Lifting weights and I have a love hate relationship. I love to work out, but whenever I start getting back into it, I always break out in cystic acne. I don't understand why either. I sweat a lot while I workout, but I splash lukewarm water on my face after I get done working out. And then I usually go home and do the regimen right after (DK Cleanser, BP, Moisturizer). But I always seem to get those huge under the skin pimples after one or two weeks of it. Does anyone have any ideas why?
I'm guessing it has something to do with hormones rather than sweat. To my knowledge, sweat just causes clogged pores rather than the deep, under-the-skin ones you are experiencing. Also, do you take a post-workout? I think the fancier they are, the more likely you are to break out from something in them.
When I was lifting last semester, I tried to keep my post-workout simple... I just took an egg protein shake and that was enough for me. In the past I'd noticed a correlation between working out and acne, but lifting last semester for some reason was one of the clearest periods I've had in a while.
This article might help you better understand what's going on: *Moderator edit, URL removed - read the board rules*
I think it has to do with any supplements that you might be taking while working out. Do you know all of the ingredients in whey protein? What's in your preworkout supplement? Keep things like this in mind.
Well that's the weird thing. I don't use any supplements. No pre-workout, no whey protein afterwards. I have had this happen before so naturally I thought it was the supplements causing it. So I decided to do it completely natural, and it still is happening. Like I said, nine times out of ten I splash some lukewarm water on my face when I get done, and I lightly dab it off with a paper towel. I'm just really confused as to what is causing it.
I think you answered your own question. You said you splash lukewarm water 9 out of 10 times. Well, you actually have to shower right after your workout man. Sweat ends up dripping after you wash your face, and chances are that you haven't washed thoroughly enough - which causes "traffic" in your pores and a disruption in the skin mechanisms, causing you cystic acne. Try not even splashing water, but actually taking a full shower.
