How to care for athletes' skin to prevent negative effects

It's obvious how great exercise is for healthy strong body and mind. But some side effects of exercise are not particularly beneficial for your skin.


When you exercise your cardiovascular system rushes freshly oxygenated blood to the surface to feed your muscles. Because of the high amount of oxygen content the bright red blood plumps up your skin making it larger and thicker. Perspiration naturally occurs to cool off your body and expels salt, oils and natural toxins on to the skin. These natural functions brought on by exercise and heat can cause a variety of consequences to your skin.

As fitness enthusiasts we have different nutritional needs, we need different clothing during our physical activity and we drink more water. However, many may not realize that their skin-care needs also differ.

Even those who have a clear complexion find that routine physical exertion can result in occasional blemishes, clogged pores, dryness and dullness. Scientists are still uncertain about the exact causes, but they do have some worthwhile theories and solutions.

Oily Skin
Sebum, an oily secretion of the sebaceous glands housed in the pores of our skin, reduces the skin's water loss and helps protect it from dryness and cracking. Anaerobic Bacterium Propionibacterium acnes, colonized on the skin, is neither helped or harmed. Sebum's presence in a blocked pore can lead to an acne lesion (blemish) or blackheads. Pimples tend to worsen because the swollen skin from a workout irritates the existing pimples and helps to create new breakouts which can be larger or painful.

Oily skin becomes oiler from sweating as the salts and acids mix with sebum which glues down dead skin cells creating a coating akin to plastic wrap on the skin. A deep pore cleanser and one which includes exfoliation benefits that does not strip necessary oils can help remove the extra oil that is brought to the skin's surface during exercise will remove the bacteria on the skin leading to a clearer complexion.

Adequate moisture levels are still necessary for this skin type. A moisturizer formulated with both camphor extracts to keep skin soft and Citrus extracts to stabilize oil levels and kill off bacteria is key for this skin type.

Dry Skin
During exercise, skin can become dehydrated due to the high levels of sodium in perspiration. People who consume sports drinks with added sodium may increase their likelihood of dry skin even more. Dry skin becomes more prominent, irritated, flaky and rough due to the high amounts of salts and acids deposited on the skin via sweat.

A cleanser with proper cleansing agents and astringents is essential for this skin type. Dry skin also needs to be gently exfoliated twice a week to rid dead skin cells and flaky skin. This will help for the moisturizer and nutrients in the cleanser to penetrate into the skin resulting in a softer appearance.

Some exercisers don't realize their skin has a dry appearance until they are on a specialized product regimen which eventually cures their dryness to a healthier appearance.

Combination Skin
This skin type needs to be balanced. In most cases using only one type of cleanser will not be the solution.

A cleanser formulated for this specific skin type would be best for every day use, but on days when skin feels oily or dry due to climate or workout conditions, alternating to a cleanser formulated for these occasional occurrences is necessary.

Combination skin also needs an exfoliating cleanser on a once daily basis and include a daily moisturizer twice a day.

Damaged or Neglected Skin
Many endurance athletes, swimmers and persons who engage in outdoor sports (runners, tennis players & sports lovers) suffer from sun damaged or prematurely aging skin. Some simply never made the time to care for their skin because of time demanding workouts. Exercise is said to be the fountain of youth, but when the skin is dried out, a dried wrinkly appearance results, and can make a person appear older.

Disciplining yourself by applying a long lasting sun block formulated for an athletic lifestyle and an anti aging treatment which emulates human sebum is key for this skin type. Cleansing the skin within 30 minutes of post workout will help rid sweat expelled toxins and bacteria that penetrate the skin after thirty minutes.

Applying a serum before exercise will help to protect the skin and generalize neutral waste in sweat. For those who don't have time to hit the shower after a workout, a chemical-free botanical mist formulated for post exercise is a good option, as it will help to kill odor and acne causing bacteria.

Most people will agree that exercise is good for the entire body. With the proper special care, fitness enthusiasts can sport healthy, vibrant skin and with careful product selection that healthy glow of exercise can shine through.

By Sandy Alcide. Sandy Alcide is the Founder of Motion Medica. A certified botanical skin care line widely known as innovators of beauty products for fitness lovers. The line has expanded with chemical free products for general skin care.
Copyright 2005. Revised 2012 All rights reserved.

Can exercise cause acne?

Working out at the gym may tone your muscles and cause the ladies and gents to swoon over your chiseled physique. But when they get a closer look and realize you’re covered in acne, your six-pack abs can’t save you. Skin, the body’s largest organ, can be riddled with acne problems after a workout.

