Should You Wear Make-Up At The Gym?

Flawless, but what about those follicles? (Photo: Instagram/KhloeKardashian)
Flawless, but what about those follicles? (Photo: Instagram/KhloeKardashian)

Khloé Kardashian shared in a blog post Thursday night that she wears makeup during her sweat sessions at the gym, echoing what she told Yahoo Beauty in an interview last week.

Since she always looks flawless in the seemingly styled photos she shares on Instagram, we (of course) asked about her workout beauty routine. She told us, “I have really light eyelashes and … I have natural dirty blond hair. That’s my one — I’ve got to have mascara on — that’s my one thing. Not waterproof or anything like that.”

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But is wearing makeup while working up a sweat good for your skin? We checked in with dermatologist Elizabeth Hale, MD, of Complete Skin MD, who says, “I’m so glad you’re asking. It seems like a trend that’s happening, and I’m not a believer.”

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Gigi Hadid working out at the gym.
Gigi Hadid working out at the gym.

When you exercise, it creates a warm, sweaty situation on your skin — especially the face — including an increase in cutaneous blood flow. This leads to increased absorption of anything on your skin.

Wisely, Hale suggests making the best of what your body is doing during a workout. “If you’re going to put anything on, put on an antioxidant serum before you exercise,” she says. If there’s anything you’d want to sink into your skin, it’s a serum, not the BB cream you applied last night. (We see you wearing last night’s smeared look to the gym.)

But if you’re not comfortable going out without a little bit of color, celebrity makeup artist Allison Perlstein tells Yahoo Beauty that while she recommends letting your skin breathe, “you can wear some light, tinted moisturizer and tinted mascara if you’re super-uncomfortable.”

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As if you didn’t need another reason to go fresh-faced when working out, “if you’re wearing makeup to the gym, you’re increasing your chances of getting acne,” Hale says.

Adriana Lima go bare-faced at the gym.
Adriana Lima go bare-faced at the gym.

“The trigger of all acne is follicular plugging,” she explains. “You’re preventing your skin from breathing, and that makes people more prone to breakouts.”

Khloé shared the same sentiments. “I used to have acne when I was younger,” she told Yahoo Beauty. “I also feel like I’m gonna breakout if I were to wear makeup while I work out.”

Keep it simple. If you must wear makeup to the gym, Hale says she would “be OK with a waterproof mascara and lipstick. But that’s it!”