Post-Workout Skincare Tips
Active lifestyles require a proactive skincare regimen. And while we’ve already discussed the best skincare tips for active people, sometimes that proactivity can’t save us. That’s because, despite our best efforts, pimples can still happen. Maybe you have to skip a shower, or delay it to run a couple errands on the way home after the gym. Or maybe youdoshower, and the constant change of temperature—paired with your high heart rate—is causing you to sweat like crazy, even an hour later. Despite the regimen you just applied, you are now covered in sweat and grime and are all the more susceptible to clogged pores and breakouts.
That’s where the proactive switches to the reactive. Or, if you find yourself repeatedly in this situation, it’s where you add a couple steps to the proactive.
It all comes down to this precious window of time after a workout, and the preparedness you need for the periodic blemishes that slip through. Here, then, are our tips for a post-workout skincare, and the products you should add to your arsenal for it.
The Ideal Post-Workout Skincare Regimen
Let’s first talk about the ideal, consistent post-workout regimen, which will proactively prevent most blemishes and excess sebum production.
1. Cleanse as soon as possible:
Wash your face immediately after your workout. Even if you don’t want to shower at the gym, you can toss a deep-cleansing, hydrating cleanser in your gym bag. (Cardon’s cleanser is made with ultra-purifying clay to unclog pores and mitigate oil production; soothing tiger grass and cactus extract to calm stressed-out skin; as well as nourishing Vitamin E to help skin rebound front he workout—not to mention, it totes easily in your bag.)
2. If you shower while your heart rate is up, make it fast and keep the temp low.
Try to avoid constant temperature shifts. After a piping hot shower, you’re going to emerge back into the world and start sweating profusely—and through all of your clothes, too. So, make it fast, and keep it cool.
3. If you don’t have a cleanser or wait to shower, then use a face wipe immediately.
Pick a soothing, alcohol-free, toning wipe that tempers oil production and balances your skin’s pH levels, while wiping away existing grime and sweat. (Cardon’s exfoliating toner wipes do this while also buffing away dead surface cells to further prevent clogged pores.)
4. Keep wipes ready for after the shower, too.
Even if you do have time to cleanse or shower, then keep the aforementioned toning wipes handy. Apply them before your moisturizer to help balance pH levels, prevent excess oil production, and calm down the skin—while also lifting dead surface cells to further prevent clogging. You might need to wait 10 or 20 minutes if you suspect that your body/heart rate will still need time to slow down and cool off.
5. Apply a moisturizer as soon as you are “in the clear”.
Applying it while your heart rate is up might yield more sweat, or in the very least, will mean that you sweat it all away. Instead, wait until your body calms down before lathering on the cream. If you are about to walk out into the sun, then you might need to bite the bullet and apply your moisturizer with SPF anyway. (Cardon’s SPF 30 moisturizer is featherlight to prevent clogging and sweating, so it’s an ideal fit for this scenario.) Regardless, you may need to reapply the moisturizer if you end up sweating it off in transition. If so, first cleanse again with the hydrating cleanser (that gentle hydrating element is imperative since you’re using it more often than most people); or wipe with the toning pads prior to moisturizing.
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Daily SPF + Moisturizer
$22.00
When Blemishes and Oil Buildup Happen—Get These Products
Despite proactive efforts, sometimes you have to switch to the reactive. Here are two products you need to have ready—for the unfortunate “if and when”.
Toner: Toner helps control excess oil production in the skin. It doubles as a gentle cleanser (assuming it’s free of alcohol), and some of the best ones even help gently exfoliate dead surface skin cells.
We mentioned Cardon’s toning wipes before, but we’ll shout them out again: These toning wipes work terrifically in your planned post-gym regimen (outlined above), but are also terrific for the occasions when you keep sweating well after the exercise, or when your pores go into overdrive and turn your forehead into an oil slick. They also balance the skin’s pH levels, which is to say, they create harmony in the skin after it endures all of that sweating, cleansing, and oil production. Lastly, they calm stressed-out skin with cactus and heartleaf extract, and invigorate it with caffeine.
Acne Patches: You can call this reactive in one sense, but proactive in another. Whenever yousensethat a pimple is coming—and you often know when it is, from sight or texture—you can put one a hydrocolloid patch directly over the spot. Cardon’s Prickly Pimple Patches steadily send salicylic acid into the blemish, in order to halt its growth and unclog the pore. Niacinamide promotes healing and prevents discoloration upon healing, while cica (tiger grass) calms stressed skin.
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Hair + Body Shower Set
good for:
New + Improved: Same thickening formula now with biotin! The Hair + Body Shower Set has everything you need for an invigorating showertime routine, going beyond cleansing to strengthen, repair, and soothe your hair and skin. You—and your houseguests—will thank you for ditching the 3-in-1 for this trio.
