Active beauty essentials: what you need to look great after working up a sweat, indoors or out

Shape, Feb, 2005 by Heidi Schiller

You may already have the right gear for your favorite sport, but do you have the right beauty essentials to keep you looking great too? "Probably not," says Gretchen Monahan, owner of the Grettacole Salon and Spas in the Boston area. "I see a lot of clients with exercise-related beauty problems who haven't taken the time to stock their gym bag or medicine cabinet with the right products. You have to choose your beauty regimen in the same way you would your workout clothes." So whether you're a skier or a yogini, here are the essentials you need to prevent or relieve sport-induced skin and hair problems.

* If you're a ... skier or snowboarder

Focus on: preventing chapped skin

Exercise essentials There's no doubt that cold weather and harsh winds can rob the skin of essential moisture (see Beauty Rx, page 84), which is why daily hydration is so important. "Extremely dry, irritated skin can crop up quite fast, so keep a heavy-duty moisturizing cream on hand to handle those problematic areas whenever necessary," says Tennessee Callie, R.N., a skin practitioner at New York City's Skinklinic dermatology center. Best bet: B. Kamins Chemist Maple Treatment Cream SPF 15 ($95; bkamins.com), a superhydrating cream made from the sap of Canadian maple trees.

The sun's ultraviolet (UV) radiation is another winter woe. "Skiers and snow-boarders don't realize how strong the sun is at high altitudes," says cosmetic dermatologist Adam Bodian, M.D., of Bodian Dermatology and Medical Day Spa in Great Neck, N.Y. "Sun also reflects off the snow, causing almost as much damage as if you were facing it head-on." A broad-spectrum sunscreen (one that protects against UVA and UVB rays) with SPF 30 or higher is a must; it can also protect against windburn. (We like Kiehl's All-Sport "Non-Freeze" Face Protector SPF 30, $15.50; kiehls.com; and MD Skincare Water Resistant Sunscreen SPF 30, $30; mdskincare.com.) And, since lips burn easily, wear a lip balm with an SPF of 30. Try Natural Ice Sport Medicated Lip Protectant SPF 30 ($1.49; drugstore.com).

* If you're a ... swimmer

Focus on: keeping hair and skin hydrated

Exercise essentials Frequent exposure to salt water or chlorine can strip skin of its natural moisture and leave strands dry and brittle. Chlorinated water also can give light-colored hair an unsightly green hue.

For skin: Shower, then massage in a small amount of Vaseline Petroleum Jelly ($4) or Aquaphor Healing Ointment ($6; both at drugstores) from the neck down on wet skin. Finish by patting dry with a towel. London-based Noella Gabriel, director of Treatment and Product Development for the spa skin-care line Elemis, also suggests rehydrating your skin with alcohol-free mists. Try Elemis Cooling Mint Mist with peppermint essential oil ($31; timetospa.com), Aloette Aloepure Nutri-Hydrating Mist with aloe vera ($18.75; aloettecosmetics.com) or Cellex-C Betaplex Fresh Complexion Mist with glycerin and exfoliating hydroxy acids ($29; cellex-c.com).

For hair: Nathaniel Hawkins, a New York City hairstylist, recommends wearing a silicone swim cap over hair that's been covered with a water-repelling barrier like Alberto VO5 Hot Oil Pre-Shampoo Intensive Treatment ($3.49; at drugstores). Or try Paul Labrecque Silk Protein leave-in conditioning spray ($18; paullabrecque.com). "The oil or wax acts as an extra buffer to protect hair," he adds.

If you don't wear a cap when you swim, you'll need to immediately shower the chlorine or salt water out of your hair and suds up with a clarifying shampoo to help remove the buildup. Try Clairol Herbal Essences Clarifying Shampoo ($3.69; at drugstores) or Frederic Fekkai Apple Cider Clarifying Shampoo ($18.50; sephora.com). A regular deep conditioning treatment can also help rehydrate dry hair. We like Bumble and bumble Deeep Treatment with hydrolyzed silk protein and panthenol ($23; bumbleandbumble.com for salon locations).

* If you're a ... runner

Focus on: keeping feet healthy and preventing chafing

Exercise essentials Logging a lot of miles can give your feet a beating, but daily care will keep them in fine form: Stash a tube of exfoliating moisturizer (one with skin-sloughing alpha- or beta-hydroxy acids) in your locker or gym bag and massage sore feet to help exfoliate dry skin. Editor's picks: Babor Body Thermal Line Anti-Callous Cream with mineral oil and algae ($16; babor.com) and Propoline Pedi Care Cream with olive oil and alpha-hydroxy acids ($12; beautyhabit.com). Monthly professional pedicures are also recommended: "A lot of our clients are Boston Marathoners who come to us for a proper pedicure," Monahan says. "That means we buff but don't cut their calluses, which build up as a protective layer on areas where there is prolonged pressure."

Any runner who has experienced runner's rash or runner's nipple, which occurs where skin rubs against fabric over long distances, never wants to repeat the misery. To prevent it, wear clothing made of moisture-wicking fabric like Dri-Fit or CoolMax. "A layer of Vaseline or zinc oxide paste (available at drugstores) will also provide a barrier between your clothes and sensitive spots like nipples and underarms," Bodian explains. Also try Indigo Wild's Zip's Nip Stick ($9.50; zipsnaturalsport.com) with beeswax and shea butter. An antiperspirant with moisturizing ingredients, such as Secret Platinum & Olay Conditioners ($2.79; at drugstores), can help to keep your underarms dry--and therefore less likely to chafe.