Exercise and Your Face...
By Barbara Strickland, Certified Para-Medical Esthetician

Everyone knows how wonderful exercise is for a strong, healthy body and mind, but the side effects of exercise are not particularly good for your skin. Behind every "Old Wives Tale" there is always a grain of truth. Remember the one about hot water opening pores and cold water closing pores? Pores have no muscles. They cannot open and close. What really happens when you exercise is that your cardiovascular system rushes freshly oxygenated blood to the surface to feed the muscles. The blood is bright red (because of the oxygen content) and plumps up the skin making it larger and denser. In addition, perspiration occurs to cool off the body. These two functions started by exercise, or heat and humidity, cause a variety of consequences for your face and body.

THE CONSEQUENCES OF EXERCISE ON YOUR SKIN:

Acne Rosacea

If you suffer from Acne Rosacea, then heat, humidity, spicy foods, and outdoor activities will exacerbate your condition making your skin appear swollen, irritated, and red.

Acne or Zits

Zits get worse because the "swollen" skin irritates the existing lesions or "zits" and helps to create new ones like "Big Mothers" or mature nodules, which are large, painful, and unsightly.

Oily Skin

Oily skin becomes oilier as the acids and salts mix with oil (sebum) from your skin to glue down the dead skin cells (keratinocytes), creating a coating akin to plastic wrap on the skin.

Dry Skin

Dry skin becomes irritated, flaky, and rough because of the salts and acids deposited on the skin as surface moisture evaporates.

Laser Redefining and Plastic Surgery

Aging skin that has been corrected by laser or plastic surgery must stay out of the sun to avoid absorbing new damage.  This skin will quickly absorb new damage.  As a consequence, outdoor exercise and sun exposure are not advised.  The increased blood flow caused by exercise and sun exposure will cause swelling of the skin and dehydration.  Make sure you gain your physician’s approval before exercising after such a procedure.  It is especially important for you to follow the steps below to maintain the results you’ve just achieved!

SOLUTIONS

·         When you find yourself outside in the heat and humidity, playing golf or tennis, swimming or working out, carry a COOL IT BAG filled with a cold, wet towel, ice cubes, and water. Several times during the activity (when you have a break) wipe down your face, neck, and chest with the cold, wet towel and reapply your SPF 25. It feels great, is totally refreshing, and removes the excess salts and acids (from perspiration) that dry and irritate the skin. This calms the skin, reducing swelling, irritation, dryness, and inflammation.

·         Cleanse your skin with Facial Shampoo and cool water as soon as you are finished with your activity to remove salts, perspiration, grime, and dryness.

·         Use Gelloid Mask or MOISTURE WHIP SMOOTHER immediately to replace moisture loss and to re-hydrate the skin. Leave on as little as 5 minutes or until absorbed.

·         Reapply your SPF 25, and if needed, Hydrating Emulsion moisturizer to keep your skin glowing.

·         Be sure to get a Moisture Replacement Facial at least once a month during the summer and/or have a series of peels so that no residue of dead skin, oil, irritation, or dryness interferes with a glowing complexion.

·        Always wear a hat to keep direct sunlight off of your face.  This is especially important for those who have just had plastic surgery or laser treatments.

·         Never use a sun tanning bed to get a base tan or any additional color. They cause discoloration, skin cancer, and wrinkles.

·         For those of you with oily skin use Biological Redefining Mask or MSSR Redefinition Mask at least three times a week during the summer months for oil-free skin.

·         Adjust your products for the summer. You may only need your SPF 25 and Smoothing Cream or Smoothing Gel for moisture for the hot and humid months. If you do use Gelloid or Emulsion, these formulas may need to be lighter.