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Are You Drying Your Face with the Right Kind of Towel?

A woman drying her face with a towel.
Adam Radosavljevic/Shutterstock

When it comes to skin care, a good cleanser, moisturizer, and SPF will have you covered. But there’s one detail that you’re probably overlooking: Is that towel you’re using made of cotton?

Howard Sobel, the founder of Sobel Skin and an attending dermatologist at Lenox Hill Hospital, recommends using only cotton or cotton blend towels and washcloths on your face. This is because they not only dry more quickly, but they can also do a bit of exfoliating while you dry your face.

When it comes to your body, Sobel recommends Turkish cotton, as it’s softer and more absorbent.

Evidently, you should also keep track of how often you use the same towel on your face. Sobel told Apartment Therapy that you should retire a towel after every other use at most, and to never use the same towel more than twice on your face.

“When bath towels are too old, they are no longer as efficient,” Sobel said. “They will not dry you properly and may collect germs and bacteria [over time]. That’s also why you should replace your towels every other year.”

Who knew? If you need to revitalize the rest of your skin care routine, the first step is to find out what would work best for your skin type.

[Via Apartment Therapy]

Shea Simmons Shea Simmons
Shea Simmons is the Editor In Chief of LifeSavvy. Previously, she worked as a freelance writer with a focus on beauty and lifestyle content. Her work has appeared in Bustle, Allure, and Hello Giggles. Read Full Bio »
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