Sweat: all links so far

sweat 

• Are you letting sweat dry on your skin? If so, this may happen to you... (new!)

• Gaining control of problem skin: Your Ultimate Guide

• Horse Rescue and Sweat—what?!

• Humidity and its effect on your skin

• Is pressure breakout a problem for you (or your kid)?

• NO SWEAT: What happens when sweat dries on your skin?

  
  
  
  
  
  

Are you letting sweat dry on your skin? If so, this may happen to you...

In the past few years, I have had many breakouts. Mostly in weird spots like my neck and behind my ears. I always drink 8-10 glasses of water each day. I also work out on a regular basis.

Within the last year I have increased my fruits and vegetables significantly. I am also cutting back on sugar and am trying to eat more organic foods to limit the number of toxins in my body. However the changes haven’t seemed to help my blemishes.

This problem could simply be a matter of not getting the sweat off your face after working out. The location of the problems is the first clue. The neck isn’t a very likely place for breakout to occur. Maybe occasionally, but not on an ongoing basis. Then behind the ears is equally unusual. Sweat, however, is commonly found in both of these places.

I have had numerous clients come in for their facials over the years with “unexplained” breakout in strange and unusual places. Sometimes the client complains about them, sometimes I discover them myself. If you follow the line where sweat not only forms but where it might drip and run, you might also be describing the location of breakouts in “weird spots.”

If sweat from exercise is the culprit, you want to always be sure to splash-rinse your face and neck with water after you stop exercising. If you aren’t near water, be sure to splash or wash your face as soon as possible. Don’t let sweat dry on your skin. It is irritating and can cause problems, especially in these odd areas. 

Sweat may not be the problem, and your blemishes could be due to hormones. There are many factors to consider when it comes to skin breaking out.

Keep analyzing your life—in general, and specifically—on a daily basis to become aware of what you may be eating, doing, or engaging in that might be making your blemishes worse. I will say time and again, problem skin is caused by something. It is up to you to decipher all the elements and components that make up your life and be the sleuth, helping to figure out why the problems are occurring.

For more information, see:

• NO SWEAT: What happens when sweat dries on your skin?
• Is pressure breakout a problem for you (or your kid)?
• Problem skin? ASK YOURSELF THESE QUESTIONS & become a skin care sleuth

Gaining control of problem skin: Your Ultimate Guide

In order to gain control of problem skin, there are a few important items that should not be overlooked. Although I have already mentioned some of the following problem solvers in other articles (some listed below), I am repeating them here as a consolidated body of information you can easily refer to.

If you can incorporate all of these into your day, although there are no guarantees, I would be surprised if you did not see some marked improvement in your skin. These are not in any particular order of importance, but they are all important for keeping your body—and therefore your skin—healthy, inside and out.

Water. Drinking enough water throughout the day will really help your body get rid of toxins. Water is in no way a cure-all, but without it all of your eliminating organs (including your skin) have to work harder. The goal is to make it easier for your body to eliminate toxins. Eight 8-ounce glasses a day is the minimum to maintain healthy cells and overall hydration. I don’t recommend tap water because it contains chemicals, such as chlorine. Purchase clean, filtered water or get a water filter for your tap.

No sugar (of any kind). If you follow this one piece of advice, it will go a long way to helping your skin clear up. I have seen this to be true in my own skin as well as dozens of my clients throughout the years. Sugar is a major contributor to problem skin.

Chlorophyll. For anyone experiencing breakout, I recommend supplementing with liquid chlorophyll. In short, chlorophyll acts as an internal cleanser, helping to eliminate toxins from the body. It’s a health aid in numerous ways, but I have had a lot of clients find good results by taking “nature’s green drink” to help with their problem skin. As an added benefit (and another reason why I recommend it to my clients), chlorophyll helps to relieve constipation. Constipation can be a contributing factor to problem skin.

Evening primrose oil can help to reduce the amount of oil produced by the sebaceous glands. In some cases it can help to reduce breakouts.

No sun exposure if you can help it. I’m not saying don’t go outside; I mean no direct sunlight on your face. Sometimes you can’t help getting exposure, but certainly don’t purposefully bask in the sun thinking it will clear up your problem skin. It won’t. Heat activates all glandular activity, including your oil glands. In fact, with the worst case scenario, it will increase the amount of breakout you are experiencing. If you have to be in the sun, wear protection such as a wide-brimmed hat, and as always, wear sunscreen.

Don’t wash too much. This has the potential to stimulate the sebaceous glands and create more oil. Twice a day and anytime after you have been sweating is all you need. Don’t think cleaning the surface will eliminate the problem. Try to look at the problems with your skin as stemming from an imbalance on the inside, not just breakout on the outside. And remember, no soaps; only use non-alkaline cleansers.

