Six simple skincare tips for sporty girls - by Sarah Greenaway - Co-founder & Managing Director - Lava Tribe.
Few young girls will avoid the breakouts, clogged pores, and oiliness that come with the adolescence.... in fact, it’s estimated that between the ages of 11 and 30, 80% of people suffer from some form of prolonged breakout or acne.
Sporty young, tween and teen girls can find their training and competing regime leads to skin problems that can be conquered with these 6 Simple Skincare Steps for Sporty Girls.
They’re designed to keep her complexion hydrated and spot free without stripping her natural oils or compromising her delicate skin.
1. Scrub Up
Hand washing is one of the best ways to stop the spread of germs – we’ve heard that quite a lot recently, right? When she plays sport or takes part in a sporting activity, she’ll touch bats, balls, mats, racquets, weights and all sorts of other bits and pieces that everyone else is touching, too.
Scrubbing her hands with soap before, after and during her session will prevent her from spreading the dirt and bacteria she touches her face and body.
It’s a good idea for her to wash her face as well, ideally with a cleanser. Our go-to is IKO Balancing Face Wash. It’s a gentle, non-stripping formula that removes impurities so they can’t clog up her pores when she’s sweating for her goals!
2. Messy Hair, You Need to Care
Making sure her hair is out of her face and in a style that’s comfortable will prevent her from touching it and, again, transferring dirt and germs.
The hairline is already a part of the face that can be prone to build up because of hair product, hair bands and natural oils, so touching the area can often be a pimple super spreader.
Try our ponytail cap to keep her hair up. It has a split at the back so she can feed her ponytail through and wear it high. Be sure to keep it clean though. Hats and caps are another germ super-spreader if they get too dirty.
A light scrub with soapy water and disinfectant does the trick.
3. Power Shower
Brushing against competitors and sports equipment, wearing tight clothing and leaving sweat on your skin to lock in bacteria can cause breakouts or worse, full-blown acne.
Some sports come with more acne hazards than others, too. Swimmers, for example, often find that the chlorine-treated water causes excessive oil production and pore-clogging and wearing helmets for sport can cause forehead breakouts.
To keep her skin clear and spot-free, jumping into a shower as soon as possible after a sweat session is a wise move. We recommend using IKO Collective’s Blossom Body Wash, It’s tough enough to remove dirt, bacteria, sweat and sunscreen without stripping delicate adolescent skin of its own protective oils.
The perfect way to finish off her post-training freshen up is with IKO Collective's Calming Face Cream. It’ll rehydrate and nourish her skin, and soothe any skin stress caused by the day’s activities.
4. Stay Hydrated and Eat Well
Making good food choices can be tricky when she has a busy training schedule and it’s pretty much always a challenge to get young people to drink enough water. It’s a fact though. Clear, glowing skin needs to be maintained with a good diet and lots of water.
Beauty columnist, Minal Khona, offers this sound advice:
“Take charge of your body at an early age. Your skin’s health is directly dependent on your body’s overall health. Exercise, meditate, eat healthy and have plenty of water. Take a break from your schedule if it’s getting stressful. Avoid fad diets and skincare trends”.
Eating fast, junky food and skimping on the water is a one-way ticket to a dull complexion (not to mention low mood and energy). She’ll love the skin she lives in when she drinks more water and nourishes herself.
5. Think Wicking
When she wears sports apparel that uses sweat wicking, she’ll sweat less when she works hard.
Not only will this mean she’ll become less dehydrated, she’ll also feel more comfortable (not bogged down by wet gear) and because the wicking brings sweat to the surface, it helps it evaporate off the body more quickly.
Every piece in our range, from crops to shorts to leggings, feature sweat wicking. It’s part of our mission to make our range won’t-know-she’s-wearing-it level comfortable.
Side note here, just because she’ll sweat less doesn’t mean she can skip her post-training shower. Sweat remains and it needs to say hello to the drain.
6. Be Sun Sensible
Wearing sunscreen is a non-negotiable. Sunscreen protects her skin from the sun’s damaging rays (and the skin cancer it can result in) and it can play a key role in preventing blemishes that are sometimes caused by sunburn.
This is critical for girls who do outdoor sports and even more critical for girls who do outdoor sports where the sun reflects off a surface like water, snow, sand, etc.
When over-exposure to the sun dries skin out, the sebaceous glands go into overdrive and produce excess sebum, which is the launching pad of a pimple party.
Wrap Up
Developing a skincare and hygiene routine early in life helps her learn the value of self-care and embeds healthy practices in the lifestyle. For sporty girls, there is the added benefit of keeping her skin clear and her confidence in tact.
We know that girls drop out of sport at a much higher rate than boys do and it’s often because of body image issues. They feel like all eyes are on them and often the way they deal with it is to hide (or for young female athletes that could be skipping training or dropping out of their sport all together).
That’s not to say that girls drop out of sport because of skin problems, it’s often an accumulation of issues; but they all come down one thing – navigating changing bodies.
A simple skincare routine that keeps her skin clear and her complexion glowing could be a valuable tool in the toolbox to keep her confidence up at a time when she needs it most.
About Lava Tribe
Lava Tribe activewear is the result of years of research and development they have dedicated to creating a range of sportswear and activewear that tween and teen athletes and sporty girl superstars love.