Thoughts on makeup at gym?

[flipandtwist]

Recently my gym has banned makeup. If you wear any that is noticeable, you have to condition. I don't wear makeup to gym, but when school comes around I will be wearing it to school, and don't always have time to take it off before practice. Just wondering, what is your opinion on wearing makeup to gym, or makeup being banned at gym?

 

[txgymfan]

Does your gym have adult classes and does this rule apply to them? Since makeup does not effect physical performance I don't see why this rule is necessary. As an adult who looks much better with a little color on my face, I would wear only a little waterproof makeup with lip stain.

However, when you are sweating the look of makeup running down your face is horrible. So some of the girls may have worn too much and had it running down their cheeks.

Finally, as for taking it off, you can buy premoistened makeup remover toweletts that take less than 30 seconds to use and could be done when changing into your leo.

 

[cathiann]

Just curious--what reason do they give for the new rule? If makeup is running into people's eyes when they're sweating, I can see a safety issue, but otherwise I can't see where it's a problem. Coaches--is there something I'm not seeing?

And the premoistened makeup removed towelettes work great! I use them for travel a lot.

 

[Optionals United]

sorry but i think that that rule is rediculous! i can see if it is getting into their eyes, but sweat gets in your eyes all the time also. if you have a locker at gym i would stash some of the towelettes as posted above in it or in your gym bag. that way you can take it off in the car or right when you get to the gym. also it is helpful for those girls who forget to take it off if someone has it on hand.

 

[gymgurl]

I think that make up is an overall bad idea for gym simply because its sport do you really need make up? but i can understand that some people have bad skin and can be pretty self conscious and if they have some waterproof makeup to cover it i don't see a problem. I think discouraging is fine but flat out banning it is tricky

 

[bribri514]

I almost always had make up on at gym, mostly because it's straight from school. Foundation, a little powder, maybe a little blush or foundation, then eyeliner and mascara. Very natural looking. I wore chapstick for school. I think if the make up is natural, not going to sweat off in gobs, and not distracting (tons of bright green eyeshadow or red lipstick for example) it should be okay. But since your coach made the rule... like someone suggested get a pack of the towlettes to take make up off (they're great to have). Before practice just ask your coach, this is what I wear to school, is it acceptable for practice? After all the idea of wearing make up is to make it look like you're not wearing any. They may say yes they just don't want glitter or 10 year olds wearing make up. If not you'll have the wipes. I think it's a silly rule, but coaches are coaches. Good luck!

 

[Mack_the_Ripper]

Maybe some girls were running off to fix their makeup, which is just not something that needs to happen at gym. Also, too much makeup does not make a good impression. One girl today was wearing tons of makeup (foundation, blush, the whole deal on her eyes) and it looked sorta ridiculous. She did it perfectly well and would have been great in a photoshoot, but really it was too much for gym and IMHO would have looked sorta silly at school, too.
I occasionally wear a little eyeshadow to gym or school, but I'm very good with makeup and it's always subtle. Most of the time if I say "D'you like my makeup?" the person will go "You're wearing makeup?".

Oh! Perhaps it's because gym is such a mixed age group environment. If the high schoolers are wearing makeup and the younger kids want to emulate them, parents might be complaining...

 

[gymgal]

I think coaches have too many other things to worry about and have to pick their battles. This would not be one of them unless the girls are being petty about it - fixing makeup in practice, having 10 yr olds wearing it, etc.

 

[flipandtwist]

A few girls had a ton of makeup that they kept running to the bathroom to touch up. They kept telling them not to, but everyday makeup would be running down their face, so they banned it. Most of the older girls wear foundation and concealer, with a little bit of mascara and the coaches don't notice because it doesn't run and looks natural.

 

[CoachGoofy]

Unless kids were running off to fix it, I don't understand. You get a clump of something in your eye once and you learn that maybe extra plumping glitter mascara is a bad call. And then you get the joy of learning something by experiencing it! YAY! (no, really. I way prefer this to telling people. Then they decide to modify what they are doing all of their own accord, YAY).

Going to fix it mid practice is pretty unacceptable, though. I don't know what would make anyone think that was remotely ok.

 

[txgymfan]

If they are running off to fix it then correct the behavior with the standard course of action. Banning it for the team seems to punish everyone for the actions of a few. As a teacher, it can be easy to get stressed and try to fix the "problem".

It seems like the real problem is not the makeup it is running out of the gym at inappropriate times. If these girls are leaving practice then they will figure out another reason to leave practice. Just my 2 cents after years and years of working with kids (and adults).

 

[Deleted member D3987]

for a moment, i thought i was at von maur at the revlon counter...