*Vital Body Wash – winner of the 2022 GQ Grooming Awards
Includes Steps:
- 01 Hair Thickening + Strengthening Shampoo
- 02 Hair Thickening + Strengthening Conditioner
- 03 Vital Body Wash
Get 30% OFF your first set subscription $51 $35.70 with code FIRSTSET
Hair + Body Shower Set
good for:
New + Improved: Same thickening formula now with biotin! The Hair + Body Shower Set has everything you need for an invigorating showertime routine, going beyond cleansing to strengthen, repair, and soothe your hair and skin. You—and your houseguests—will thank you for ditching the 3-in-1 for this trio.
*Vital Body Wash – winner of the 2022 GQ Grooming Awards
Includes Steps:
- 01 Hair Thickening + Strengthening Shampoo
- 02 Hair Thickening + Strengthening Conditioner
- 03 Vital Body Wash
Get 30% OFF your first set subscription $51 $35.70 with code FIRSTSET
Hair Loss
Healthy Hair Duo
good for:
New + Improved: Same thickening formula now with biotin! Teamwork makes your hair dreams work.
Our highly-rated Hair Thickening + Strengthening Shampoo and Conditioner teams up to get to the root of hair loss, strengthening and nourishing hair starting right at the scalp. Achieve thicker, healthier follicles with the help of our protein and vitamin-packed formula.
Includes Steps:
- 01 Hair Thickening + Strengthening Shampoo
- 02 Hair Thickening + Strengthening Conditioner
"I love this shampoo and conditioner. After six weeks of use, I can say that this combination really helped my dry scalp and to reduce itch." - Alex L.
Healthy Hair Duo
good for:
New + Improved: Same thickening formula now with biotin! Teamwork makes your hair dreams work.
Our highly-rated Hair Thickening + Strengthening Shampoo and Conditioner teams up to get to the root of hair loss, strengthening and nourishing hair starting right at the scalp. Achieve thicker, healthier follicles with the help of our protein and vitamin-packed formula.
Includes Steps:
- 01 Hair Thickening + Strengthening Shampoo
- 02 Hair Thickening + Strengthening Conditioner
"I love this shampoo and conditioner. After six weeks of use, I can say that this combination really helped my dry scalp and to reduce itch." - Alex L.
AWARD
Vital Body Wash
good for:
Step up your shower game with the Vital Body Wash, an energizing, body-acne clearing emulsion and 2022 GQ Grooming Award Winner!
The active lather uses natural, non-stripping ingredients like Green Tea and Sea Buckthorn to deeply cleanse, tackle breakouts, and combat body odor. The invigorating woody fragrance blend will make your skin smell as good as it looks.
“This body wash gets the job done! It cleans you thoroughly without drying out your skin. You smell fresh and clean, not perfumed. And as always with Cardon... a little goes a long way.” - Troy H.
Vital Body Wash
good for:
Step up your shower game with the Vital Body Wash, an energizing, body-acne clearing emulsion and 2022 GQ Grooming Award Winner!
The active lather uses natural, non-stripping ingredients like Green Tea and Sea Buckthorn to deeply cleanse, tackle breakouts, and combat body odor. The invigorating woody fragrance blend will make your skin smell as good as it looks.
“This body wash gets the job done! It cleans you thoroughly without drying out your skin. You smell fresh and clean, not perfumed. And as always with Cardon... a little goes a long way.” - Troy H.
Daily SPF + Moisturizer
good for:
We’re playing favorites—this is the #1 most important step in your skincare routine. Stave off sun damage for healthy, youthful skin for years to come with our Daily SPF + Moisturizer, acclaimed best lightweight moisturizer with SPF by GQ!
Its fast-absorbing, lightweight formula uses Cactus and Chia Seed Extract to provide all-day hydration, plus Broad Spectrum SPF 30 to protect against UVA and UVB rays with ZERO residue or white cast.
“After trying several different brands, I finally found a product I like. It's lightweight, not sticky, and has a very subtle, fresh scent. Will definitely order again. I highly recommend this product.” - Sara T.
Daily SPF + Moisturizer
good for:
We’re playing favorites—this is the #1 most important step in your skincare routine. Stave off sun damage for healthy, youthful skin for years to come with our Daily SPF + Moisturizer, acclaimed best lightweight moisturizer with SPF by GQ!
Its fast-absorbing, lightweight formula uses Cactus and Chia Seed Extract to provide all-day hydration, plus Broad Spectrum SPF 30 to protect against UVA and UVB rays with ZERO residue or white cast.
“After trying several different brands, I finally found a product I like. It's lightweight, not sticky, and has a very subtle, fresh scent. Will definitely order again. I highly recommend this product.” - Sara T.
Hydro Boost Gel Moisturizer
good for:
Like a night cap for your skin, our Hydro Boost Gel Moisturizer is the ideal way to finish your evening.
