This is what happens when you wear makeup to the gym — and it’s not pretty

When you’re in a hurry to get your gym session out of the way, you may have been guilty once or twice of working out with your makeup still on your face. You either forget to wash off your BB cream and blush, or you’re just in so much of a rush that you don’t feel like wasting anymore time. If this sounds like more of a habit than an infrequent occurrence, it’s time to rethink your gym routine.

Heidi Waldorf, M.D., a New York based dermatologist, tells InStyle that sweat and makeup don’t make a very good match, and the results could cause your skin to do yucky things.

“Makeup can cause inflammation and clog the pores. During a workout, you sweat and wipe away that sweat. Even non comedogenic makeup will ‘float’ and move toward the pores, which will aggravate acne,” she says.

You may not think of it when you’re on the treadmill, but that sweat forming on your forehead could make you break out in the next few days, even if you’re using makeup that claims to be gym-friendly. The most obvious solution is to wash your face before you change into your shorts and running shoes. Dr. Waldorf understands that sometimes life gets in the way, though.

"If you can't wash before working out, or if you feel self-conscious, be sure to wipe it off very well afterward. You want your skin to feel soft and supple immediately after, then follow with your moisturizer and sunscreen as you normally would."

Think of this being just as important as you washing your face before you go to bed. You don’t want that stuff sitting on your face for eight hours straight, just like you don’t want your pores soaking up a sweaty version of your foundation at the end of a long day.