Is your skin care regimen taking over your life as a fitness junkie?

We love to get a good workout in. Whatever your sport or activity is you encounter sweat, dirt, dry heat climate conditions, sun exposure, poor indoor or outdoor air quality. So, you want to save your skin that goes through the wringer as you encounter all these elements.

Many active persons are confused how to nurture this special skin type. You may try all sorts of products to help with getting your skin skin refreshed, clean and protected. No need to have a confusing array of products or additional time consuming steps when it comes to your skin.

Rather than cleansing your face and then applying an astringent to maintain skin's health, use a cleanser that all ready contains a load of herbal astringents-eliminating the extra step of applying an astringent. After your workout, cleanse with a cleanser that contains ingredients that not only will eliminate the sweat but has antimicrobial properties to ward off pimples and excessive oil without causing skin to become dry.

With a rapid turnover of dead skin cells, who has the time to use a brush on their skin that can abrade delicate skin tissue, and, have to use it on a daily basis? Use a 2 In 1 Exfoliating Cleanser-it will cleanse AND exfoliate dead skin cells all in one cleansing and you only need to use it 3 times a week. Not once a day.

Protect the skin before a workout. Apply a topical antioxidant before a sunscreen and your skin will thank you for the added protection by revealing a much radiant, acne free appearance without worry of skin damage from the sun and skin cancer.

During the meltdown of a hot sweaty workout, ditch the towelettes and grab a convenient botanical mist formulated to get you feeling refreshed and kills nasty acne causing bacteria until you can hit the shower.

Let your skin go through the wringer during a great workout without being preoccupied about the consequences.

Sandy Alcide has written for Fitness For Men, Bare Essentials, Bicycling, Fitness, San Diego Fitness, SCW Fitness, Beauty & Lace, Ms. Fitness. Alcide collaborated with author Dr. John Daniels to write Mainstream Skin Care Line vs. Atypical Skin Care.
Copyright 2011. All rights reserved.

A shocking thing 88% of athletes do to their skin

Time pressed athletes who can't get to the shower after a workout use baby wipes.

Baby wipes contain water, mineral oil, alcohol, propylene glycol, artificial fragrance and methyl and propyl parabens (chemical preservatives). These disposable cloths are made from non-woven fabrics similar to those used in dryer sheets. Most brands are still using the same technology and ingredients when baby wipes were first developed in the late 1970's.

Fitness junkies endure sweat mixed with excess oil, salt and in some activities-dirt. Do baby bottoms endure this?

Most athletes don't realize the swiping motion of baby wipes and sport wipes can push sweat, oil and dirt back into your open pores that naturally open during intense exercise to expel sweat. This leads to possible clogged pores and breakouts. Most just cover the odor and don't kill germs in sweat.

Luckily, from new research there is a convenient botanical mist with active ingredients to kill bacteria in sweat, absorb excess oil and leaves your skin feeling refreshed and clean smelling until you have time to hit the shower.

Of course nothing takes the place of actual cleaning with a cleanser. But for time pressed fitness lovers this is a whole new way to achieve your quick fix for a shower rather than a make-shift alternative.

By Sandy Alcide, founder of Motion Medica fitness skin careCopyright March 2011

The importance of exfoliating your skin

Athletes and weekend warriors have a higher dead skin cell turnover rate. If you, or someone else, finds your skin to appeal dull, lackluster with occasional or frequent breakouts, chances are you are not exfoliating enough with the correct product.

Exfoliating is the most easiest and common natural way to remove dead skin cells without chemical peels or costly microdermabrasion. It will actually give you better results when done frequently.

The best time to exfoliate is after a sweat induced by exercise. It will open your pores during exercise so you will need to exfoliate within a short period of time after exercise.

This will remove dead skin cells that can't be seen by the human eye and leave your skin's surface clean and ready for new skin cells to regenerate. Time constraints with our busy workout schedules needs the convenience of an exfoliater that also contains a cleanser. Exfoliating agents alone will not clean the skin.

Use an exfoliater that will not abrade delicate skin tissue and contains no chemicals that get get into your bloodstream via open pores. Never use a brush on your delicate facial skin unless you want broken capillaries and exfoliating agents that contain aluminum will eventually make its way into your bloodstream.

The Tenacious Champion AHA/BHA 2 In 1 Exfoliating Cleanser is one of the most highly recommended exfoliating cleanser on the market for fitness lovers.

Do this treatment on a twice weekly basis and, in this world of judging, will give a healthy look to healthy skin.

Copyright Sandy Alcide, founder Motion Medica fitness skin care.

Preventing dry skin in cold climate with an athletic lifestyle

An active lifestyle can bring on a new set of challenges to your skin.

