This common skincare mistake might be damaging your face

Most people have a skincare routine that they stick to out of habit. But what if their skincare habits are wrong? For instance, how do you dry your freshly-cleansed face? Is it by using the same towel to dry both body and face? Well, it’s something probably everyone has done at some point, if it’s not something they do every day.

But according to Dr Amitabh Kumar, skin specialist, Max Hospital, Delhi, your face towel matters more than you think.

He says you should use a separate towel for your face than the one you use to dry your body after a bath. “Your facial skin is delicate and sensitive, and none of the products you put on your body, such as, moisturisers, fragrances, and hair products should be transferred onto your face,” says Dr Kumar.

If you’re prone to acne and pimples, you might want to get a fresh face towel even more frequently. (Shutterstock)

But he is not the only one advising against this practice. “The bacteria left on your skin — arms, legs, shoulders — have some specificity to those areas of the body, and if you use a towel on your body and then your face, you can transfer those bacteria, viruses and fungi onto your face,” says Dr Sanjay Aggarwal, a general physician at Holistic Healthcare Centre in Delhi. “These can clog pores, increase breakouts and some could even cause irritation or rashes,” he adds.

Dr Kumar says it’s important to not only have a separate towel set aside for drying your face, but to make sure that it stays clean, meaning you should wash it or replace it with a fresh one every couple of days. If you’re prone to acne and pimples, you might want to get a fresh face towel even more frequently. “Aside from regularly changing them, keep your towels bacteria-free by making sure they dry completely between uses,” says Dr Kumar.