Don’t let sweat dry on your skin. Immediately rinse your face with water after exercising. You don’t ever want sweat to dry on the surface of your skin. Otherwise you’re just asking for trouble.

There are no guarantees that any of the suggestions here will completely or even partially clear up your problem skin. I offer them because in my experience with my clients, they have had good results incorporating some or all of these recommendations. There are many routes to healthy, clear skin. The road I prefer is getting to the cause of the problem and trying to fix it from the inside out.

If your skin gets beyond your control, and you don’t feel comfortable altering your diet and lifestyle habits, perhaps you would be a good candidate for seeking out a dermatologist’s care. He or she will be able to prescribe oral and/or topical medications that have been proven to help people with problem skin. My feeling, however, is that whichever route you choose, if you don’t alter your diet and eliminate poor-quality foods such as sugar, you are doing your skin a huge disservice.

Problem skin begs for attention. And although it takes commitment, perseverance, and patience, I know you can experience trouble-free skin if you are willing to be open to change. In life, I believe anything is possible.

For corresponding articles to some of the above problem solvers, see:

• Water—It’s Important!: all links so far
• Sugar & Skin: all links so far
• How chlorophyll can help your skin (and ease constipation)
• Evening Primrose Oil for PMS and more
• NO SWEAT: What happens when sweat dries on your skin?
• Problem skin? ASK YOURSELF THESE QUESTIONS & become a skin care sleuth 

Is pressure breakout a problem for you (or your kid)?

Granted, most people will not be wearing this type of restrictive head gear. I put this photo here to make the point that pressure from gear + sweat can = breakouts.

Football helmets, chin straps, and sweatbands are a few possible causes of pressure-induced skin problems. This type of sports gear can inhibit elimination, causing sweat to pile up in certain areas, which can cause irritation and potential breakout. Even continually sleeping on one side of your face can cause a kind of pressure breakout.

Keeping any sweat from drying on the skin will help keep irritation and breakout away. Splash rinsing with water is your best bet to get all the sticky, sweaty goo off your face. No matter where you are, you’ll usually have access to water. Know that the longer the sweat stays (and dries) on your skin, the more potential for problems down the road. This is especially true if the drying sweat is an ongoing occurrence, like with sports that you’re involved with on a daily or several times weekly basis.

If you don’t have access to water, at least wipe as much of the sweat off your face as you can with your shirt or a towel, if one is available.

For more information, see:

• NO SWEAT: What happens when sweat dries on your skin?
• Breakouts explained: What exactly is breakout?
• Forehead breakouts Q & As

Humidity and its effect on your skin

What effects does humidity—especially during the summer months—have on my skin?

Humidity, like during a rainy day (or season), is actually good for the skin. It simply helps to hydrate whatever it comes in contact with, therefore your skin. So normal humidity from moist weather superficially hydrates your skin (even in a dry climate like Colorado).

Humidity during the summer and in extremely humid locations (like Houston, TX for instance) can cause the oil glands to become more active. This makes oily skin oilier. Because humidity during the summertime can make us sweat more, this can translate to more breakouts.

When I was working in Dallas, I had many more clients with issues of what I’ll call humidity breakout than I do here in Colorado, where the air is very (very) dry. Keeping the skin clean and well-exfoliated, no matter where you live or what your skin type, is my best advice. How?

• Using a non-alkaline cleanser (daily, morning and night)
• A clay-based mask for deep cleansing (1-2 times weekly)
• And whatever your exfoliator of choice is to remove the dead cell buildup (which is hopefully Yonka’s Gommage!)

Scrubs (both for face and the body) are excellent at gently removing dead skin and debris off the surface of your skin. A scrub is a good exfoliation choice at any time and especially if you’ve been out sweating on a hot summer’s day.

Don’t let sweat dry on your skin, or you may experience tiny bumps or irritations just beneath the surface of your skin—wherever you have been sweating, face and/or body. If you don’t have access to water or for whatever reason cannot rinse the sweat off your skin, do so as soon as you can. You really don’t want sweat to dry on your skin!

Treating skin that is affected by humidity isn’t that different from helping to clear breakout and problem skin caused by another reason. The main difference is you can always cut down on sugar or whatever may be causing a breakout diet-wise, but you can’t just pick up and move away from a humid environment that you might call home. Keeping your skin clean and well-exfoliated is always your best bet for healthy-looking skin.

For more information, see:

• What is a clay mask and why use one? 
• What IS Gommage?
• Proper pH & your skin care products
• NO SWEAT: What happens when sweat dries on your skin?

Horse Rescue and Sweat—what?!

I have been happily volunteering at Colorado Horse Rescue (CHR) since February 2013. I am in the sun for most of my 2-3 hour shift. Because I’m around horses I have on jeans and cowboy boots, and I also wear a long-sleeved shirt under my CHR T-shirt to keep my arms from burning. And to protect my all-important hands, I have on thick leather gloves. (I know—hot, right?!)

