These Are the Skincare Essentials I Keep in My Gym Bag No Matter What

Whether you work out in the wee hours of pre-dawn, in the heat of midday, or right after work, you can’t forgo at least a pared-down version of your usual skincare routine. (You don’t wanna give sweat and bacteria a minute longer on your face than you have to!) So here, a workout warrior (and skincare guru) shares what she keeps in her skincare gym bag for a quick mini routine post-workout.

I be up in the gym working on my fitness … like literally six days a week. Working out is my biggest form of self-care, and I pretty much live at the gym these days, so I’ve curated a special skincare gym bag that I pack in my bag for that after-workout refresh.

A lot of the time, I work out in the early to late afternoon, and I like to schedule all of my other errands around my workout schedule. I absolutely hate to run back and forth, so I try to schedule my life around the time I go to the gym. This means that sometimes I have to take a shower or do a quick freshening up after the gym so I can do whatever else I need to do.

It’s super important to make sure to wash your face after a workout (as soon as you can), as you don’t want to be walking around with sweat and bacteria just chillin’ all willy nilly on your skin for an extended period of time. As someone who gets a pimple just thinking about one, making sure my face is clean after my workout is a necessity.

But my routine isn’t that in-depth — only four steps. I just want to make sure that my face is clean and hydrated, so I don’t do a FULL routine. I think of it as my mini mid-afternoon refresher. You can do this routine even if you haven’t worked out — it works as a post-beach, post-pool, or even just post-sweaty errands routine.

1. Cleanser

So in my gym bag, I have a milky, non-foaming cleanser. Right now, it’s the Glossier Milky Jelly, as I’m trying to finally finish it, but I also LOVE the SanDaWha Liposome Softener. The SanDaWha Softener comes in a big, heavy glass bottle, but I decant it into a plastic travel-sized tube, and bring a stack of cotton pads. Both are gentle and hydrating, without stripping the skin. My goal for cleansing after I work out is to just gently remove the dirt and sweat. I’ll still do my nighttime routine when it’s time to settle in for the evening.

2. Mist

Then I liberally mist my face. Misting is my JAM (check out how much I love mists here). I currently love the COSRX Low PH Mist. Misting is a great way to hydrate your face without the need for a heavy product.

3. Moisturizer

After misting, I use a lightweight, hydrating moisturizer. This honestly varies from day to day, because for this step, I make use of the ridiculous amount of samples I have. I already carry one billion pounds of powerlifting equipment in my gym bag, so I try to make sure my skincare bag is super light. In my current rotation, I have the Benton Snail Lotion, the Purito Sea Buckthorn Cream, and a ton of Laneige Water Bank Moisturizer.

 

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4. Sunscreen

And last, but certainly not least, we already know — sunscreen. We’re supposed to reapply sunscreen after sweating, working out, every few hours anyway, so this is the perfect time to top it on up. I’m in love with the Earth’s Recipe Waterful Sun Gel. It’s packaged in a small, lightweight bottle so it’s easy to toss in my skincare gym bag and go!

For my skincare routine that I do before I go work out, check out my article here.

Do you refresh your skin after you work out? What’s in your skincare gym bag? Let me know in the comments!