Even if you don’t suffer from excessive acne, your training may be adversely affecting your skin. Yes, acne can be induced by exercise. But exactly what causes this? Scientists are still uncertain what the exact cause is, but they do have some worthwhile theories. Your lymphatic system is controlled by movement and operates best during exercise. The lymphatic system is also known as “the drainage system of the body”. This system consists of lymph nodes & vessels that carry lymph fluid around your body. This amazing circuit collects waste from tissues and returns it to the blood after it has been fully purified.

If the lymph is insufficiently activated, cells swim in their own waste which can block pores. Lymph fluid is a transparent, pale yellow fluid that carries cells that help fight infection. When the blood cells are not able to unload their toxins via the kidneys, they go to the next best eliminative organ: your skin! When bacteria starts to set in the pores it causes acne. A raised heart rate brought on by exercise also activates your oil- producing sebaceous glands. Some people have over active sebaceous glands to begin with and, when mixed with lymph fluid, toxins, or bacteria, the condition produces blemishes induced by exercise. This can creep up on us over a long period of time, which is why persons who never had acne are suddenly plagued by it, regardless of what age the exerciser is.

Because acne appears on one’s outermost layer, the epidermis, there are natural topical remedies which can be used to the exercisers’ advantage. Most acne treatments tend to dry the skin with chemicals and mass- production methods. Organic botanical and herbal extracts which use a processing method called “cold pressing” eliminate alcohol content. Some key plant ingredients in acne treatments are salicylic acid, derived from willow bark and aspen bark extract and coltsfoot. Salicylic Acid is a natural beta hydroxy acid which exfoliates surface dead skin cells (keratinocytes) and debris that cause acne.

Although there is no quick fix for acne, there are treatments that can help to keep the acne at bay once healed. Camphor, a thick oil derived from the wood of the cnamonum caphora tree, is grown in the Far East. It has been valued for natural remedies since the 12th century. Camphor is now being used to cure acne as a medicinal ingredient that purges skin to remove toxins. Bentonite is a fine mineral clay used to draw excess oil from the skin. When using products containing this combination of natural ingredients as a daily treatment, it has been proven to help with acne induced by exercise without drying the skin.

By Sandy Alcide Copyright 2007 All Rights Reserved. Sandy is the founder of Motion Medica skin care. A certified botanical skin care line widely known as the innovators of beauty products for the fitness lifestyle. The line also includes products for general skin care. sandy Alcide is a BioChemist and esthetician specializing in skin disorders. You may use this article or portions, but in order to do so you must include this paragraph and a link to www.MotionMedica.com.

Natural recipes that nourish your skin for a healthy appearance

There are natural ingredients that is impossible to hand craft even with natural preservatives. Here, I'd like to share some "home-made" recipes with you that I'm sure you will enjoy. Most of the ingredients you most likely have in your kitchen. Have fun!


A Feast for Your Skin!

The following are home made facial masques using common foods. Tempting ingredients imbued with tasty aroma’s that nourish your skin achieving a healthy ‘fruit fabulous’ appearance.

TROPICAL BREEZE (Get the Caribbean Glow)
* For All Skin Types
* Omit the olive oil for oily, combination or acne prone skin

1 Banana
1 Mango
1 cup crushed pineapple (or canned pineapple)
1 tablespoon olive oil.
Use olive oil if you suffer from very dry skin

Mix banana, mango, pineapple and olive oil in a blender on slow speed until it becomes a thick liquid. Avoiding eye area, apply to face for 5 minutes. Wash off with warm water and your Motion Medica cleanser. Take a wash cloth and run cold water on it. Gently pat your face with it. Allow to air dry.

WITH EGG ON YOUR FACE (my apologies for the corny name)
* Best for oily prone skin
* Do not use this if you are allergic to eggs
* If using raw egg avoid getting into your mouth or eyes for risk of salmonella

1oz Pasteurised egg substitute. For very oily skin 1 regular raw egg.
1 Tablespoon of skim milk
Whisk both ingredients together in a ceramic bowl. Apply on face and leave on for 10 minutes. Wash off with warm water and cleanser. Gently pat dry skin.

STRAWBERRY FIELDS ( I'm a Big Beatles Fan)
* Great for All Skin Types

2 Cups Strawberries
2 Cups Plain Yogurt
2 Tablespoons of Honey

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend at slow speed until it becomes a thick liquid. Leave on for 15 minutes and wash off with warm water and cleanser. Gently pat dry your skin. Anything left over-drink it!


By Sandy Alcide. Copyright 2011 All rights reserved. Permission needed for re-print. Sandy is the Founder of Motion Medica skin care. A certified natural line widely known as the innovator of beauty products for the fitness lifestyle and has expanded with skin care products for all lifestyles.

Are spray moisturizers better than creme moisturizers?

