How is your towel sabotaging your skin?

Our skincare routines change with the seasons, when skin conditions arise (hello, face mask acne) or when something exciting new happens. korean beauty launch. One thing that remains constant is that we always use a towel after cleaning. But what if that towel turns out to be bad for our skin?

Washcloths are often criticized by skincare professionals as they trap dirt and bacteria that can be transferred to the skin. Now some beauty gurus are eliminating towels in the name of better skin.

As with most beauty trends these days, the towelless method hails from Korea, where it’s common for women not to dry their faces with a towel. Christine Chang, co-founder of Korean beauty site Glow Recipeexplains that this is one of her mother’s core beauty philosophies.

“I still remember him standing by the sink, his face fresh from a shower. double clean up. She would use her fingertips to expel and absorb moisture until her skin remained slightly damp. She would then move on to her skincare routine, stroking each step carefully and gently.”

The biggest benefit to throwing in the towel is that it’s kinder to your skin. Rubbing, pulling, and friction can irritate freshly cleansed faces. Jessica Jeong, marketing and PR manager ladypoints out that towels, like almost any surface we come in contact with, can collect bacteria that can be redistributed as they dry the skin. This can cause breakage and irritation. Even the towels we thought were clean may not be clean. Chang points out that a towel hanging within a 6 to 20-foot radius of the toilet can infect it with bacteria. ew.

from Rachel Winard soapwalla, Jeong and Chang recommend leaving towels down. Instead of letting your face dry, they suggest using your hands to “dry” your skin. Chang recommends stroking your skin gently until it’s moist, making sure to touch your neck as well. Those worried about dripping can do the routine of leaning over the sink. It only takes a few minutes to do this, so it doesn’t take much effort.

Another reason to get rid of the towel is that drying your face can help boost your skincare regimen. According to Winard, a slightly moist face is the perfect canvas for beauty products because moist skin absorbs moisture better. For those who aren’t ready to throw away their towels, Winard recommends that you dry your face with just a soft 100 percent cotton towel. Then try using the towel slowly less and see if it makes a difference to your complexion.