Hey, it is awesome that you take exercise seriously, I also love to work out and feel great doing it!
So I would say that maybe too much water on the face can be a small factor in this. It is only necessary to wash the face 2 times a day. And it is not necessary to wash face before working out.
Also when swimming the face gets contact with chlorine, which can be irritating for the skin in the long run. And some people can be sensitive to this, so try to maybe swim 2 times a week with 3 days in between.

Hope any of this helped, cheers

Hi,

Thanks for this - I did wonder if swimming was the problem. I think I'm going to cut down on the swimming and stick to just the gym for a few weeks, see if that helps things settle down.

Cheers!

it could be actually sweating or the way yourbody releases toxins through sweating. another possibility could be related to sun exposure if you are swimming outdoors.

Thanks, I agree that it might well be something to do with toxins. Not sure there's anything I can do about that then!

The swimming is indoors though  

Hey
I find working out causes me to break out but having tested and double tested I can link it to the spike in hormones. If I don't go the gym my skin is under control and if I go light to medium it is fine, maybe a few little whitheads (no drama). If I go all out on the weights then you can guarantee without fail I get 2-3 decent sized spots. There is no coincidence here, it is like clockwork. I hate this as I love working out and having a good body some way deflects from what I perceive to be horrid skin.I am also 35 btw and I have found each year my skin gets better - presumably because my hormones drop as I age .. its just the working out peaks them.

On 7/24/2018 at 2:21 PM, JamBroDod said:

Hey
I find working out causes me to break out but having tested and double tested I can link it to the spike in hormones. If I don't go the gym my skin is under control and if I go light to medium it is fine, maybe a few little whitheads (no drama). If I go all out on the weights then you can guarantee without fail I get 2-3 decent sized spots. There is no coincidence here, it is like clockwork. I hate this as I love working out and having a good body some way deflects from what I perceive to be horrid skin.I am also 35 btw and I have found each year my skin gets better - presumably because my hormones drop as I age .. its just the working out peaks them.

Thanks for your reply, this is EXACTLY what is happening to me! So I guess the alt option is to not work out as hard! I don't wanna quit going to the gym altogether as the all round benefits of exercise are important to me, it's just annoying what the end product of this brings to my face. Damn you hormones!

It could also be excessive washing of your face, if you feel like you need to, just wipe your face with a damp washcloth before or after working out. Too much washing will cause your face to produce more oil, not less. It is also possible that if it is due to hormones from working out that if you keep working out, your hormones will balance out and you may find you have less acne. Sometimes you have to experiment with these things, there is no one-size-fits-all solution.

Chlorine is a skin irritant and can cause more acne in acne prone people- ease up on swimming or if you can't apply petroleum jelly on effected areas before you swim. shower right away after and use a BHA or AHA wash, always shower right after working out- hormones from working out shouldn't cause that effect - if anything internally would make it better because it kills toxins that lead to inflammation in the first place- however working out is inflammatory in itself. Avoid hot yoga, sauna, etc. I believe it is because of sweat and clogged pores and for sure the chlorine. Making changes should help- I am an esthetician and have experience in working at a acne clinic. I hope this helps.

Thanks for your responses everyone!

I'm going to have a complete break from swimming for a few weeks and see what happens.

Will keep you posted!