Tips and DIY on Skincare, Wellness, Personal Hygiene

From early March of 2020, we have all been trying our best to stay safe from COVID-19. We have started taking healthcare and hygiene much more seriously. From sanitizing our hands almost every hour to sanitizing our workplace every day, hygiene has become our top priority. All for the right reasons too. A global pandemic is not something to be taken lightly.

With that being said, what changes have we made to our daily routine? Let's take showers, for example. It is true that we are taking more showers than usual, but are we doing it the right way? We focus on the cleanliness while showering but give little thought to what we do afterward. Yes, the process in question is the usage of bath towels.

For something that we use everyday, we give very little importance to the quality and cleanliness of our bath towels. Most people don't even know what fabric their towels are made of.

Using a dirty towel after a shower is similar to wearing used sweaty clothes even after bathing. So what are the things we must do to make our shower routine truly hygienic? Let's have a look.

How to choose? 

Always weigh the pros and cons before buying a new towel. As we have now realised that choosing the right towel is very crucial, ask yourself these questions... "What benefits does this fabric have?", "How long will the towel last?", "Is the length good enough?", "Is it safe for my skin?", Is it an antimicrobial towel?"... Choose the one that gives you the most positive answers.

When to wash?

The golden rule is to wash the towel at least once a week. There are a few who recommend twice a week too. If you want to be on the safe side, it is highly recommended to wash the towels after three uses. This ensures that the towels always remain hygienic and free of germs.

How to use it?

Keeping in mind that towels come in contact with moisture and dirt every day, it is best to allow them to dry completely after each use. The amount of time taken for towels to dry depends on the fibre used. A cotton towel takes a different amount of time to dry when compared with a bamboo towel. Keeping the towel dry ensures that the bacterial growth remains at a minimum.

Is sharing a towel bad?

At a time when it is scary even to touch a doorknob that other people have touched, sharing a towel is definitely not preferred. Keep in mind that germs and bacteria transmit faster with contact. It is always advisable to not share your towel.

Benefits of a double-sided towel

Your face is much gentler compared to the rest of your body. For optimum skincare, you should always use a different side for your body & skin. This allows your face to stay protected from acne, allergies, etc.

A final tip before you shop

Now that you have realized how crucial bath towels can be for your skincare, you will want to look for a safer choice. If you are looking for comfort, go for plush towels such as Terry towels. They are more absorbent and soft on the skin. Make sure that it is also an antimicrobial towel. Such towels are comfortable for all skin types and are gentle enough for baby skin.

Always remember, if the towel starts smelling moldy or musky, it's time to invest in a new one.

Keep in mind that unchecked and wrong use of towels can cause / increase acne, skin irritation, and more serious skin infections. Make sure to use different sides of the towel for the face and the body. It is all the more beneficial to choose an antimicrobial towel. Fortunately, Doctor Towels comes with all these benefits and more to keep your skin safe and glowing.

Now that you have been made aware of the importance of choosing the right towel for proper skincare, the next time you are looking to purchase a towel, visit https://bit.ly/DrTowColl to know all that Doctor Towels has to offer, because your skin deserves nothing but the BEST. 

We all reach for our dear towels every single day without giving it much thought. Nonetheless, a personal item like a towel requires extensive research about what it is made of, how it is made and the different types available in the market. If you have acne, you've most likely invested your time and money in trying different moisturizers, cleansers, facials and whatnot. You probably have gone for facials and have even consulted a dermatologist. You are most likely super-cautious about your skincare schedule and you would never even think about retiring for the night without washing your face. This is fine but it will work only if your towels are clean. Clean towels lead to clear skin.

Here are a few pointers on choosing a towel that holds the key to maintaining a clear skin.

1. ALWAYS GO FOR ANTIBACTERIAL TOWELS

The towels we use regularly act as a host for numerous bacteria that are bad for the skin. This is because towels are kept under moist conditions and hold dampness for a significant amount of time which allows the bacteria to thrive. As you rub the towel on your skin, bacteria get transferred onto your face and settle down in your pores, causing pimples, acne and other skin infections. Using a towel that is antibacterial limits the growth of bacteria for up to as many as 100 washes and helps restrict the cause of all your skincare woes. Using a towel that fights against bacteria contributes immensely to your skincare regimen.

2. CHOOSE TOWELS WITH THE RIGHT FABRIC

There’s nothing more satisfying than wrapping yourself in a soft and fluffy towel after your bath. Picking towels that feel soft and fluffy is a good start but it is of no use if it doesn’t absorb water quickly. Higher the absorbency, better the towel. Absorbency depends on the fabric of the towel. Most towels are made from cotton and yet there are numerous kinds of cotton blends to choose from. Eco-fibres like banana yarn and bamboo yarn are known for their absorption as well as antimicrobial and antibacterial properties which make them perfect for babies and people with sensitive skin while Egyptian cotton and Turkish cotton are known for their softness. Be kind to the earth and choose a good towel made of natural fibre having antimicrobial and antibacterial properties. Choose wisely if you don't want bacteria creeping its way onto your towels.

3. USE DIFFERENT TOWELS FOR FACE AND BODY

It is very important to use a separate towel for your face and body after a shower, as it will ensure minimal transfer of bacteria from private parts, underarms and the rest of the body to the face. Otherwise these bacteria can easily clog pores, increase breakouts and in some cases even cause skin irritations and rashes. It is therefore highly recommended by dermatologists to use different towels for the face and the body. 

