Skincare After a Workout: How to Stop Gym Breakouts

Yes, you should wash your face after working out, and the sooner the better. Dermatologists recommend removing makeup before you train, patting sweat off with a clean towel during, and cleansing with a mild, oil-free face wash as soon as you finish. If there's no sink, change out of sweaty clothes and wipe breakout-prone skin with a salicylic acid pad, then apply a light, non-comedogenic moisturizer.

The rest of this guide walks through the routine step by step: what to do before a workout, how to handle sweat while you train, what to use afterward when you're at the gym with only a bag, and how to tell gym breakouts from rashes that need a different approach. Swimmers have a different problem (chlorine rather than sweat and friction), which we cover in a separate guide.

Why does working out cause breakouts?

Workout breakouts come from sweat mixing with oil, dirt and bacteria and staying on your skin. The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) explains that working out can cause excessive sweating along with a buildup of oil, dirt and bacteria on the skin, all of which can lead to acne. Three things tend to make it worse:

• Friction and trapped heat. Helmets, chin straps, headbands, backpack straps and tight synthetic clothing rub against warm, sweaty skin. The AAD calls the result acne mechanica, which often starts as small, rough bumps you can feel more easily than see. Our guide to acne mechanica covers it in detail.
• Makeup and hair products. Foundation under a sweaty workout sits on your skin for an hour. Oils in shampoos, conditioners and styling products can also cause tiny breakouts along the hairline and forehead, and sweat helps carry them down your face.
• Waiting too long to clean up. Sitting in damp clothes, driving home and showering later gives sweat and oil more time on your skin.

What should I do with my skin before a workout?

Take your makeup off and put on clean clothes. You don't need a full cleanse. The AAD's pre-workout advice is short:

1. Remove makeup. The AAD says there's no need to wash your face; an oil-free makeup remover towelette works fine.
2. Wear clean workout clothes. Put on clothes that have been washed since you last wore them, because dead skin cells, bacteria and oil on unwashed clothes can clog pores.
3. Use sunscreen if you're training outdoors. The AAD recommends a sunscreen that is SPF 30 or higher, broad spectrum, water resistant and oil-free (often labeled "non-comedogenic"). It also notes that sun can dry skin, which prompts more oil production.
4. Pull your hair back. Keeping hair and its products off your forehead reduces contact between styling oils and sweat-soaked skin.

Leave heavy creams, face oils and thick foundation for after your shower. If you exercise first thing in the morning, a light moisturizer and sunscreen are plenty.

How should I deal with sweat during a workout?

Pat it off gently with a clean towel instead of wiping. The AAD lists roughly rubbing sweat away with a towel among the habits that can worsen acne, because the irritation itself can trigger breakouts.

• Use a towel that has been washed since anyone last used it.
• Wipe down shared equipment, such as benches, mats and handles, before you use it, and avoid touching your face afterward. The AAD notes that shared equipment can be full of acne-causing bacteria and oil.
• Avoid sharing helmets and pads when you can.
• If straps or gear rub, the AAD suggests clean, soft padding between the equipment and your skin, moisture-wicking fabric, and looser clothes to cut friction and trapped heat.

Should I wash my face after working out?

Yes. The AAD recommends considering a shower immediately after a workout to rinse away acne-causing bacteria, and its list of acne habits says to wash your face when you finish an activity that makes you sweat, in addition to morning and night. Right away is ideal; the longer sweat, oil and sunscreen sit on your skin, the more chance they have to clog pores.

How you wash matters as much as when:

1. Use a mild, oil-free cleanser (labeled "non-comedogenic" or "won't clog pores").
2. Apply it with your fingertips and rinse with warm water. Scrubbing, washcloths and hot water can make acne flare.
3. Pat dry with a clean towel.
4. Apply moisturizer and, if you're heading back outside, sunscreen.

If you already use an acne cleanser with salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide, your post-workout wash is a reasonable time to use it, as long as you aren't also using it twice a day already. The AAD warns that drying your skin out with acne products backfires, because dry skin is irritated skin.

What if there's no sink at the gym?

Change out of your sweaty clothes, then wipe the areas that tend to break out. For this exact situation, the AAD suggests changing out of workout clothes and wiping breakout-prone skin with pads that contain salicylic acid, which can help prevent clogged pores.

• Salicylic acid pads suit oily and acne-prone skin, used once and then left on. Skip them on irritated or sunburned skin.
• Gentle, fragrance-free cleansing wipes or micellar water on a cotton pad are a better fit for dry or sensitive skin that stings with acids.
• Don't scrub with the wipe. Light passes, a fresh section each time, and a full wash as soon as you get home.

What moisturizer should I use after the gym?

A lightweight, oil-free moisturizer labeled non-comedogenic. Even oily skin needs it: the AAD advises that people with oily skin still apply moisturizer after cleansing, and that products labeled "oil free" and "noncomedogenic" won't clog pores.

• Oily or acne-prone skin: a gel or light lotion. Glycerin and hyaluronic acid are common humectants in these textures.
• Dry or sensitive skin: a fragrance-free lotion or cream with ceramides, especially if you wash more than twice a day because of training.
• Daytime workouts: a moisturizer with broad-spectrum SPF 30 or higher saves a step if you're going back out.

Hold off on stronger actives like retinoids or exfoliating acids right after a sweaty session if your skin is flushed or raw; your evening routine is a calmer time for them.

Is it acne, or something else?

Most gym breakouts are ordinary acne or acne mechanica, but two look-alikes are worth knowing.

• Malassezia (fungal) folliculitis. DermNet describes small, uniform, itchy bumps and pustules, mainly on the upper back and chest, sometimes on the forehead and hairline, with no blackheads or whiteheads. Heavy sweating, heat and humidity, and occlusion from creams and sunscreens are listed risk factors. Because it looks so much like acne, DermNet notes that diagnosis is often delayed, and it's treated with antifungal products such as ketoconazole rather than standard acne care; see fungal acne vs regular acne.
• Rosacea flushing. In a National Rosacea Society survey, heavy exercise was reported as a trigger by 56% of respondents. If your face stays red and hot long after a workout, it's worth tracking which sessions set it off. Our guide to rosacea triggers has more.

For breakouts on the back and chest, which are common in people who train hard, see how to get rid of back acne. The AAD notes that acne mechanica tends to clear more quickly than regular acne, often with an over-the-counter salicylic acid treatment, and that if it's still there after 6 to 8 weeks of treatment, a dermatologist can help. Deep, painful cysts, scarring or a rash that spreads are reasons to see one sooner.

How is gym skincare different from skincare for swimmers?

Gym skin deals with sweat, oil and friction, so the priority is getting them off quickly without irritation. Swimmers deal with chlorine and long stretches of sun and water, which mostly cause dryness, so their routine leans on barrier protection and heavier moisturizing. If you do both, read our guide to skincare for swimmers.

How can a selfie skin scan help?

Workout breakouts come and go, which makes it hard to know whether a change in routine is working. Taking a selfie in the same light every week gives you something to compare. Pori returns an overall skin score in about 10 seconds, with a breakdown that includes Pores & Texture and Hydration & Moisture, and keeps your history on your phone so you can see the trend after a month of post-gym cleansing. Its skin diary lets you note sleep, water and stress alongside each scan. If you're choosing a new cleanser or moisturizer for your gym bag, the ingredient scanner (Pro) reads a barcode or label photo and flags each ingredient for your skin type.

Pori isn't a medical device and can't diagnose acne, folliculitis or rosacea. If a rash itches, spreads or doesn't improve with simple changes, see a dermatologist.