Study finds working out while wearing makeup can negatively impact your skin

• Published date: 08 March 2024
• Author: JUDY SIEGEL-ITZKOVICH
• Publication title: Jerusalem Post, The: Web Edition Articles (Israel)

However, new research in South Korea reveals the effects of wearing cosmetic foundation during aerobic exercise has a harmful effect on the skin and its pores. The study included 43 healthy college students (20 males and 23 females)

Foundation cream was applied to participants on half of the face in two different areas – the forehead and the upper cheek, while the other half of the face served as control.

The issue with working out wearing makeup

Skin is the largest organ in the human body and serves as a protector and barrier of entry for environmental microbes.

The preservation and improvement of skin health to minimize the harmful impact of microbes is an emerging field of study. "A healthy skin profile can be defined by its moisture and sebum [oil] level, elasticity, number of pores, and sebum distribution" they wrote.

"Inadequate moisture and oil can negatively impact skin health leading to acne. Moreover, excessively large pores and sebum can negatively impact skin health, if unaddressed. Subcutaneous skin problems may manifest on the epidermis of the skin as acne, blackheads, white heads, pimples, papules, pustules, and cyst or nodules." Moisture increased after exercise in both the non-makeup and makeup zones but there was a greater increase in moisture in the makeup zones.

This may be a result of makeup preventing moisture from evaporating from the skin.

The elasticity of the skin increased after exercise, but to a greater extent in the makeup zones than in non-makeup zones.

The size of pores increased in skin without makeup after exercise but not significantly in skin with makeup, apparently indicating that wearing makeup blocks pores.

Oil levels increased in the non-makeup zones and decreased in the makeup zones, suggesting that it may be difficult to maintain proper oil levels on the skin when wearing makeup.

"For skin health, it's best to exercise with your makeup removed," said corresponding author Dr. Dongsun Park of the biomedical engineering department of the Korea National University of Education. He and the team have just published their study in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology (the official journal of the International...