Why skin care after exercise is so important

The most important things in brief

• There are a lot of external influences that cause our skin to dry out quickly.
• These include frequent showering or bathing, not drinking enough fluids, air dried out by the heater or the wrong care products.
• This also includes environmental factors or cosmetics that irritate the skin.
• But last but not least, it is sweaty sport that affects the complexion. Read here why skin care is extremely important, especially after sport.

Exercise is healthy, there's no question about that. We work out, we move, we distract ourselves from the problems that everyday life brings with it. Sport often also has a social component, we meet other people with whom we can talk about something other than office matters or everyday shopping. However, there is a downside: intensive sport has a negative effect on our skin if we do not care for it.

Why exercise can damage the skin

When we exercise at a high, intense level, we sweat. That's not too bad and in most cases it's the goal of the effort. Our sweat cleans the skin and cools it down, we just feel good and tend to think that we sweat out everything that we have done to the body that is unhealthy: sugar, alcohol, fats.

Nevertheless, sweating is not an end in itself, at least not if too much fluid is lost as a result. The body tends to become dehydrated quickly, which is unhealthy on several levels - and also for the skin. We lose at least 500 milliliters of fluid a day just by sitting around and breathing. When we exercise, we lose up to five liters of fluid a day. And we absolutely have to take it back, ideally through water.

Showering also contributes to drying out of the skin

But it's not just the sweat that causes us and our largest organ - exactly, our skin - to dry out. Those who are very physically active several times a week also take a shower much more often than is necessary. And although we then get wet, our skin cannot absorb any of this water. As a result, the skin is stressed with literally every step under the shower and dries out further.

Is that why you do without sport or the shower afterwards? Of course that is not an option. But just as we have to make sure that we drink enough in everyday life and especially during sports, we have to take into account that our skin should also be cared for. If our skin is permanently too dry, then you can see it very quickly.

Lotion and creams can help

Body lotions, for example, can help. There are also a number of suitable creams for the body and face that keep the skin's moisture balance in balance. If you already suffer from somewhat dry skin even without sporting influences, then you cannot avoid these care products. And after exercising, it's extremely important to use these moisturizing items.

Finally, a tip for women: Never put on make-up before exercising. Make-up causes lasting damage to the skin because it penetrates the skin through the pores that open when you sweat and causes irritation there.