Easy Skin Cleansing Hacks for Fit Types
Author Adina Grigore offers quick skin care tweaks for swimmers, yoga lovers and more.
In her just-released book, Skin Cleanse: The Simple, All-Natural Program for Clear, Calm, Happy Skin, nutritionist Adina Grigore (she’s the founder of organic skin care line S.W. Basics and, coincidentally, a former Equinox trainer) offers readers a skin care program using a mix of DIY recipes with over-the-counter products. We love Grigore’s holistic approach to organic beauty and skin care, so we tapped her to supply us with simple fixes to skin problems healthy people might experience. Grigore often employs a less-is-more mantra, so these solutions are truly easy enough for anyone to incorporate into their routines.
The Triathlete
Problem: Pool chemicals. Chlorine and its friends strip your skin of the oils that protect it, causing itchy dryness over time, and sometimes even painful inflammation and rashes.
Easy fix: “Cleansing oils. Think olive oil, sweet almond oil, avocado oil or argan oil. Use them, and use them a lot. Gently massage oil into your skin after a workout before you shower or wash. Then add a little more after, while your skin is wet and your pores are open. This will help the oil soak in better, while also working with the water to moisturize you. Then, apply oils throughout the day. You can’t really overdo it, sort of like you can’t eat too many avocados.”
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The Business Traveler
Problem: Environmental changes, cabin air, plus amenities. An airplane cabin usually has only a 10-20% humidity level (as opposed to the more typical and comfortable-for-your-skin 30-65%). Your skin will become extremely dehydrated if you travel regularly. This means dry skin will become more dry, and oily skin will become more oily as it struggles to cope.
Easy fix: “Drink more water, and wash with water. This will help give your skin the ability to regulate itself. Don’t use intense products on your skin. When traveling, simpler is better. So is maintaining as much of your routine as you can. Take as many of your usual skincare with you as you can, especially moisturizer. Skip exfoliants and masks.”
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The Hot Yoga Lover
Problem: Dirty skin. When you sweat, your pores expel dirt and toxins. This helps clean up your insides, and actually cleans your skin internally as well. But on the surface of your skin, dirt and bacteria will lead to break outs. If you’re experiencing troubled skin and you love hot yoga, chances are that your current skincare routine isn’t cutting it.
Easy fix: “Exfoliant and suds. Use a foaming face wash to really break down the dirt and sweat. Alternate in a gentle exfoliant. Some of my favorites are sea salt (pat don’t scrub!), corn flour, or ground up oats. Oats are especially nice, combine with water (or your sudsy face wash!) to make a paste. Then feel free to scrub—it’s super soft and feels lovely.”
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The New or Expecting Mom
Problem: Hormones. They’re all over the place, meaning your skin is probably breaking out, dry, oily, and itchy all at the same time.
Easy fix: “Wait it out! Just kidding. Continue to exercise while pregnant as much as works for you, since this will help regulate your hormones and your skin tone. Think of yourself as significantly more sensitive to everything now. That means wholesome ingredients will work better. Think shea butter for your stretch marks, apple cider vinegar for your breakouts and coconut oil for all things. It also means you should beware of chemicals and nasty ingredients. Do your best to avoid them as much as possible. For you and the baby.”
