Skin in the Game: Self-Care and Post-Workout Skincare Tips

It may seem surprising, considering my female family tree, that no beauty secrets were passed down. Both my mother, Jenny, and her sister, Pattie – known as the Boyd Sisters – worked as models in the 1960’s, but by the time I came along, my two most prominent role models seemed to barely wear makeup or to make much fuss about their skin. I do have distinct memories of my grandmother’s large pot of cold cream at her vanity, my mother’s bottle of Shalimar perfume which she kept in the bathroom, and that curling iron my aunt used when she was fanatically back-combing her hair. But I have no memories of real beauty routines other than seeing my mother or Aunt Pattie sink into a relaxing bubble bath once in a while and paint her toenails.

I cringe at the things I used on my face when I was in my twenties – hand soap and a wash cloth to cleanse, a moisturizer from a drug store. And I knew nothing, not even how to pluck my eye brows! I owned one red lipstick and a kohl-black eye liner. That was it.

My beauty habits, if you can even call them that, were few: I washed my face, brushed my teeth, applied body lotion, combed my hair and always shut the door when I went to the bathroom!!

But as I have matured, so too have my beauty habits. I have my favorite products, and I have developed a routine that is rich in quality but still harkens back to the simplicity handed down to me from my family’s matriarchs. I love Blinc’s mascara. I use a tinted moisturizer by Laura Mercier with SPF 20 as well as Glossier’s Boy Brow for my brows because I’m now influenced by my teenaged daughter.

I have discovered these can’t-live-without products by trial and error. But I have to say, the greatest addition to my beauty rituals was when I was introduced to Retrouvé products three years ago. Retrouvé has helped to repair my skin after years of being “family-careless” about such things. The products give me a glow that almost makes makeup unnecessary. What I love the most about the brand’s collection of products is that it is simple enough for me to embrace and still fit into my “no frills, no fuss” type of routine.

I am an equestrian and love to work out both indoors and outdoors but I have never been sure how best to take care of my skin before and after exercising. Not content with leaving it up to chance (as per my usual haphazard fashion!), I decided to consult a professional to get the nitty gritty on what to do.

I spoke with Jeanette Baer, a P.A.-C from Aesthetics Montecito, where I’m lucky enough to go for my yearly beauty treatments. Apart from scolding me for not coming in more frequently, Jeanette laughed when I told her of my conundrum. She shared, “It is a priority to do your best to protect your skin, but also to enjoy your life. I say do your best, and then every fall come in for a clean-up.”

To take care of skin before and after working out, Jeanette recommends the following:

• Always start your workout with a clean face, wash off all makeup and moisturizers because the combination of sweat and oil can clog your pores, causing unwanted breakouts.
• Carry disposable makeup removing wipes in your gym bag to make your pre-workout skincare routine easier.
• If you’ll be exercising outdoors, be sure to apply an even layer of sunscreen beforehand.
• Do not touch your face at all when working out, carry a clean gym towel to pat your face and neck dry.
• Pull your hair back, away from your face.
• Use a deep cleansing wash for your body and face as soon as you finish the work out.
• Drink lots of water – you’ll need to keep hydrating post-workout for your skin to recover.
• Use a moisturizer to re-hydrate your skin.
• Listening to Jeanette, I felt so relieved! Maybe I’m not as far off my beauty game as I thought. My favorite thing to do post-workout is to moisturize my clean face with Retrouvé’s Dynamic Nourishing Face Cream. It aids in the maintenance of skin hydration levels, much like what the skin does naturally. Now we can all hit the gym and the tennis ball or the saddle with confidence that it will not be to the detriment to our skin. Happy workouts, folks!

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authorand do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Retrouvé.