This 3-in-1 gel moisturizer uses Cactus Extract and Rosehip Oil to put in the work while you snooze—hydrating, soothing, and repairing your skin all night long.
“This easily became part of my nightly routine. I've started to notice my face looking healthier and smoother. As a 32 y/o, you start to notice wrinkles creeping in, this helps me keep them at bay.” - Andrew S.
Hydro Boost Gel Moisturizer
good for:
Like a night cap for your skin, our Hydro Boost Gel Moisturizer is the ideal way to finish your evening.
This 3-in-1 gel moisturizer uses Cactus Extract and Rosehip Oil to put in the work while you snooze—hydrating, soothing, and repairing your skin all night long.
“This easily became part of my nightly routine. I've started to notice my face looking healthier and smoother. As a 32 y/o, you start to notice wrinkles creeping in, this helps me keep them at bay.” - Andrew S.
Exfoliating Facial Toner Wipes
good for:
After a long, busy day you just want to sit back, relax, and crack open—our biodegradable Exfoliating Facial Toner Wipes.
Wipe the stress and grime away with our Exfoliating Facial Toner Wipes, which use PHAs and caffeine to unclog pores, balance pH, and soothe the skin all in one easy step. No water needed.
Due to demand, this product is temporarily out of stock. Click "Notify Me" below to be the first to know when it's back!
Exfoliating Facial Toner Wipes
good for:
After a long, busy day you just want to sit back, relax, and crack open—our biodegradable Exfoliating Facial Toner Wipes.
Wipe the stress and grime away with our Exfoliating Facial Toner Wipes, which use PHAs and caffeine to unclog pores, balance pH, and soothe the skin all in one easy step. No water needed.
Due to demand, this product is temporarily out of stock. Click "Notify Me" below to be the first to know when it's back!
Prickly Pimple Patch
good for:
2021 Esquire Grooming Award Winner
Zit happens, so we made the Prickly Pimple Patch, your one-step solution for pesky breakouts. Soft dissolving microneedles go where no pimple cream has gone before—delivering acne-fighting ingredients like Salicylic Acid and Cica directly to the site of the inflammation and target acne dark spots. Works on ingrown hairs too!
“I applied the patch to a few raised bumps that appear to be clogged pores. Overnight one was significantly reduced while the other seems to have disappeared. Easy process and highly effective.” - Todd S.
Prickly Pimple Patch
good for:
2021 Esquire Grooming Award Winner
Zit happens, so we made the Prickly Pimple Patch, your one-step solution for pesky breakouts. Soft dissolving microneedles go where no pimple cream has gone before—delivering acne-fighting ingredients like Salicylic Acid and Cica directly to the site of the inflammation and target acne dark spots. Works on ingrown hairs too!
“I applied the patch to a few raised bumps that appear to be clogged pores. Overnight one was significantly reduced while the other seems to have disappeared. Easy process and highly effective.” - Todd S.
Purifying Clay Cleanser
good for:
Due to demand, this product is temporarily out of stock. Preorder today! Estimated to ship October 21st.
The Purifying Clay Cleanser dares to answer the question: “what if you combined a detoxifying clay mask with a hydrating face wash?”
Our 2x Ask Men Grooming award-winning cleanser uses Cactus Extract and a Tri-Clay blend to remove excess oil and cleanse skin deeply from the grime of the day, never leaving skin feeling dry or tight. Powerful ingredients, yet gentle enough for daily use.
“The best face wash I have found for my oily, sensitive, acne-prone skin! With continued use, I've even seen a drastic reduction of oily shine on my face after long days in the office! Thank you, Cardon!” - Steve C.
Purifying Clay Cleanser
good for:
Due to demand, this product is temporarily out of stock. Preorder today! Estimated to ship October 21st.
The Purifying Clay Cleanser dares to answer the question: “what if you combined a detoxifying clay mask with a hydrating face wash?”
Our 2x Ask Men Grooming award-winning cleanser uses Cactus Extract and a Tri-Clay blend to remove excess oil and cleanse skin deeply from the grime of the day, never leaving skin feeling dry or tight. Powerful ingredients, yet gentle enough for daily use.
“The best face wash I have found for my oily, sensitive, acne-prone skin! With continued use, I've even seen a drastic reduction of oily shine on my face after long days in the office! Thank you, Cardon!” - Steve C.
Cardon Products Are
Easy to Use
We never create two products when we can achieve the same results with one. Cardon products are designed to be easy to use every day.
Backed By Korean Innovation
Korean R&D is two decades ahead of the rest of the world. Cardon products use the highest quality, most effective ingredients out there.
Non-Toxic
Finally, an ingredient label you can feel good about. Every ingredient in Cardon products is good for your skin, and easy on the mind.