Extreme climatic conditions can cause dry, brittle skin. Cold air lacks moisture and indoor heat causes dryness, a common complaint among winter loving athletes.

This is the reason why there must be special care for this skin type in order to have smooth healthy skin. Extreme dryness to your skin adds a whole new dimension to your skin care regimen.

You must protect your skin when exercising outdoors. Do not use petroleum jelly as this will clog the pores that naturally open during exercise to expel sweat. Your skin also needs to breathe even in outdoor cold conditions. Before heading outdoors use a sunscreen with zinc oxide in it. Not only will it protect your skin from the sun's rays but it will help hold moisture in the skin.

Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize! After washing away sweat with a gentle astringent cleanser, always apply moisturizer after every cleanse. Never skip this step in your skin care regimen. If you cleanse at night before bed time , in the morning just splash some luke warm water on your face and follow with moisturizer. If heading out to ski or for a long run apply sunscreen after your moisturizer.

You must continue to exfoliate dead skin cells with a gentle exfoliating cleanser. The removal of dead skin cells will help the emollients in the moisturizer to penetrate the skin more effectively. Removal of dead skin cells and keeping adequate topical moisture levels will help ward off dry skin and reveal smooth, soft skin.

Your face that is the most exposed seems to get the most attention, but the same regimen applies to your body even under protective clothing the dry air will effect the skin too.

By Sandy Alcide, founder Motion Medica fitness skin care.

Being in love with your athletic skin

I AM IN SO IN LOVE WITH MY SKIN RIGHT NOW!

I actually did a review about Motion Medica skin care and here's the link to my blog:

Maniacal Matron

I included before and after pictures of using Motion Medica after only seven days.

My skin improved and cleared up! My face is looking better every day!

Thank you, Sandy. I love Motion Medica!

How steroids affect the skin

Its not to be concluded that any athletic persons or dedicated bodybuilders who have the following skin ailments use anabolic steroids. But if a person contemplating anabolic steroids, for any reason, the skin can reveal negative side effects of the drug.

Corticosteroids (topical steroids) prescribed by doctors, are absorbed into the skin in the form of creams, ointments and lotions. Corticosteroids stop these cells from producing various inflammation causing chemicals that are released when the skin reacts to allergens or irritation.

Anabolic steroids have few medical uses. Their primary use is to promote weight gain and muscle development in animals. Rarely prescribed to humans, the muscle building (anabolic) and androgenic effects of these drugs make them appealing to athletes and bodybuilders. Taken orally or topically, these steroids steroids come in the form of tablets, capsules, a solution for injection or cream to rub into the skin.

Although a muscular body may be appealing, these steroids have been associated with less appealing side effects for the skin such as acne, course or dry skin, cysts and very oily skin. These side effects of the skin can occur if these steroids are taken orally, injected or applied topically.
Inappropriate use of anabolic steroids stimulates the oil producing glands sebaceous glands. Over-production of this sebum leads to acne. The most "stubborn" acne is called cystic acne. This is a severe form of acne where pimples develop into small cysts. Cystic acne is caused by excessive build up of sebum in the pores and is not caused by hygiene or the lack of.

Cystic acne can affect the face, chest, back, shoulders and in rare cases, the upper arms. If cystic acne is not treated in the early stages by stopping the abuse of steroids, and with prescribed antibiotics, it can lead to permanent scarring, also known as "potholes" on the skin, most commonly on face and upper chest.

Another apparent side effect is skin becoming dry or rough, with a "scaly" appearance. There are a couple of reasons for this. While using steroids the side effect for rough skin is caused by the pores in the skin becoming larger. This is more prominent in women because they usually have smoother skin than men. If a person is suffering from acne brought on by very oily skin, a natural tendency is to overly cleanse the skin stripping the skin of it's natural oils, especially when harsh soaps with chemicals are used.

Another reason to stop the abuse of this drug is a possible, but less common side effect caused by long-term use of steroids is Cushing's Syndrome, which causes dark or purplish marks or bumps on the skin that can effect both men and women.

Exercise is part of a healthy lifestyle. It can make you look and feel stronger and healthier.

These benefits can outshine any drug for a healthier post workout glow to the skin!

By Sandy Alcide. Biochemist and Athlete Skin Care Consultant. Founder of Motion Medica skin care. Copyright 2014. You may use this article or portions of it but you must include this paragraph and a link to www.MotionMedica.com

Food requirements for healthy skin

Topical skin care products help your skin look radiant and healthy, but your skin still needs to "glow" within and that means eating the right skin loving foods.

Selenium. This is a mineral that is useful by your body to create protein with antioxidant properties. The best source for this skin loving mineral is Brazil Nuts. Other nuts will do but Brazil Nuts are found to be the best source of selenium. Whole wheat, turkey and fish are helpful sources too.

