If the one thing stopping you hitting the gym before work, or at lunch times, is the threat of a beauty melt-down, think again. Here our bb tips for packing your gym bag right, for all the essentials you need to look perfectly polished and presentable once you've sweated it out... And bb staffer Ali gives them all her tick of approval, having worked as a personal trainer with fitness guru's Tracy Anderson and Gwyneth Paltrow! 

Look after your locks

Before you even think about hitting the treadmill, look after your locks first. If you don't have time to wash your strands and do a full blow-dry post-workout, fear not. A few handy essentials will leave your locks presentable right after the gym - even if it's gotten a little sweaty. First things first. Make sure you tie your locks back of your face with a tie that won't cause kinks and bends in your hair. I am a Twistband devotee, as they not only feel comfy in your locks, but also around your wrists. Available in plenty of fun colour options, as well as trusty black, you need a reserve of these in your gym bag at all times.

Post-workout, simply untie your hair, and start to spray in a whole lot of dry shampoo, right into the roots. Let it sit for around 30 seconds, before rubbing in with your fingertips. Make sure your hands are clean first, otherwise you'll be hindering rather than helping! Even if you are going to keep your hair tied up, I'd recommend unfurling it and running though this quick process to freshen up and add a little body to the roots of your hair that can get lank after getting a little sweaty.

Sort your skin

Right after a work out, be sure to wash with a gentle yet effective cleanser. I love the emerginC Kombucha Cleanser. It's his dual purpose skin care gem allows you to remove makeup, excess oil, sweat and air pollutants from your skin simultaneously. It also contains green tea and aloe to soothe skin - perfect it yours is a little red and hot after your workout!

If you are really time poor, reach for some makeup wipes to freshen up you face. We love the organic Wotnot Facial Wipes here at bb, which can also double up as body wipes if need be. Next, create a smooth and red-free base for your makeup with a calming cream like the Bioderma Atoderm PO Zinc. This rich cream is made to deal with irritation flare ups and reduces the urge to itch and scratch by soothing and calming the flare-up on the spot, so it's perfect for hydrating and helping to calm red, hot skin after a work out. You can even use it all over your body too!

Scent yourself

One of the final beauty steps for a quick transition from the gym to the office is refreshing with a great scent. A new product to the bb store which can certainly help is the MBeze Natural Deodorette. This is probably the cutest deoderant you'll ever use, and also the best smelling (the coconutty KoKo is a top choice). Plus, it's natural, so your pits will love you for using it!

Finally, a spritz of something super refreshing, that screams, "I am a picture of health!" The Little Alchemist Wild Apple & Mint fits the bill. A refreshing spray, that helps skin retain moisture and feel fresh, it also carries a lovely, fresh scent. A gym bag must-have.

Hydrate and curb hunger

The final steps in looking fresh after the gym? Making sure you drink plenty of water and refuel. This month, we are munching on the mini and delish Swisse Recover Protein Bar in Choc Banana Cinnamon.

What are your gym bag essentials? Are the similar to the top bb choices Ali curated? Do you like to work out before work or during your lunch break? Have you been trying to get a little more active this August? - Lauren