You know that exercise is great for your body and sweat is an excellent way to keep skin youthful - but if you don't take care of your skin while you work out, you can end up with a face full of clogged pores and a breakout. Lucky for you, there are some pretty easy steps to take to prevent that from happening.

Before Your Workout

Remove Your Makeup

Your pores open up when you workout - you don't want to clog them and prevent your skins natural ability to breathe with makeup! Even if you're not wearing makeup, you should still give your face a pre-workout cleanse, especially if you're prone to acne.

Choose the Right Sunscreen

If you're exercising outdoors, SPF is important! I's equally as important to choose the right formula. Oily sunscreen can cause acne by clogging pores so using a lighter formula can help make sure you're not dealing with pimples afterward.

Go Light on Hair Products

Lots of conditioners and other products are very oily when they travel down your face or back from sweat they can clog the pores.  Try to refrain from using these types of products in your hair on intense workout days. If you can’t do that for whatever reason, try using a sweatband to keep sweat and product from reaching your face.

While You Workout

Wipe Down Your Equipment

Don't trust others to clean equipment after they've finished. Bacteria breeds on these machines, and if you touch your face just once during your workout, all that fun bacteria just traveled to your face. Make sure to wipe each surface with antibacterial wipes before using.

After Your Workout

Wash Your Face Immediately

To remove any buildup of bacteria in the pores, cleanse your face ASAP after your workout.

Subdue Any Irritation

Buildup of bacteria can also cause inflammation. Use an anti-inflammatory moisturizer to add hydration back to your skin, calm irritation, and prevent breakouts.

Hop in the Shower

Staying in your sweaty clothes can lead to body acne. If you leave a sweat buildup on your skin, it will clog your pores and not allow your skin to breathe properly. Pop in the shower immediately after you're done working out. Don't have time? Wipe off acne-prone areas where sweat accumulates most—on the chest, back, and stomach.