Along with the obligatory sunscreen, I always wear a bandana around my neck. I do this to protect the skin on my neck from sun damage. In the summer, I’ll wet the bandana before I put it on; this helps to keep me cooled off a bit. At the end of my shift and after a lot of sweating, before the sunscreen and sweat start to dry, I splash rinse my face and use the bandana to wipe and dry off my face.

Wearing a bandana—or something like it—is a good idea, even if you’re out walking. (With other exercising activities, like running and cycling, it’s a bit harder to pull off wearing one.) In the winter months at the rescue, the bandana adds an extra layer between my skin and the cold winter air.

If you’re in the Boulder/Longmont area and are looking for a really satisfying volunteer opportunity, consider Colorado Horse Rescue. Many of the horses who arrive at the rescue have sad backstories, but after a short time, whether a horse is eventually adopted or stays at CHR, the healing power of love is apparent in each and every equine. Seeing these transformations is truly heartwarming and makes this “job” so fulfilling and worthwhile. 

For more ideas on keeping your skin safe in the sun, see:

• Hats, Hats, Hats! Protect your skin in the sun
• NO SWEAT: What happens when sweat dries on your skin? 
• Colorado Horse Rescue website

If you look closely, you can see my red bandana poking out around my neck.

NO SWEAT: What happens when sweat dries on your skin?

Rinse the sweat off your face immediately after exercising.

Any time you sweat, especially from exercising, your skin is eliminating acids and toxins from your body. These are things you don’t want to allow to dry on your skin.

When you are exercising outside, you’re wearing sunscreen (I hope). So it’s not only sweat that is going to dry on the surface, but also sunscreen. This can not only cause irritation but congestion as well. It is imperative that you don’t let this mixture dry on your face. If you do, all the toxic junk sitting on your skin’s surface will cause the potential for irritations, tiny bumps (I see this a lot), and small whiteheads under your skin. These problems commonly show up where the sweat drips—the sides of the neck, under the chin, and around the temples.

If you are away from home but have access to water, great. Splash-rinse your face until you have removed all the sweaty residue off your skin. Then as soon as you get home, be sure and do your Basics routine (cleanse, tone, hydrate). Many of my active clients see a definite improvement in their skin after they use this splash-rinse method.

Sometimes you may be out exercising where you don’t have access to water, yet you’ve got to get the sweat off your skin. If you cannot rinse your face, I am going to propose something to you that is not a great practice by any means, and certainly is not the optimum. However, the way I see it, it’s the lesser of two evils.

After exercise that causes sweating (especially heavy sweating), and before the sweat starts to dry on your skin, use an individually wrapped moist towelette, facial cleansing cloth, or baby wipe tissue. Go over your entire face and neck, the back of your neck, and especially the sides of your neck. Keep in mind, this is only temporary until you get home where you can properly clean your skin with good products. These towelettes can have harsh ingredients in them (sometimes alcohol), but I believe it is better to get all the sticky, sweaty junk off your skin rather than let it dry on your face.

You will almost always have access to water, which is the best way to get the sweat off your skin. So the moist towelette route would be the least-preferred way to go. I am not advocating their use all the time or even frequently. But if you have no other recourse (other than letting the sweat dry on your skin), use a towelette.

Keeping bottled water in your car is one way to ensure you will always be able to splash-rinse after exercising. Even if you’re far from home (and your cleanser), at least you can get the sticky goo off your face and get home without causing the potential for breakouts. Keep in mind, you are rinsing everything, including sunscreen, off your face. Your skin, therefore, is totally unprotected. Running errands or otherwise being exposed to the sun is not recommended. Get home, clean your face, and apply sunscreen before going back outside.

UPDATE: 5/2015
Yonka (the product line I use) just came out with a waterless cleanser, which is something that could be used to remove sweat from your face instead of the facial wipes. I have many clients who have purchased the travel size of this cleanser to keep in their gym bags or cars (along with cotton pads) so when they are finished exercising they will have access to a good-quality cleanser right then and there. Obviously, this cleanser along with the baby-wipe method are just temporary fixes until you can get to your skin care products at home. However both methods will keep the sweat from drying on your skin—and that is paramount.

• New WATERLESS Cleanser from Yonka: EAU MICELLAIRE for information on this lovely new product

For more information, see:

• Humidity and its effect on your skin
• Is pressure breakout a problem for you (or your kid)? - See more at: http://agelessbeautyblog.blogspot.com/2015/07/is-pressure-breakout-problem-for-you-or.html#sthash.aTeFiy8m.dpuf
  SUNSCREENS: The WHAT & WHY plus the importance of REAPPLYING
• Is pressure breakout a problem for you (or your kid)?