It's my understanding that 'sea water' (salt) is whats good for your skin.

What about swimming pools? Are those helpful/harmful?

I used to do laps in an indoor heated public pool and I found the warm stuffy chlorinated environment did my skin no favours. Not to mention whatever stuff other people are bringing into the pool. Ew!

Give me the ocean anyday!

Swimming dries my skin like crazy. Be sure to bring a good moisturizer with you

In my experience, swimming can dry up active pimples pretty quickly, but it also dries up all of your skin too. So, I recommend rinsing off after you swim to get any chlorine residue off, then apply moisturizer.

I'm bummed swimming season is just about over.

If the salt in the ocean can help your face, has anyone tried some sort of cleansing regiment that includes saltwater?

there are people that have, and i think they found some pretty good results, its not exactly the easiest thing to obtain and coordinate however.

i dont really know about that swimming pool helps acne thing, cuz its a lot of chlorine, and that doesnt exactly do your skin any wonders or anything. it really dries you out though.

I read somewhere on these boards that if you swim often the chlorine kills some bacteria in your pores. Just be sure to moisturize afterwards.

my understanding is that like getting sunburned, initially you can see improvement because the chlorine will dry out your skin. in the longrun though, like most people have said, it can really be more harmful because of excessive dryness. i wouldn't start swimming as an acne treatment, but if you do enjoy swimming and want to start swimming more often, just make sure to moisturize properly like others have suggested.

edit: oh, and sea/salt water i think is supposed to be good for your skin too, but same warning. it can dry you out, so make sure to moisturize properly.

I swim twice a week and it doesnt make a difference, I feel my skin drier after swimming, but it does not make any difference about new breakouts