6 Things You’d Want to Think Carefully About If You Dry Your Face With a Towel

Towels are widely used around the world and they are a staple in every household. Most people tend to separate their face towel from their body towel for sanitary reasons. But the question of whether we should use a face towel at all pops up. There are quite a few drawbacks to drying the face with a towel you might want to take into consideration.

1. It may give you acne.

Drying your face with the same towel you use to dry your body could be damaging your skin more than you think. Towels are great bacteria traps, and because we usually store them in the bathroom, where the air is damp, it creates the perfect environment for bacteria to grow.

When you rub the towel on your face, you’re moving all these bacteria directly onto your skin, which can eventually lead to breakouts and clogged pores. Even if you’re using a separate towel for your face than the one you use to dry your body, you likely aren’t washing it daily, and unwanted bacteria can still make their way to your skin.

2. It might cause your skin to break out.

You may be strictly following your skincare routine and using all the right products that should be working for your skin type, but if you keep waking up with annoying pimples on your face, the reason might be your less-than-fresh towel. Oil, dirt, and dead skin cells remain on your towel, and because it remains damp for hours, it creates a perfect breeding ground for bacteria. If you don’t wash your towel regularly, its fibers become filled with bacteria that later get transferred to your face.

3. Your skin may age more quickly.

Terry cloth bath towels are too rough on your face, and using them can create tiny tears in your skin, making it vulnerable to infections and wrinkles. The more you wash the towels, the more brittle the fabric becomes, and the friction they create acts as an exfoliant that can be too much for your skin.

4. It may irritate your skin.

Using a dirty towel may not only sabotage your beauty routine meant to enhance your appearance but also cause your skin to become more sensitive. When you keep reusing old towels, they become contaminated with viruses and fungi and can spread infections. If these germs get onto your skin, it can become reddish and irritated.

5. It decreases the efficacy of skincare products.

Although drying your face after washing it seems like a natural thing to do, in reality, it won’t allow your skin to get the most out of the products you’re applying to it. Your moisturizer will better penetrate the skin before all the water evaporates from its surface. Skipping towel drying will allow your skincare products to lock in the moisture your skin needs to look youthful and glowing.

6. It may worsen existing skin conditions.

While reusing dirty towels can make even normal skin more sensitive and irritated, not washing them regularly might be particularly harmful if your skin is already dry and delicate. If your skin is prone to acne or you have certain skin conditions, such as eczema, it means that your skin barrier isn’t as strong as it should be, and using a dirty towel can lead to clogged pores and make flare-ups even more visible.

Bonus: How to dry you face without a towel.

Instead of patting your face dry with a towel, let the air do its job. Air-drying is more hygienic and gentle on your skin, and although it requires more time than wiping your face with a towel, your skin will thank you for it.

• Wash your face as usual.
• Let your skin dry naturally.
• Apply your favorite moisturizer.