Should You Do Your Skincare Before or After Your Workout?

I’ve gotten this question from several clients lately:

“If I work out in the morning, should I do my skincare before I work out…and then do it all over again afterward?”

Usually? No.

If you know you’re about to sweat, shower, and wash your face again, there’s generally no reason to go through your entire skincare routine just to wash it all off an hour later.

But there are a few exceptions, especially if your workout takes you outside.

If You Work Out First Thing in the Morning

If you’re heading straight to an indoor workout, keep things simple before you go.

Depending on your skin, you may be fine with a quick rinse or gentle cleanse. Then, after your workout and shower, do your complete morning skincare routine.

That means your normal treatment products, moisturizer if needed, and SPF.

Think of your post-workout routine as your actual morning routine.

If Your Morning Workout Is Outside

This is where the answer changes.

Going for a morning walk or run? Heading to an outdoor workout?

Please don’t skip your sunscreen just because you’re planning to shower afterward.

Keep your pre-workout skincare simple: cleanse or rinse as appropriate, moisturize if your skin needs it, and apply sunscreen before heading outside.

Once you’re back and have finished sweating, gently cleanse and do your normal morning routine, including applying sunscreen again.

Yes, again. The sunscreen you applied before your walk doesn’t get to clock in for the rest of the day.

What If You Work Out in the Middle of the Day?

Do your normal morning skincare routine.

After your workout, you’ll want to cleanse away the combination of sweat, oil, sunscreen, makeup, and whatever else has accumulated on your skin.

But here’s the important part:

You don’t necessarily need to repeat every treatment product you used that morning.

If you’re using vitamin C, Mandelic acid, acne treatments, exfoliating products, or other corrective ingredients, more isn’t automatically better.

After cleansing, your skin may simply need hydration or moisturizer and, if you’re heading back outside, another application of SPF.

What About Evening Workouts?

This one can actually make your routine easier.

If you’re working out close to bedtime, let your post-workout skincare be your nighttime skincare.

There’s not much benefit to doing your entire PM routine before the gym, sweating through it, and washing all those products off shortly afterward.

Work out. Shower. Cleanse. Then settle into your normal evening regimen.

The Easy Way to Remember It

Early indoor workout: Full AM routine afterward.

Outdoor morning workout: SPF before. Full AM routine afterward.

Midday workout: Cleanse afterward, replenish hydration as needed, and reapply SPF. Don’t automatically repeat all of your actives.

Evening workout: Make your post-workout routine your PM routine.

Your skincare routine should work with your life, not make your morning more complicated.

And if you’re using a customized corrective regimen, your instructions may be a little different. If you’re one of my clients and you’re not sure how your workouts should fit around your products, ask me at your next appointment. We’ll figure out what makes the most sense for your skin and your schedule.