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So I've managed to put off my New Year's resolutions for a few months now (heh) and finally, now that it's May, I ran out of excuses, and reluctantly started going to the gym again. I can't honestly say that the ill effects of sweaty pores was in my top five list of reasons why I couldn't make it over there, but now, as I scramble for one last "I'd like to go to the gym, but..." this one rears its ugly head. I have noticed, though, that one must follow some general skin rules for the gym, and I'd like to share them here.

1. Start off right. To the people out there who insist on wearing makeup to the gym, stop it now! This is a terrible strategy if you want to prevent breakouts. Besides, nothing looks more pathetic than the chick on the treadmill with mascara running down her cheeks. Yikes. Even if you're self-conscious regarding being "nude" in public, remember this: everybody looks kinda crappy at the gym. But once your blood starts pumping, even ruddy complexions usually look much better, kind of like that whole sex afterglow moment. So don't worry about it. Before you go to the gym, wash your face with a basic cleanser like Cetaphil to make sure there's no excess sebum or makeup on the surface of your skin.

2. Mattifier is useless: you can use sebum absorbers for an especially hot day walking around the city or going to an outdoor concert, but if you're sweating as much as you probably should be during a workout, all this product will do is at worst, help clog your pores and at the very least, drip down your face (a wasted application) and probably burn your eyes.

3. Ditto on eye cream: it's no fun getting your groove on and suddenly have to interrupt your cross-country routine due to temporary product blindness. Opt for lip balm instead. Much safer!

4. Throw cleansing wipes in your gym bag: for the truly paranoid, pick up a great pack of wipes, like the perfect for this situation Body Shop Tea Tree Oil Daily Cleansing Wipes. Actually, with summer coming up, you'll want to buy these anyway for hot day wipe downs. After you've cooled down, give your face a nice once over to prevent all that excess sweat from hardening in your pores, which will result in breakouts later.

5. Shower right: don't waste time getting around to rinsing off. Again, the key is to get rid of all that excess perspiration before it makes a cozy new home deep in your pores. Not only should you give your face one more round with the Cetaphil, you should wash off with a body cleanser formulated with salicylic like Neutrogena Body Clear Body Wash. After, tone your skin with something like Clinique Acne Solutions Clarifying Lotion, skip the body lotion, and apply a mild sal acid or benzoyl peroxide-infused moisturizer to your face.