Sports hygiene: Your post-exercise skincare Qs answered

How to stay clean at the gym plus proper post-exercise foot care: Just two of the questions James + Jake answer in this article dedicated to sports hygiene and skincare 

You might not think that skincare has much to do with exercise, but the two go hand in hand. At James + Jake we believe that looking good comes with living well, which includes having a healthy mind and body. On the whole, exercise is great for our physical wellbeing and fitness levels, as well as the appearance of our skin as your heart rate increases and the blood starts pumping round your body. You know that post-exercise glow people talk about? It’s real, and is just one reason why getting active either indoors or outside is so good for us. 

So if you’re into looking after yourself, how do you also look after your skin when you exercise? From post-run hygiene to the best ingredients for cooling the skin, we’ve answered reader’s questions on sport related skincare. 

Is it bad not to shower after a workout?

When you workout, go running or kick a ball around at Monday night football, the body moves into performance mode and uses sweat to regulate its temperature. There’s a lot of goodness in the moisture that pours from our pores. Water, salt, minerals and uric acid all coat the skin temporarily until it either falls off, evaporates or gets washed off when you hit the shower. And that also provides nature’s own moisturiser to your skin, helping you to stay hydrated. A short amount of time without showering is unlikely to do you any harm. However… 

Is it bad to let sweat dry on your body? 

Having said the above, your sweat also contains plenty of bacteria because it’s other function (in addition to cooling you down) is to expel anything your body, or skin, more specifically, doesn’t need. If you choose not to wash it off in the shower after working out, you won’t do your skin any long-term damage. After all, most of us know people who head to the gym and then head straight home, or take part in a Park Run on a Saturday morning before heading for coffee. But dried sweat (which contains bacteria) can lead to spot or acne breakouts on the body, so beware of doing this too often if you’re prone to getting spots or want to avoid any nasty or unsightly redness. If you have time, we’d always recommend following your workout with a decent body wash for men, such as the citrus-based Energy Elevating Body Wash, whether it’s immediately after or at the end of the day. 

There is one other more social reason you may want to think about rinsing off your sweat the same day - unwanted body odours. When we sweat it won’t create an unwelcome, just-worked-out smell instantly, it needs time to dry on your body. So a short window of time when you can dry off naturally is totally acceptable. You might want to think about a refreshing shower before heading out on a dinner date a few hours later though. 

How do you stay clean at the gym?

Even the most exclusive of gyms will harbour bacteria and germs from plenty of people and their sweat. Although most reputable establishments will be cleaned thoroughly on a daily basis (or at least you would hope so given their monthly fees), there is still potential for them to be less than spotless when you head to your gym session or Spin class. The best advice is to ensure you remain cautious about your personal cleanliness - especially when it comes to your hands. Gyms are ‘high-touch’ areas, meaning we use our hands, fingers and palms to push start buttons, hold bars, do our press ups and lift weights. Therefore your hands are at risk of picking up bacteria, germs and viruses that other people may have left behind. In the grand scheme of things, it’s not too concerning and gyms are not necessarily any more dirty than a typical office or Tube train carriage. But given the amount of sweat circulating, it’s a good idea to wash your hands before you enter the gym, possibly during, and definitely when you’re done with your workout to avoid contaminating your belongings such as phone, wallet and gym bag. 

Many gyms also provide antibacterial cleaning products and paper towels for use on the equipment. If you have time, have underlying health issues that concern you, or are particularly paranoid about picking up unwanted bacteria, it’s a good idea to clean the bikes and other equipment before and after you’ve used it. 

Should I worry about locker room germs?

Worry is a strong word, and you definitely don’t need to lose sleep over it. But being aware of the potential hazards when walking around and using your gym locker room is a good idea. Not everyone exercises the same hygiene standards, such as washing their hands or using sliders on their feet when walking around. So bear this in mind when there’s any direct skin-to-surface contact. Floors, lockers, showers and hairdryer or grooming stations are all likely to host some bacteria due to the amount of traffic going through each day. So make sure you shower thoroughly and wash your hands before you leave if you want to be extra cautious about keeping clean.

The shower-room is somewhere you should be particularly aware of in terms of unwanted germs, because it’s the place other guys are most likely to walk around barefoot. In fact, it’s just one of the reasons we formulated the Extreme Cool Down Post Exercise Protecting Foot Spray. Made with a mixture of natural eucalyptus to blitz bacteria, as well as cooling mint, the spray cleans intensely and cloaks the feet with a protective shield to reduce the possibility of Athlete’s Foot, a highly contagious fungal infection. 

Should I use a different shower gel after the gym?

Different shower gels and body washes promise different benefits, so we do recommend tailoring your post-workout cleansing body wash product to ensure it leaves you properly clean. You’ll find cleansers that offer deep cleansing, hydrating, nourishing and even softening. And of course there are tonnes of different fragrances on the shelf to select. For most occasions and when you’re at home, it’s important to choose a body wash or shower gel that suits your skin type, but generally speaking we believe your post-workout cleanser should be a natural based product and contain citrus. After all, why put all that effort into maintaining a healthy body by working out only to add a synthetic or alcohol-based shower gel that dries or damages your skin? A body wash for men that contains natural oils will help your skin replenish what your workout takes away. And citrus provides a brilliant natural cleansing ingredient to any product, helping you not only fend off bacteria, but feel completely refreshed too. We recommend the all-natural, citrus-based Out of the Blue Energy Elevating Body Wash. 

Should I wash my gym kit every time I work out? 

Although the socially acceptable answer to this question seems to be ‘yes’, we know that it’s not always realistic, affordable or environmentally friendly to wash a gym kit every single time you use one. You should make the call based on how clean you think your kit is and how much sweat it’s been in contact with after your workout. Having said that, there’s nothing worse than getting a whiff of someone whose gym kit needed a run through the washing machine days ago. 

When it comes to your skin, most of the time, a day or two-old gym kit is not going to cause you too many problems. And in fact, washing your kit too frequently in laundry detergent and fabric softener can actually cause skin more irritation that bacteria from sweat. The best thing to do is judge the cleanliness of your kit based on how many times you’ve used it and how it smells. 

How should I take care of my feet after a run, game or workout? 

Ah, yes, our poor feet - usually the last thing we think of taking care of when it comes to skin and body maintenance. It’s important to show them some love once in a while, even if you only participate in mild forms of exercise. We recommend regular cleaning of the feet while you’re in the shower or by taking a warm bath to soften the skin. About once a month, try using a skin scrub or an exfoliating mitten all over the soles and heels to help remove dead, dry or tough skin. Then follow with a rich, occlusive moisturiser that will soften the feet, particularly on the heels. If you’re concerned about Athlete’s Foot, a common but rather unpleasant fungal infection on the feet, there are steps you can take both as a cure and a preventative method to tackle the problem. Firstly, if you suffer with Athlete’s Foot, there are a number of products on the market that will help relieve the symptoms and clear up the infection. Talk to your pharmacist about the best product for you and your skin condition. 

There are also things you can do to keep Athlete’s Foot away, before the problem arises. It’s important to note that although Athlete’s Foot is bacterial, it is common on the feet because they are often warm, dark and damp places for fungus to fester (sorry for that mental image but it’s true). Regularly cleansing and proper drying of your feet - especially after exercise - helps to ensure you stay Athlete’s Foot-free. Towel dry your feet thoroughly before you put your socks and shoes on. For added protection, make sure you spray some of James + Jake’s Protecting Foot Spray after using any gym, going for a run or playing sport. The formulation contains menthol from 100% natural mint extract, which helps to prevent bacterial infection.