 

[Aussie_coach]

Why in the world would you need to wear make up to gymnastics? You are working hard and sweating it will run, and clog up your pores. I can't see any reason why you would need to. No kid in our gym ever wears make up and I can't ever remember a kid wearing make up in history. In fact I can't remember ever seeing a kid wear make up to training in my entire life.

So I can see why your gym has banned it, it sounds like kids are more interested in their appearance than in their training.

Also why would you wear make up to school? In Australia, well in my state at least ALL schools have uniforms and make up is not allowed.

It just seems crazy to me that anyone would wear it to gym or school.

 

[Gymdad2]

Isn't it a deduction if the gymnast is wearing makeup during a meet? Maybe that's what the gym is trying to install with this rule.

 

[Optionals United]

^^^ no not unless it is crazy and considered a distraction to the judges.but i dont think i have ever seen a judge take a deduction.

now i can see why your coach banned it. never in a million years would girls on my team be running off to fix their makup. anyone in their right minds would know that that is unacceptable. but why ban it for everyone? she could of made a punishment for those girls if they were caught running off o the bathroom to look at themselves. as another poster said coaches have to pick their battles this one was just dumb. you are a paying customer and if you want to spend your money looking at your makup in the bathroom then so be it. i can understand why it would be frustrating to the coach though. where they actually reapplying makeup? one girl on my team is sort of a fashionista and always has makeup on. it doesnt run and its her choice to wear it and she doesnt have a problem, but these girls have gone to far.

 

[flipandtwist]

They are two girls that are not serious about gymnastics, and they were. I went to get a drink, and they were in the bathroom with their makeup bags putting on eyeliner. Me and the rest of my teammates were completely shocked, and so were our coaches.
Also, makeup is allowed at most of the schools around my area, and for school all I really wear is concealer for that horrid acne, and sometime a little mascara because my lashes are basically stumps. But those two girls were wearing a full face of makeup. ALso, I went out and bought those makeup remover wipes that some of you recommended, and now have one in my gym bag, and one in my locker in case I do need to take it off.
I honestly have no problem with wearing no makeup to gym, because I don't wear it just for the gym, only if I went out somewhere before. I was just wanting your opinions on this.

 

[Optionals United]

^^ thats is rediculous. like i said they are the paying customer and thats how they want to spend their time/money so be it. i just feel bad for your coach who has to deal with that and their parents who are paying a lot of money for them to do gym

 

[gymnastbeth]

Why in the world would you need to wear make up to gymnastics? You are working hard and sweating it will run, and clog up your pores. I can't see any reason why you would need to. No kid in our gym ever wears make up and I can't ever remember a kid wearing make up in history. In fact I can't remember ever seeing a kid wear make up to training in my entire life.

So I can see why your gym has banned it, it sounds like kids are more interested in their appearance than in their training.

Also why would you wear make up to school? In Australia, well in my state at least ALL schools have uniforms and make up is not allowed.

It just seems crazy to me that anyone would wear it to gym or school.

My school has to choose their battles, and makeup really isn't something they care about. I usually wear waterproof concealer and eyeliner to school, and it would be a pain to take it off before gym. Some days I don't wear it, and it doesn't bother me at all. It seems like a silly rule to ban makeup though, because having a little mascara won't have any effect on how someone practices. Some people have low self esteem, makeup actually makes them feel better about themselves. (for better or for worse, that's just how it is.)

Optionals United, I think that the mindset of the gymnast being the customer is not the right way to think about it. They are paying the coaches for the coaches to coach them gymnastics. The coaches aren't getting paid to supervise girls running off to fix their makeup, or do whatever else BESIDES gymnastics. A few parents took that "paying customer" approach to my coaches, the coaches were less than thrilled.

 

[Optionals United]

i know and i said that i feel very sorry for the parents and coaches because that is just unaccebtable! their parents are paying lots of money for them to do gym, and it is very disrespectful to the coach who is trying to help them. i guess i just put it in the wrong words.

 

[itstallgirl]

It sounds crazy but I've had coaches do worse. A track coach (the same old crocethy man who happened to be one of the best sprint coaches in the US lol and who ran part of the junior national team) wouldn't let girls have weave or acrylic nails. I actually watched him snap a girls finger nails off (the fake ones) and cut another girl's weave out. We ran in a rough area and most of the girls came from very impoverished backgrounds and our coach was trying to get them out of their neighbourhoods and into college. His theory was you don't need to succumb to society's standards of beauty you should be a proud woman with what you have naturally. It worked. But it was definitely only affective because of where we ran and the high level we ran at. And we were still allowed to wear make up. But I'm guessing your coach isn't using that as his/her reason, so I say as long as it's not distracting, why not.