How To Care For Your Skin After Exercise

We all love how exercise makes us feel—strong, energised, and ready to take on the day. But it’s not just your body and mind that benefit from a good workout; your skin does too. Increased circulation from exercise delivers oxygen and nutrients to your skin, giving it a healthy, natural glow. Plus, sweating helps detoxify your skin, reducing puffiness and leaving you with a bright and refreshed appearance.

To keep that glow going, caring for your skin right after your workout is essential. No matter when you prefer to exercise—whether it’s a morning run, a lunchtime gym session, or an evening class—make sure to cleanse and moisturise your skin straight after. A post-workout skincare routine is a simple step that can do a lot to keep your complexion looking vibrant and healthy.

Post-workout skincare ritual

Step 1. Start with a cleanse

After a good workout, the first step in caring for your skin is to wash your face with a gentle cleanser. Our Soy Face Cleanser is a favourite among those looking for a cleanser powerful enough to remove impurities and gentle enough not to irritate their skin. This cleanser soothes visible redness instantly, removing impurities and helping to clear up imperfections in the long run.

Step 2. Revitalise your body

With your face clean, it’s time to move on to refreshing your body with a soothing shower. Take this opportunity to try out an effective shower gel that will not only cleanse your skin after a workout, but ignite your senses for a truly revitalising experience. The invigorating pH-balanced formula of our Hesperides Grapefruit Bath & Shower Gel washes away the sweat of your workout and infuses your senses with the uplifting aroma of citrus. Packed with revitalising vitamins C and E, along with moisturising glycerin, it nourishes your skin and leaves it feeling refreshed, energised, and ready for what lies ahead.

Once a week, kick things up a notch and complement your routine with a nourishing body exfoliator to buff away dead skin cells, leaving your skin feeling smooth and revitalised.

Step 3. Hydrating your skin

Round off your post-workout skincare routine with the most important step: moisturising. When you moisturise your face, it’s best to opt for a lightweight, non-comedogenic formula, like the Rose & Hyaluronic Acid Deep Hydration Emulsion. This gentle yet effective emulsion provides deep hydration without clogging up your pores, so you can enjoy soft, supple-feeling skin without any greasiness.

For moisturising your body, try the Hesperides Grapefruit Body Lotion. Its lightweight texture absorbs quickly into the skin, while vitamins C and E work to nourish and hydrate, providing 24-hour moisture* for lasting comfort.

Skincare for your specific exercise routine

Different workouts have unique effects on your skin. Here are our tips for keeping your skin healthy and vibrant based on your favourite workout activities.

Exercising outdoors

Whether you prefer a brisk run, a tranquil morning hike, or hitting the surf, outdoor workouts enhance both your physical and mental health. Still, as enjoyable as a good outdoor workout can be, it’s important to think about how the exposure to environmental stressors could affect your skin.

When exercising outdoors, you can bolster your skin’s defences by adding our Tea Elixir Skin Resilience Activating Serum to your skincare routine. With Adaptive Phytocompound Tea (APT) Technology™, this serum is packed with antioxidants that fortify your skin against the elements. It works to reduce the appearance of wrinkles, smooth out skin texture, and boost your skin’s elasticity, helping you maintain a youthful, healthy glow after every outdoor adventure.

Intense cardio and strength training

High-intensity activities like running, HIIT, and weightlifting are excellent for building endurance and strength, but they can leave your skin feeling dehydrated and tight. This is because the increased body heat and sweat production can deplete your skin's natural moisture and oils.

To combat this, it’s important to rehydrate your skin post-workout. With our Rose Pore-Minimising Hydration Mist, a quick spritz delivers an instant burst of hydration thanks to Damask Rose extract and rose water. Not only does it soothe and refresh your skin, but it also helps minimise the appearance of pores, which can become more noticeable after intense exercise. This easy step ensures your skin stays as energised and balanced as you are after an intense workout.

Skincare after yoga and pilates

Your body and mind feel rejuvenated after a soothing yoga or pilates session. Extend that feeling to your skin with an indulgent face mask. Our Umbrian Clay Pore-Purifying Face Mask is the perfect post-practice treat. This mineral-rich mask deeply cleanses and balances your skin, helping to maintain the inner peace and clarity you’ve cultivated during your workout. Think of it as a way to detox and refresh your complexion, mirroring the restorative effects of your exercise.

Winter sports

Enjoying the rush of snowboarding or skiing comes with its challenges—cold winds, high altitudes, and UV exposure can leave your skin feeling dry and sensitive, especially around delicate areas like your eyes and lips.

Nourish and protect your lips with our Sugar Recovery Lip Mask Advanced Therapy. This overnight treatment is the perfect after-ski indulgence, offering deep hydration and soothing relief for your lips while you sleep, so you wake up ready to tackle another day on the slopes.

Check out our expert tips for a more thorough skincare routine for ski season.

*instrumental test, 30 subjects