Antioxidants. Yes, I know, we hear so much about antioxidants. But you need antioxidants to protect your skin from pollution and UVA radiation. Include these foods in your diet that are chock full of antioxidants perfect to help your skin battle free radicals.: Citrus fruits, cacao, blueberries (organic-non organic are loaded with pesticides), prunes, leafy green vegetables like kale or spinach. And, drink your white tea and green tea.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids. Those of you who worked with me on your skin care regimens know that I'm big on Omega-3 fatty Acids for radiant skin. By helping to maintain healthy cell membranes they battle pre-mature aging by keeping your cells hydrated and free of toxins. Some best food sources are wild salmon just watch the bones), chia and flax seed, walnuts and sardines.

Liquids. Although almost all fitness lovers realize they need plenty of hydration, I'm often surprised at many athletic persons who don't consume enough fluid. Thirsty? if so, it means your skin is also. "Juicy" fruits and vegetables are great for hydration and pack vitamins for healthy skin. Include watermelons, strawberries, apples and cantaloupe in your diet. And, obviously, drink plenty of filtered or spring water.

Next time you indulge in these foods remember you are not only doing your body good, but your skin will show it too!

Sandy Alcide

Misinformed information about athletic skin care

It astonishes me how many persons are misinformed about proper skin care products for fitness/athletic lifestyles.

As I read forums, Yahoo Answers and even creditable magazines, I am amazed at the product recommendations made. Some of these are innocent opinions of people, who are entitled to share their opinion, but usually add that the product is okay, or are not that happy with their skin. Some are even doctors, who don't lead athletic lifestyles.

Most persons are just down right confused about what is the best cleanser for after a workout or before a workout. A moisturizer for an athletic lifestyle. When one works up a sweat via a raised heart rate from a 3-4 mile run or one hour of weight lifting, those oil producing sebacious glands are in over drive.

The avid exerciser also produces more dead skin cells which is akin to saran wrap, a translucent coating on the skin invisible by human eye, not removed correctly and frequently can lead to skin dullness, acne and dryness. Exfoliate? Sure, it was suggested an apricot scrub is great. Apricot seeds are known to abrade delicate skin tissue, even when not used frequently. But, hey, its only about 6 bucks for a big jar of it. Invest in your skin. Its the most visible and largest organ of your body.

Let me start with cleansers. A staple to a sweaty post workout cleanse. Most of the suggested cleansers for after a workout are mass produced brands that any person can use, including sedentary lifestyles. Currently, I noticed a drug store brand that simply added the word "sport" after the word cleanser. It lists a brief amount of ingredients, mostly synthetic and chemicals with parabens. None of these ingredients work as astringents to kill off the bacteria found in sweat thus leading to acne or any natural emollients to keep adequate moisture levels in the skin from excessive water loss from sweating and sodium, which can be drying to the skin.

But, the general consumer will purchase the product because its only five or eight bucks and the packaging and graphics are appealing to the eye. In the long run, its expensive to buy cheap.

Most of these cleansers contain a higher amount of water than active ingredients so the supply lasts a very little time, before you know it, you are running back to the drug store to buy more. Also, although they make strong claims as "deep pore cleansing" and "keeps your skin worry free from working out", the formula of ingredients don't come even close to achieving these claims.

Then we have the brands the department stores carry. You see, there is no such thing as "department store brands". Another misleading statement to the consumer who thinks if they are purchasing skin care products at a fancy department store with a high price tag they are doing their athletic skin a good thing. Not so.

These brands rent space from the department store. And they pay big bucks to do so, which in the end the consumer actually pays for and for the fancy corrugated packaging and sophisticated glass jars and bottles. Ask the person behind the counter what she/he would recommend for acne induced by exercise, and for certain, they will recommend a general cleanser for acne; period. And a moisturizer for oily skin. Sorry, won't do the job. They may even tell you how great it cleared up their skin when they don't break a sweat from exercise 4-5 times a week.

Maybe I'm too honest, which is why I will never be a millionaire. And that's okay with me. Because ethics and a great conscious is priceless.

With a fitness lifestyle, do you have special skin care needs? Yes. You also need to think of your skin care "regimen" as importantly as you do your workout regimen.

http://www.motionmedica.com/main/articles.aspx

After reading my articles, I'd love to hear your opinion about products for the fitness lifestyle. And when someone recommends a cleanser for after a workout or body creme after showering up to 3 times a day-do your homework.

Use a skin care line specially formulated for the athletic one and you'll experience and learn the difference. Stick with an easy skin care regimen too. But, easy does not mean just wiping sweat off your face with a towelette. Another "worst" thing one can do to their skin after a workout.