Is It Bad to Wear Makeup to the Gym? Here's What Dermatologists Want You to Know

Fact checked by Nick Blackmer

Key Takeaways

• New research has found that wearing makeup while working out—especially if you use heavy, full-coverage products—can be bad for your skin.

• It may lead to lower sebum levels on the skin, which can lead to itchiness or flakiness.

• Wearing makeup while working out can be particularly damaging if you have a skin condition such as eczema, psoriasis, or rosacea, according to dermatologists.

Wearing makeup during a workout can damage the skin, new research has found.

The study, published in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, showed wearing foundation while sweating may lead to skin irritation.

“Wearing makeup at the gym is not recommended in terms of skin health,” Michele Green, MD, a board-certified cosmetic dermatologist based in New York, told Verywell. “When we work out, our pores open, and sweat and toxins are secreted out of the body. Makeup on the skin can trap the sweat into the pores, leading to blocked pores and acne breakouts.”

Alternatives are available for people who don’t want to damage their skin but don’t want to go to the gym without anything covering their skin. “Pimple patches are a great option for working out if you want to cover up blemishes,” Green said.

But it’s important to avoid certain products that are more likely to trigger breakouts if you wear them while working out.

Related: Is Your Makeup Causing Acne?

Avoid Foundation During a Workout

The study authors wanted to determine how foundation, specifically, affected the skin during workouts, study author Sukho Lee, PhD, FACN, CPT, associate chair and professor of health and kinesiology at Texas A&M University in San Antonio, told Verywell.

His team recruited 43 college students, 20 men and 23 women, Lee said. Before applying makeup, the participants washed their faces with a cleanser. The researchers took note of participants’ pore sizes and sebum production.

After that, the researchers applied a single layer of foundation on certain parts of the participants’ faces, Lee said. They were asked whether they preferred for the makeup to be applied to their foreheads or their cheeks.

The participants then did a moderate 20-minute workout, in which they ran on a treadmill for five minutes at three miles per hour, for 10 minutes at four miles per hour, and for five minutes at five miles per hour.

The researchers then repeated the skin measurements they had taken prior to the workouts; they found reduced sebum on the areas where the foundation had been applied, compared to areas of the face that didn’t have any makeup.

Sebum is a mixture of lipids produced by the sebaceous gland, and sebum production is essential for your skin to stay moisturized and defend against any infectious or environmental agents. Your skin has to maintain normal levels of sebum to maintain homeostasis, and decreased sebum can lead to dry, itchy, or flaky skin.

The study did have limitations, Lee said: For instance, the sample size for the study was quite small, and it wasn’t universally representative. (Lee said most of the participants were Hispanic.)

Related: Can I Wear Makeup If I Have Acne-Prone Skin?

Wearing Makeup at the Gym May Worsen Some Skin Conditions

Applying makeup before a run or other outdoor workout can be harmful. However, wearing makeup during a workout may be especially damaging if you exercise indoors. “Gyms are warm and damp, making them the perfect environment for acne-causing bacteria to grow,” Green explained. “These bacteria can become trapped in pores, leading to inflammatory acne such as papules, pustules, and cysts.” If these aren’t promptly treated, they can lead to acne scars that are difficult to treat, Green added.

While wearing makeup while working out can be harmful to anyone, it can be particularly damaging for people with certain skin issues.

As such, anyone with sensitive or inflammatory skin should avoid putting anything on their face before they work out, she explained.

If you find yourself needing to remove your makeup at the gym—for instance, if you go for a workout class after leaving work—you should try to wash your face to make sure you remove all of it, Joshua Zeichner, MD, a dermatologist at the Mount Sinai Hospital, told Verywell. “Make sure to fully wash your face, especially if you are wearing sunscreen or makeup,” he said. “Using a gentle cleanser is preferred to using a wipe or towelette, but a towelette is better than nothing at all.”

Related: How to Apply Makeup to Conceal Acne

Alternatives to Full-Coverage Foundation at the Gym

If you want to wear makeup to the gym, it’s important to skip any comedogenic (pore-clogging) products, Green added. These products can build up within the pores, causing them to become clogged, and this can lead to acne breakouts. Creams and lotions labeled as “noncomedogenic” are a safer bet, as they are less likely to build up within the pores.

“The key to reducing the risk of acne is to wear lightweight formulas,” Green said. “Full-coverage cream foundations are heavy and oily and form an occlusive layer on the skin that can lead to clogged pores.” You could swap your full-coverage foundation for a tinted moisturizer or a BB cream, which are “typically lighter on the skin and contain ingredients such as hyaluronic acid and squalene to nourish the skin simultaneously.”

What This Means For You

It’s best to remove your makeup by thoroughly washing your face before working out, dermatologists say. Wearing makeup when you sweat can lead to clogged pores and acne breakouts. If you’re breaking out and want to cover your acne with something when you go to the gym, pimple patches may be a better alternative than foundation.

Read the original article on Verywell Health.