‘Take care of your body’, a very wise woman once said, ‘because it’s the only place you have to live’. And by that impetus, we should all be treating our bodies like the wonderful blessings that they are. Whether you’re a hardcore marathoner or a calm and serene yogi, if you exercise once a week for the social benefits or if you run to work every day to liven up that commute, we all know that caring for your body continues long after you’ve peeled off your lightning bolt-print leggings.

Enter Activbod; a unique range of ungendered skin care products to hit the market which both prepare you for your workout and aid in optimal recovery afterwards so you can jump right back into your many roles in other areas of life! At Hip & Healthy we’re all about natural, ethical products, and this extends to what we put on our skin as much as what we put into our bodies, which is why we’re super excited that there’s now a range of products available in the mainstream that isn’t full of nasties.

Designed to promote the multitudinous benefits of exercise whilst easing the effects of its physical stress on the skin, Activbod works to optimally care for your skin and ensures your dedication to the healthy life will be fluster free. Each product is 100% vegan and packaged in lightweight, flip-top tubes so there are no worries with chucking them into your gym tote as you rush out of the door.

The Activbod team is comprised of a medley of sports men and women who strive to inspire active lifestyles – and their knowledge of health and fitness and their passion for the fit-life is evident in their products. A quick visit to the website confirms that these guys know their stuff – so we’re happy to put our bodies in their hands. Figuratively, of course…

Featuring of an elite team of products, Activbod allows you to implement a full regime of pre- and post-training skin care. One product which is sure to become a staple in our post-workout routine is the Cooling Finish Lotion. This gel-like, anti-inflammatory moisturiser eases the stresses caused to muscles during exercise and repairs dry skin with super-ingredients menthol and vitamin E. The gel has a cooling effect which feels oh-so-good on tired muscles and is a refreshing solution to the stickiness of applying everyday moisturiser post-workout when you’re still warm.

The Cooling Finish Lotion has proven itself particularly valuable when applied to pulse points after lunchtime sessions to avoid the most notable external effects of that intense Barrecore class when returning to the office. Now you can get back to your desk basking in that endorphin high, smelling gorgeous and without the sweat-induced rosy cheeks.

So there’s really no excuse not to be out there running, swimming, bootcamp-ing, and hiking in the elements this winter when you have a warm shower and a tube of Cooling Finish Lotion waiting to reward you when you return!

The range also includes a nifty balm stick to instigate alertness before your workout – particularly valuable to the often bleary-eyed, pre-work exerciser. Now that’s a fun way to get your game face on.

And our most favourite thing about Activbod? Inspired by the boom in exercise that arose from the London 2012 Olympics, the company teamed up with Women’s Sport Trust and 10% of all sales goes directly to the charity. This partnership is a winning formula for championing female athletes and inspiring fitness in the wider female population.

Investing in your skin and supporting female sports has never left us feeling so refreshed and squeaky clean!

Buy from Boots Nationwide and Boots.com

words by Rachel Bednarski