New Spray Moisturizers Vs. Creme Moisturizers

In a time crunched society people are always seeking products that are more convenient and less time consuming. Before you purchase a moisturizing spray, you may want to know what the difference is between a spray on moisturizers and a creme moisturizer.

Originally, spray moisturizers were available for a person’s hair. Now, they are being made and touted by the skin care industry as a convenient moisturizer for the skin. Proven effective for hair; they may be convenient, but are they really an effective moisturizer to ward off dryness of skin?

Hair is different than skin. The outer layer of the hair (cuticle) covering the hair protects the molecular layer of lipid that makes hair repel water. But the complex structure of skin is different from hair.

There are two basic categories of moisturizers: humectants (absorb water from the air) and emollients. Emollients soften the skin by delivering the ingredients directly into skin. Unlike humectants, emollients bring moisture to your skin by the ‘composition’ of the product.. A main function of an emollient is to trap moisture in the skin. If you don’t properly apply an emollient, such as a “creme” composition-you may just be trapping moisture outside the skin, eventually leading to dryness.

Moisturizers are a creme or lotion that act like natural lipids found in healthy skin and the deep layers of the skin. Creme moisturizers work by preventing water from evaporating from the skin. Creme and lotions, in a non-greasy formula are easily absorbed into the skin. Cremes are slightly thicker than lotions and are better for those with very severe, dehydrated skin. A spray moisturizer mostly contains water will simply lay atop of your skin and give you a temporary feeling of softness. Not all creme moisturizers are heavy and greasy feeling and skin can be breathable. A common ingredient found in a lot of creme/lotions is mineral oil, one ingredient to avoid when choosing a moisturizer. Water, the main ingredient in spray on moisturizers, will not give your skin adequate moisture levels.

A key ingredient in creme moisturizers is Dimeticone (also known as silicon fluid), is a water-repellent substance used to protect the skin. This ingredient is not found in spray moisturizers because it can not be sprayed or in a mist form.

A spray on moisturizer advertised their product by stating: “The world’s lightest moisturizer ever”. A mist solution to heavy creme moisturizers”. The key ingredients are Water (Aqua), Sodium PCA, Cetrimonium Chloride, Sea Salt, Parabens, Fragrance (Parfum).

The name of a spray on moisturizer being sold is: “Mineral Spray Skin Moisturizer”. It then stated “Refresh & Invigorate Your Skin With A Fresh Spritz of (name of product excluded). The two ingredients listed: Water, Nitrogen as Propellant. Water, the main ingredient, will not give your skin adequate moisture levels. A propellant serves to dispense the contents of an aerosol or liquid. How does this product moisturize your skin? It doesn’t.
For people with extremely dry skin from certain lifestyles as frequent sun exposure, use of tanning beds, frequent swimmers in chlorine and salt water, and eczema; it is vital for them to use a creme moisturizer as their skin will severely dry out leading to a weathered appearance and speed up the signs of aging the skin.

It’s important to apply moisturizer regularly, at least twice a day and always after cleansing to prevent skin from drying.

Quick, convenient skin care products can result in a disappointing appearance to your skin. A little extra time taken to apply the correct moisturizer is a smart investment for your skin’s health. If you would like to refresh your skin with water and other non-essential ingredients for adequate moisture, then the spritzers may be good for you. Obviously, if a spray-on product is called a moisturizer, it really isn’t.

By Sandy Alcide
Copyright 2012 All Rights Reserved
Sandy Alcide is the founder of Motion Medica. A certified all natural skin care line. Her skin care line is widely known as the innovators of beauty products for the athletic lifestyle and skin care products for all lifestyles.

You can use the same skin care products that celebrities and socialites use on a budget

Socialites and celebrities don't use skin care products that you think they do.

The general public are under the assumption they need to be a millionaire to buy the same skin care products as the privileged do, when, in fact, they don't. How is this possible?

To touch the face of one who is always in the limelight (whether they want to be or not), your product needs to be good. No. Great. While most mass produced brands spend a ton of money on advertising and unique bottling and jars, they must work on a high profit margin to pay for the advertising and to make a profit. The ingredients listed are also over the top and unique. But how much of them is really in the product? Not much. Working on a high profit margin, with expensive ads in prestigious magazines-put a high price on the product, and well, it must be good? Not really. Some consumers believe the higher the price the better the product. Take a 2oz jar of moisturizer selling at a fancy department store with a price of
$135.00. A comparable product with the exact ingredients and amount of ingredients, not found in the department store can sell for $35.00 and give you the same excellent results.

Socialites and celebrities are savvy with their personal products.

Most of them purchase "underground' skin care lines. The word underground can have a few meanings as a noun, verb or adjective. In skin care it's a term used for products that are outside the use of the general population. They are more socially conscious than "mainstream", or a better known term-"mass produced" products.

