So that skincare doesn’t become a challenge during training

We triathletes love the challenge of being good at 3 sports at the same time. It can sometimes be very challenging to fit all training blocks into our everyday lives alongside work and family. It is also a challenge for our skin: Chlorinated water, lots of sun and sweat and frequent showers all take their toll on it. So that it doesn’t react irritably and can continue to form a stable barrier, here are a few tips for everyday life.

Chlorine and skin

A quick spoiler up front: chlorine is far less harmful to the skin than many people think. Nevertheless, there are a few important things to bear in mind when swimming frequently. Our skin has a pH value of 4.9 – 5.5 and is therefore slightly acidic. The pH value of water is neutral at 7. However, this small difference is enough to cause a reaction. If we spend a long time in water several times a week – it doesn’t necessarily have to be a chlorinated swimming pool, lake water or, for non-swimmers, bath water is also sufficient – this can dry out the skin. This is because the skin must inevitably react to the water surrounding it, which it considers to be more alkaline. This difference means an increased loss of moisture for the skin.

In the swimming pool, this effect can be further emphasized by chlorine. The drier the skin, the less stable the skin barrier is. Dry skin has a lower proportion of protective lipids, which form a uniform barrier and thus seal our body off from the outside. Environmental factors can irritate the skin more easily and substances can penetrate more easily, such as chlorine in our case. For sensitive skin, this can lead to irritation.

It is therefore important to rinse off thoroughly with lukewarm water after swimming in chlorinated water. The water should not be too hot, as this could also stress the skin and would therefore be counterproductive. You can read about the use of shower gels in the next paragraph.

To strengthen the skin barrier again, it is advisable to use a rich body lotion after swimming or bathing, such as the cell-protecting body lotion from Andrea Dablanderwhich moisturizes and oils the skin, protects its cells and strengthens their function. This prevents the skin from drying out and prevents irritation caused by frequent swimming.

Frequent showering

A second point, in addition to swimming a lot, is frequent showering. As mentioned above, contact with plain water during regular swimming sessions is enough to dry out the skin. As not all shower gels are the same, the wrong choice can also strip the skin of moisture.

The culprits here are the surfactants in shower gels. Surfactants are washing-active substances that are responsible for foam formation. They are designed to remove “dirt” from the skin. Surfactants can dissolve water- and fat-soluble impurities. Unfortunately, they cannot distinguish between the skin’s own fats (lipids) and foreign particles on the skin. However, the skin barrier needs these lipids, which hold the cells together like a mortar and thus prevent the penetration of foreign substances.

Conventional shower gels often contain aggressive surfactants that attack and wash out these lipids and can thus irritate the skin barrier. A lot can add up here: Frequent showers with shower gels that attack the skin barrier and long sessions in the water really put the skin through its paces.

Of course, not all surfactants are the same: with certified natural cosmetics, you can be sure that they are mild surfactants that are gentle on the skin. The foaming effect of these products is not as intense as that of conventional drugstore products, which can serve as an indicator of skin-friendly surfactants.

If you do several sessions a day, it is also advisable to shower off with just water in between. In addition to using shower gels with mild surfactants, it is just as important to apply a rich body lotion after the shower to stabilize the skin.

Cleansing the skin in the evening

A day in the saddle for a long ride, a long endurance run or even paddock training – a lot of training takes place outside. Here too, the question arises as to how we can best support the skin in order to form a healthy, intact barrier.

Sweating and exercise are good for the skin in themselves: blood circulation is stimulated, which promotes the exchange and transportation of nutrients and oxygen to the skin. After heavy sweating, the sweat remains dried on the skin, which can lead to a blockage of the sebaceous glands and thus the increased occurrence of impurities. So always rinse off sweat with water immediately after sport.

A second important point – especially in summer – is to cleanse the skin of anything that does not occur naturally on the skin. We are talking about sun cream here. Regardless of whether a sun cream is enriched with chemical or physical sun protection factors in the form of mineral particles, you should make sure that you cleanse your skin thoroughly in the evening so that these substances do not remain in or on the skin for longer than necessary. Sun protection factors are well-studied substances that are important for protecting our skin from the sun. Nevertheless, transparent sun creams are chemical light filters that should be removed from the skin after they have been used sensibly as sun protection.

Sweat and sun protection can be removed, for example, with a gentle peeling (from Andrea Dablander) thoroughly. The scrub contains olive oil and replenishes the skin with protective lipids.

This blog post was written by our KickAss partner Andrea Dablander. She develops authentic natural cosmetics. Her promise: plant-based active ingredient cosmetics for beautiful, radiant skin. All her products are Natrue-certified. As part of the #kickasssquad , you will receive 15% off all Andrea Dablander products.