athlete skincare

Do athletes need skincare and haircare?

Professional high endurance athletes seem to think so. Sports provides an excellent environment for bacteria to brew. Sports men/women sweat profusely at the gym and often share equipment, towel clothing etc. Cutaneous infection is very common and it results in acne, redness, clogged pores. As if this is not enough athletes with sensitive skin also experience skin chafing, the annoying and often painful result of skin rubbing against skin or clothing. Salt crystals form when sweat evaporates and attract dirt which causes skin chafing. A chafed area is basically a painful, bleeding scratch mark, especially for runners and folks involved in other high-octane sports. Chafing can occur anywhere on your body, but the thighs, groin, underarms, and nipples are particularly vulnerable.

If your skin is even the slightest bit irritated, it is going to affect your performance. There is no need to suffer in silence anymore. All these issues can be fixed by choosing the right products and following the right routine.

1)Focus on ingredients: Try switching to sulphate-free, pH 5.5 products to keep irritation to a minimum. Sulfate cleansers are chemical-based, detergent-like ingredients, such as those referred to as SLS, work to produce a foaming lather. They often take away your skin’s natural oils and proteins often cause dryness and irritation. PH 5.5 on the other hand is the PH of healthy skin and encourages skin to fight against the acne causing bacteria.

2)Maintain a minimalistic routine: A diligent 10 step Korean skincare routine is quite impractical for everyday athletes who have to juggle between fitness and profession. Specifically, when you have sensitive acne prone skin applying too many products can do more harm than good. Sports men/women need products that can be used on the go and that can still deliver similar performance. Top dermatologists recommend a 2-step routine which is just enough to solve your skin problems. In the morning wash your face with a mild cleanser that is custom formulated for athletes and follow it with a sweatproof with a broad-spectrum sunblock. In the evening wash your face again with a mild cleanser that is custom formulated for athletes and apply a non-comedogenic serum with active ingredients such as hyaluronic acid all over your face.