Is It Better to Shave Your Face Before or After a Workout? ⋆ Next Door Fitness

Working out, or doing some form of exercise, massively benefits your overall health. What you may not know, is that it can also benefit your skin. Studies show that performing exercises increases oxygenated blood flow to the skin, which is the body’s largest organ. Not only that, it also allows for better excretion of body wastes and better regulation of cortisol1.

On the other hand, an improper post-workout skincare routine can actually damage or make your skin worse, causing conditions such as acne or psoriasis. After all, skincare is for all, and dermatological problems can affect any gym-goer. In this article, discover whether or not it’s better to shave before or after a workout, and other male grooming tips.

Is it better to shave before or after a workout?

The short answer is yes, it’s much better to shave after a workout. This is because during the workout you are prone to sweat, and after a shave, your skin will already be sensitive due to contact on your face from the shaving blades, and as a result, could irritate your skin even further.

Ideally, a shave should end with cold water to seal your pores, and potentially some moisturising balm for rehydration. Going through a workout that makes you sweaty undermines all of that. Therefore, a shave after working out is preferable for the same reasons, seeing as your pores will already be open and the hairs will be softer due to sweat.

Post-workout grooming routine

Now you know that it’s better to shave after a workout, but what does that routine look like? Here’s an example routine to follow when you want to shave after a workout:

First, you’ll need to cool down after the workout by having a shower and using a mild face wash to thoroughly remove any sweat that remains. This reduces the likelihood of cutting yourself when shaving.
After having a shower, find yourself an electric shaver for the best shave possible, apply shaving cream or gel, and wait for 3 minutes before shaving.
To prevent bumps, follow the direction of the hair’s growth.
After the shave, rinse your face with cold water to close your pores and minimise inflammation, and follow up with hydration and moisturising products.

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Final Thoughts

There you go, your questions answered: it’s better to shave after a workout and now you’ve got a general guide for shaving after a workout as well.