Does exercise cause acne?

One of the most common questions I get asked is:  Does exercise cause acne?  It’s a valid question.  We workout, we sweat, and we get acne.  But, is it caused by exercising?

Does exercise cause acne?

The answer is no, not necessarily.  The issue is that if we don’t rinse off the sweat or change our clothes after a workout, that excess oil, sweat, and dirt can accumulate in our pores and contribute to acne.  So, it’s not the direct cause of acne but it can contribute to it.

This shouldn’t make you want to not exercise.  It’s good for us to exercise – it has so many benefits – not only for our bodies but also our minds.  Our muscles get fit and so do our minds.  It is very healthy to exercise!

But, here are a few things to keep in mind:

1. Dead skin cells do contribute to acne.  You must remove the dead skin cells so that it decreases your likelihood of acne.  You do this by exfoliating regularly (based on skin type).
2. Since we sweat when we exercise, this sweat mixes with the oil you already have on your skin.  So, you should change your clothes and rinse off.  I say rinse off because you don’t want to take multiple showers a day.  The reason is that you strip away too many of your natural oils.  Doing so can cause your skin to dry out, which can also contribute to more acne since your body will try to produce more oil.  The best thing to do is to rinse off – with water only – no soap and change out of those sweaty clothes.

So, does exercise cause acne?  Not exactly – and it’s easy to control this aspect of our possible acne problems.  Do you see how easy it is?  Don’t let the fear of acne stop you from exercising.  Stay healthy, with a beautiful mind, body (and skin)!