more than sun alone. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, a combination of sun, sweat and exercise is the reason why athletes have an increased risk of skin cancer.

So What Can You Do?

If you love an outdoor workout that’s great, just be sure to protect your skin. The most important thing you can do is to apply a powerful broad-spectrum sunscreen before you work out. In general, athletes recommend SPF 30+; any lower and your skin won’t be sufficiently protected. Broad-spectrum means a sunscreen that protects against different types of sun damage and not just UV (so UVA, UVB and IRA). But be aware – sunscreen is not an all-in-one solution for sweat and exercise. A good sunscreen will last around 2 hours, which means you should reapply if you stay out longer than that. There is also a limit to how much even the best sunscreen can do, so make sure to avoid peak sunshine (11-3pm).

Exercising Makes Skin Thirsty

Are you hitting the Gatorade hard when you work out? It’s not just your body that’s thirsty; your skin gets thirsty too. When you sweat, your skin loses key minerals and vitamins. In fact, high-impact exercise fosters anti-oxidative stress, which causes collagen degeneration, elasticity and firmness loss. Combined with mineral and vitamin loss, this can lead to a loss of volume on your cheeks and bones. In addition, sweat caused by intense physical exercise can dehydrate your skin and cause over-dryness. Extreme weather and environmental conditions (UVA, UVB, IRA and pollution) exacerbate the problem.

So What Can You Do?

There are some simple things you can do to rehydrate and nourish sweaty skin. For starters you can choose a sunscreen that is also moisturizing. This will give your skin a nourishing boost before you start your work out. When you are done, be careful which cleanser you choose. Many popular cleansers are packed full of SLS, an ingredient that makes cleansers foamy and soapy but which is actually incredibly dehydrating for skin. Instead, look out for vegan skincare and opt for a cream cleanser that is antibacterial but also moisturizing. Finally, opt for a powerful moisturizer or serum to give your skin an additional shot of moisture after you cleanse.

Sweat Can Cause Breakouts

This one will come as no surprise – sweat can cause breakouts. Usually the problem is a combination of the build up of everyday grime and sweat. Since you sweat more when you exercise, you are prone to getting pimples, blackheads and more. Unfortunately makeup and skincare products can make problems even worse by blocking your pores. In fact, your skin has a very delicate PH balance so sweating can easily cause irritation, redness and blotchiness.

So What Can You Do?

The most important thing is to only sweat with products that are non-comedogenic (this goes for both skincare and makeup). This means that they won’t clog your pores. It’s also important to cleanse after a workout. Leaving sweat on your skin all day can cause further irritation and breakouts. Getting rid of sweat and grime with a replenishing cleanser is a great way to clean your skin while keeping it supple and moisturized.

FRÉ Provides a Holistic Solution for Skin that Often Sweats

FRÉ’s 123FRÉ solution combines a moisture intensive broad-spectrum sunscreen, a nourishing cleanser that is free from SLS, parabens and other toxic ingredients, and a powerful replenishing serum. PROTECT ME (step 1) provides SPF 30 protection and is completely sweat-proof so you can use it for outdoor workouts. PURIFY ME (step 2) is a moisturizing and anti-bacterial cleanser that is strong on grime and sweat but gentle on your skin. REVIVE ME (step 3) is an intensive moisture-rich serum that helps replenish lost minerals and vitamins and prevents collagen degeneration. All products are based on FRÉ’s unique Argania Active Complex© which combines nourishing Argan oil with the stem cells and leaf water of the Argan desert tree (also know as the Tree of Life). Used together, FRÉ’s products build up skin resilience and leave you with a healthy glowing complexion.

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