This Is How Wearing Makeup During Your Workout Affects Your Skin

Whether you're crunched for time as you sprint from the office to SoulCycle, or you simply want to look as glamorous as Gigi Hadid in your workout selfies, you've probably found yourself debuting a full face of makeup at the gym.

While you're sweating it out and making those #gains, that little pang of guilt pops up as you think of the inevitable pimple that's going to surface on your chin later that night.

You've probably heard it a million times before: Cardio and concealer simply do not mix.

But is there any way you can get away with going straight from work to the weight room without a rinse?

Elite Daily spoke with dermatologist Gervaise Gerstner, MD, to get her professional opinion on this sweaty subject.

She explained,

In terms of exercise, excess sweating mixed with clogging pores [due to] oily makeup residue can exacerbate acne on skin. Excess sebum production plus makeup can cause comedones, too (a fancy word for blackheads).

Sebum is produced by the sebaceous glands and exists on all skin surfaces (with the exception of the palms and the soles of the feet).

The area on your face most likely to battle these oily issues is the infamous T-zone, which is why your post-Pilates pimple most often appears on your forehead, nose, or chin.

So, unless you're applying your foundation on your feet (I have a lot of follow-up questions for you if you do), consider your days of combining burpees and blush extinct from this point on.

If you must merge the worlds of commandos and cosmetics, Dr. Gerstner says oil-free makeup is always preferred.

She recommends a light beauty balm to avoid pesky clogged pores while still getting a bit of coverage:

My office has several options: Gervaise Gerstner, MD, beauty balm, soleil mineral tint, and skinceuticals sunscreen tint.

Seriously though, don't forget about your SPF if you're taking your sweat sesh outdoors. That tinted sunscreen is key so you don't feel a different kind of burn, if you catch my drift.

But if you can manage to leave the foundation at home, your skin will definitely thank you.

Personal trainer Paola Marquez tells Elite Daily her secret to a clear complexion is that she never, ever wears any makeup while working out:

When we're working out, our body temperature increases, we start sweating, and our pores open. Our skin needs to breathe, especially when exercising, so I recommend removing all [your] makeup and applying thermal water before breaking a sweat.

Sounds simple enough.

Plus, when you think about it, if your workout is challenging your body in the right way, you'd probably just sweat all the makeup off anyway, right?

And I think everyone can agree that mascara streaks running down your face is not a good look on anyone.

Live long and perspire, girl.