Underground or sometimes called "boutique" skin care lines are usually hand crafted with the finest ingredients while following all FDA regulations. The money is not spent on corporate advertising teams, hundreds of thousands of dollars for advertising in glamorous magazines and national television ads.

You may be wondering "well a famous actress appears in the T.V ads", she must use the product". Um, sorry-no. When you are working in the industry, and are trust-worthy, many personal assistants and make-up artists to the stars will disclose the product line their boss uses. It's rarely mass produced-or appears in television and magazine ads. Also, an ethical owner of an underground skin care line will always remain discreet who she has as clients and would never exploit a famous client. It's simply not worth losing the reputation of being trust worthy and ethical. A business owners' personal reputation is as important as her products.

Don't underestimate your non-mainstream skin care products or judge the line by the unadorned packaging or website.

As for "Awards" given to skin care lines by magazines. Did it ever occur to you that these awards are always given to the skin care products that advertise in their magazine frequently? Ponder that a bit.

Consumers are confused what really is the best skin care products. People spend lots of money trying different brands with sometimes disappointing results and always hoping for radiant, clear skin. Step out of mass produced skin care lines and give your small underground skin care company a try. You may be pleasantly surprised and with a lot of money saved. If you are not receiving a compliment on your skin at least once a week, or people noticing a remarkable improvement with its appearance; it may be time to switch your brand-without regret.

By Sandy Alcide. Founder/Product Developer of Motion Medica botanical skin care. Innovators of luxury beauty products for fitness lovers and luxury products for all skin types. Sandy Alcide is a BioChemist and Esthetician specializing in skin disorders. You may use this article or portions, but you must include this paragraph and a link to www.MotionMedica.com

Copyright 2012. All rights reserved.

TSA approved skin care products? Marketing gimmick? Or better products for airplane travel?

Recently, I received an e-mail from a source requesting to submit the "best products that are TSA approved". (Transportation Security Administration) for their readers. Better products you can carry on to an airplane.

Belonging to all sorts of skin care associations, this was the first I heard of this. I googled the request and found no skin care products approved by the TSA. What I did find, are websites named around this ploy that their products were better because they are TSA approved. In fact, one website had it's name and product name related closely to air travel, with a picture of an airplane for their logo (I'm not one to name names). One product line claimed "our products will get you through security check quicker".

Giving benefit of doubt. I read the ingredients of the products and found none of them to have an edge for poor quality air in a plane. Nevertheless, the products were 3.4 ounces or less and non-aerosol.

I decided to contact the TSA directly and spoke to a helpful agent. I asked her if there were skin care products approved by the TSA for travel after explaining my confusion. Her answer to me was: "The TSA does not endorse, select or give any type of approval to skin care products. As long as the products are 3.4 ounces or less and non-aerosol in a clear bag-they are approved to carry on a plane at security check".

So, next time you are packing for a trip via airplane-you don't need to use a particular skin care line to get you through security check any quicker than your current favorite brand. Nor will a skin care line with a logo of an airplane on it get you points and extra smiles from an agent at security check out.

Happy, safe traveling!

By Sandy Alcide founder of Motion Medica skin care. A non-mainstream skin care line without the fluff.

Difference between body and facial lotions?

I'll be brief and straight forward: Yes.

Body lotions are richer in emollients than facial moisturizers. Notice how a person tends to breakout with pimples on the face rather than the tops of hands, arms and legs? The skin condition between our face and body are different.

Have you ever seen a body lotion marked as "non-comedogenic"? You see this a lot on cremes and moisturizers for the face. Ingredients in facial and body lotions can be similar, but the concentration of certain ingredients, mostly emollients, are higher in body lotions, hands, arms and legs tend to be drier than the face. Products that contain "oil" in both facial and body lotions should not be used. Oils will clog the pores of the face leading to possible breakouts of white/blackheads and pimples. Oils in body cremes may make your skin feel soft but they tend to lay on top of skin rather than absorbing into skin for proper hydration.

A product you can apply both on face and body? You can apply facial moisturizer on your body especially where skin may tend to breakout like the chest, back and shoulder area. Never apply body lotion or hand lotion on your face.

A new moisturizing body lotion with Citrus, White Tea and Lactic Acid softens and reduces dry skin. It absorbs quickly with no after greasy feeling. Algae derived from seaweed will condition dehydrated skin with Retinyl Palmitate (Vitamin A) to increase skin elasticity for dry skin. It's paraben and oil free. Click here to read more > Citrus & White Tea Blossom Body Lotion

Body lotions-keep them on the body where they belong.

By Sandy Alcide, founder Motion Medica skin careCopyright 2011