Running beauty: a third of young girls believe it's unacceptable to be hot and sweaty

According to a recent study, one third of young girls in the UK believe it's unacceptable to get hot and sweaty. From what I've read the study is not hugely in depth but I think we can assume that these young girls are worried about looking unattractive when they're working out. No, running is not always the most glamorous of sports and I don't look like Heidi Klum when I run, but that's not a reason not to do it. 

I'm sharing my beauty tips and tricks in this post, but when it comes down to it, really I feel my most attractive when I'm running or have just been for a run. Aside from the healthy glow you get from a good work out, there's nothing like feeling in tune with your own strong body to make you feel confident and alive. 

To anyone unconvinced that being hot and sweaty is unacceptable I ask you to look at these natural beauties who kick ass in sport. 

For the average runner, I think this picture says it all when it comes to runners 'beauty'. Yes, I know it's gross, but just be thankful I didn't share a picture of the top of that toe. That's truly a fright. 

'Hidden' black toe 

I hate going for pedicures because I don't think anyone else should ever have to touch my feet. On the other hand, I live in a place where flip flops are the default shoe option so my feet need to be presentable. This is my attempt to hide the dreaded black toe nail... 

I'm not one for glossy magazines, fashion, facials and being a girly girl but at the same time I prefer not to look like a total fright. When you're working out 6-7 days a week sometimes that can be challenging. 

In the main, I like to use organic, all natural, vegan products but I do bend on occasion if I feel like a product is worth it. Here are my product tips for minimising your impact on the planet and counteracting the hours of being a sweaty mess. 


Deodorant

Deodorant has got to be the most important beauty purchase so let's start with that. I use Crystal. It works and it isn't full of aluminium, doesn't clog pores and so on. 

Hair 

I'm lucky, if I leave my hair alone, don't wash it, brush it or blow dry it, it falls straight and neatly. However, I run early in the morning, it gets gross and needs attention to make it not look terrible which means it ends up looking just shy of terrible rather than nice. There are a few things that, when I can be bothered with them really help though. 

Number one trick though, don't wash too often, just rinse. 

This stuff is the bomb. 

It's super cheap, all natural and doesn't leave any residue or nasties in your hair. To date, I've only seen it on sale in Australia so I stock pile whenever I'm over there. It's great. 

Dry shampoo is also a life saver. This isn't so natural but it's great - it's part shampoo, part volumizer so it counteracts the 'hat hair' look that your running cap can give you. 

Feet

Please don't judge the product on how badly I paint my own toenails. It's not the nail polish, it's all me. 

Butter London make great nail varnishes with significantly less scary chemicals. You can tell the difference as soon as you open the bottle. No scary smell. I generally find that most nail polish can't handle the amount of miles I run but this definitely 'goes the distance', if you'll excuse the pun. The nail foundation base coat is brilliant. You can wear it on its own to just make your toe nails look clean and nice. I prefer darker colours though to hide the scary black toenail I have. 

For keeping your feet soft I go for Badger Balm. Don't worry, it's not made of Badgers. Vegetarian, remember. It's got peppermint and Tea Tree so it's very cooling and refreshing on tired feet. It's also organic and doesn't cost too much. 

Skin 

Top tip. Wear a hat. No one wants sun burn or the damaging effects of sun on your skin in the longer term. Apparently have higher risk of developing skin cancer so, wear a hat and wear sunscreen.

I don't usually like Clinique products as I think they're too full of chemicals, but I converted for the Even Better Even Better City Block. 

It's SPF 40 and it helps with pigmentation which is a bit of a problem for me. It's also 'anti pollution'. I have no idea what that really means - something about antioxidants maybe - but since I run on busy roads  lot, I'll take all the help I can get. The only downside is that it's got a bit of colour in. 

I don't really suffer from runners acne although I know that can be a problem for people. Running in hot weather with sunscreen can block your pores and black heads can become an issue. There are thousands of products that claim to deal with this but the only think that seems to work for me is a little bit of baking soda mixed with apple cider vinegar to make a paste. Use it as a scrub and rinse thoroughly. 

Apple Cider Vinegar is a natural astringent so it really cleans the pores and baking soda is apparently used a lot in microdermabraison. 

This is by no means a full list of options available but they are definitely my must haves.