Fashion

Tried & Tested: Gym bag beauty essentials

Post-workout products to make you look as good as you feel after your gym session

Korres Milk Proteins Cleansing & Make-Up Remover Wipes (€9.33, asos.com); Clinique’s Moisture Surge CC Cream (€35 Boots); Redken’s Cleansing Cream Clarifying shampoo (€21.00, strawberrynet.com)

Dominique McMullan
Mon Jan 30 2017 - 06:00

I don't like to put on a full face of make-up straight after a workout, but I certainly need something to camouflage the redness. Designed as a skincare product first and foremost, Clinique's Moisture Surge CC Cream (€35 Boots) colour corrects redness, feels light on the skin and has an SPF of 30.

Occasionally I become inspired to swim, but find that after only three or four sessions my hair gets heavy with build up from the pool. Clarifying shampoo, like Redken's Cleansing Cream (€21.00, strawberrynet.com), cleanses the hair and helps to remove copper, iron and hard water minerals.

It’s also great if you use a lot of dry shampoo. It can be drying though, so alternate with your regular shampoo.

Epsom Salt Bath Soak (€9.99, Holland & Barrett); Kiehl’s Creme de Corps (€10.00 for 75ml, Arnotts); Organic Lavender Hand Sanitising Spray from Dr Bronner (drbronner.ie, €5.40)

Kills germs

Not to be a germaphobe – I'll leave that to Trump – but if you are using lots of different machines, or lifting lots of weights, a hand sanitiser might be a good call. This Organic Lavender Hand Sanitising Spray from Dr Bronner (drbronner.ie, €5.40) has none of the nasty chemicals you find in conventional sanitisers and kills germs naturally.

READ MORE

Your skin needs to breathe just like you do, that’s why it’s so important to take your make-up off before you work out, and to give your face a clean once you’re finished too. Rather than having to go through my whole night-time cleansing routine in the gym – I use natural face wipes.

Soothe skin

Obviously avoid the chemical- and alcohol-laden wipes of old and instead try a version like Korres Milk Proteins Cleansing & Make-Up Remover Wipes (€9.33, asos.com). The aloe and B5 in these will soothe skin that's feeling a bit red too.

Kiehl's Creme de Corps (€10.00 for 75ml, Arnotts) is a rich, hydrating but non-greasy moisturiser that absorbs quickly and treats even the flakiest of wintertime legs.

Dominique Loves...

Magnesium, which is found in Epsom salts, reduces inflammation, helps muscle function and flushes toxins from the body. It also helps produce serotonin, a mood-elevating chemical that creates a feeling of calm and relaxation.

When dissolved in warm water, Epsom Salt Bath Soak (€9.99, Holland & Barrett) is absorbed through the skin. All the more excuse for a long soak.