4 Skincare Tips For Active Women

What happens when you put together a Personal Trainer and a Make Up Artist?! …well, it isn’t a bad joke but it did produce this post! My very good friend from University, Elaine Lynskey sat down with me one wet and chilly afternoon to chat all things skincare when it comes to being active and I wanted to share everything she told me with you here!

Take Extra Care In Colder Weather

There’s the unfounded myth that when the weather gets colder, moisturising your skin isn’t as important but we know that this isn’t quite the case. The harshness of the colder temperatures plus the added windchill are very drying on your skin and your face doesn’t get the luxury of being wrapped up underneath cosy winter jumpers.

Elaine suggested adding a little beauty oil (2-3 drops) to your moisturiser especially when the colder months arrive. The benefits are plentiful but include hydration of your skin, rebalancing and it’s also anti ageing. Don’t be afraid of using oil on your skin even if your skin is classified as oily as you can actually fight oily skin with oil.

The key is to look for the right ingredients in the products you chose; Look for something with either jojoba or rosehip oil which are healing, help to reduce scars, sun damage and lines. If you’ll be running or working out outdoors apply your moisturiser plus oil before you head out. Otherwise, simply just add it to your morning or evening routine.

How You Clean Your Skin Is More Important Than When

So the focus here is on cleaning your skin properly rather than stressing about cleaning straight after exercise. Elaine suggested that we avoid wipes to clean our skin as they contain a lot of alcohol which strips your skin of it’s natural oils. If you deprive your skin of oil, it goes into overdrive producing excess oil which can lead to breakouts.

A good place to start with your skin cleansing routine is with a micelle solution such as Bioderma Sensibio H20; it works to remove makeup, soothes irritated skin and minimises redness. It also doesn’t disrupt the natural pH levels of your skin yet can remove the most stubborn waterproof mascara.

The perfect product for the next part of your routine is an old favourite of mine, Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser. When you use the product which has a cream base with the cloth and warm water it opens up the pores and cleans your skin more effectively whilst providing gentle exfoliation.

Keep That Sun Protection In Your Moisturiser

I know. It’s cold, and you’re even sure the sun exists any more. But the fact of the matter is if there is daylight, the sun is there somewhere. It certainly can’t do any harm to keep using a moisturiser with added sun protection especially if you will be spending time outdoors (cos, damn, on the London Underground, we can barely get fresh air let alone daylight!).

Elaine recommends a minimum of factor 20 when trying to decide which product to use. You can obviously just use a separate sun cream to your regular moisturiser if your favourite doesn’t already have it added. This summer, I tried and loved the P20 Once A Day range as it’s sweatproof, safe for use on your face and very water resistant.

Manage Your Imperfections

Personally, this is a massive area for me when it comes to skincare; I’m 32yo and still suffering from blemishes which then leave me with uneven skin tone. I’ve also been informed that although my skin is blemish prone, it’s actually dehydrated (can we ever win?!)

Imperfections include, but are not limited to spots / blemishes, dryness and chapped lips when it comes to being active. Elaine recommended Weleda Skin Food* in winter months which is good for dry skin. She also recommended Lucas Papaw Ointment for dry, chapped lips.

To reduce the risk of further breakouts, avoid using heavy foundations as they don’t allow your skin to breathe. Elaine suggested that if a base is a must have, use a concealer stick on the areas that you want to cover such as under eyes, on blemishes and around nose.

Also don’t forget to keep your brushes clean by washing them once a week (okay every couple weeks in reality!) with hot water and soap before letting them dry naturally to avoid contamination and added germs.

We then heard that spots on the hairline caused by sweating is an issue some of you have to deal with. For this, you can try products containing Argan Oil both pre- and post workout as it protects skin from environmental damage, is great for oily skin to as it controls oil production and is also great for those of us with sensitive skin. As an added bonus It can also be used as an overnight treatment!

You can check out what Elaine gets up to via her website or on Instagram.

If you have any other skincare concerns or amazing tips that you’d like to share then please leave us a comment below! 

Elle