4. SOFT AND FLUFFY TOWELS ARE BEST FOR DELICATE SKIN

A towel can enhance or diminish a relaxing bathing experience. The wrong towel can make your skin feel itchy and dry while the right towel can make your skin feel rejuvenated and soft. Being able to wrap yourself in a long, fluffy bath towel which absorbs moisture effortlessly, alleviates your experience into a whole new level of luxury.

5. FREQUENT LAUNDERING AND SAFE SANITIZING GOES A LONG WAY

No matter how much you focus on buying the right towel, it will not do your skin any good unless proper towel hygiene is being followed. For starters, any towel that touches your face, should be freshly laundered. Do not be deceived by the fact that it looks spotless. Bacteria can be present, regardless of the fact that it is not visible.

Frequent laundering is important for towels to remain clean and to remove any germs that are starting to accumulate. You and your skin will be healthier the more often you wash your towels. To make sure your towel stays super clean, you should wash or replace your towel every now and then.

Note: For the best results, choose towels that are best suitable for your skin type.

Doctor Towels offers double-sided bath towels made of banana yarn fibres mixed with cotton. It also showcases features of quicker absorption, faster drying, antimicrobial and antibacterial properties, extra length, fluffiness and the promise of sheer luxury. Place your orders now https://bit.ly/DrTowColl.

Let us start with a couple of examples. A clean bowl of water is usually just a clean bowl of water whereas a stagnant puddle of water with a lot of dirt and sediments is all that plus a breeding ground for mosquitoes, bacteria and all kinds of germs. Any food item left out for a while is being exposed to germs and bacteria and eventually starts rotting. This is exactly how it is with towels as well. 

Every time you wipe your body with a towel, it gets exposed to millions of bacteria and germs and when the same towel is used again, you’re just rubbing those bacteria and germs back onto yourself. But this is the 21st century, the generation of great innovation and thankfully, the dirty towel problem now has a solution- Antimicrobial Towels! 

Yes, antimicrobial towels work and your skin will thank you for using them. Anti-microbial towels come infused with materials and fabrics that are naturally resistant to germs and bacteria, so when the towel comes in contact with the said germs and bacteria, they get neutralized then and there itself! This means that these towels don’t collect microbes and you don’t have to worry about rubbing yourself with a load of microbes every time you use your towel. This means every time you use a fresh, clean anti-microbial towel, you are protecting yourself against eczema, rashes, dandruff, acne and many other skin and hair problems. 

These towels also come with an added advantage. Most antimicrobial towels are very skin friendly and soft as they are usually infused with materials that are natural (in case of Doctor Towels it is coconut and banana) products. For as many as up to 100 washes, the antibacterial properties will keep your skin safe. The coating will diminish overtime so it’s always recommended to get new towels every once in a while. Antimicrobial towels are becoming very popular these days. Using them has reportedly reduced instances of hair and skin based problems, resulting in lesser doctor’s appointments. 

Getting yourself an antimicrobial towel is a great way to invest in yourself. Be sure to get the right one after thorough research, as there are many towels which claim to be antimicrobial, but actually aren’t. It’s a better idea to spend a little more on a higher quality product which will keep your skin safer for a longer period. As the saying goes, prevention is better than cure.

When it comes to your towels, length definitely matters! Imagine. You’ve just taken a shower, and you’re all set to step out in your towel to find your clothes before you can get dressed. Everything seems pretty chill- that is, until you realize your towel won’t wrap around you properly because it is too small! Now you’re in a fix!

   An inappropriately sized towel may not necessarily be harmful, but it is something that can put you in a very embarrassing situation easily. You might have to come out of the shower quickly to get something or to attend a call, in a shared room or when you have guests over. Many women come across situations where they need a change of clothes in public after a swim or due to unfortunately getting wet. Something that comes handy in such situations is an appropriately long towel. 

   Having a towel of the right size for every situation doesn’t involve anything extraordinary. It is just about selecting the right towel, being smart and appearing smart without embarrassing yourself in front of others just takes a pinch of extra effort. You have to look for different sized towels and make sure to buy the ones that you would need for different situations. 

   Next time you’re shopping for bath towels, carefully look at the different sizes of towels, and think about which one you’d need and in what kind of situation you’d need them. If you can get a towel that is really water absorbent and looks amazing, even better! This is all it takes to ensure you look and feel one bit smarter every time a towel is involved!

We often look out for expiry dates when buying edible items. Why? For the simple
reason that we don’t want the fungus and mold that grow on expired food going into our body. But is it okay to have the same fungus and mold rubbed onto your body? Definitely not, right? If you didn’t know that your towel also has an expiry date, it’s high time you did. It is not recommended to use a towel for years without changing it and here is why.

1. Your towel houses millions of germs.

After a shower, our towels gather debris, oil & dust particles from our face and
body. With proper washing and drying, this effect is minimized. However, after
repeated use of a towel, germs tend to accumulate to a point where no amount of
washing and drying can get rid of them. This is why old towels tend to have a
damp, musty smell even after they are washed. This is when your towel becomes
a proper house for germs and you should replace it to avoid the risk of
transferring the germs to your body.

2. Your towel wears out.

With regular washes, the fabric of the towel tends to wear out and loses its
smoothness. While this may not seem like a big issue, a rough towel causes a lot
of skin breakage and irritation and makes your skin cells weaker, causing more
damage to your skin. It can also be very uncomfortable to use

3. Your towel shrinks over time.

Again, with regular washes, your towel shrinks and loses length, and when a
towel becomes smaller, we all know it’s not really as comfortable to use.

4. It looks dull and lifeless

Like all other clothes, towels lose colour and start looking dull with regular
washing. Having an extremely ugly towel cannot make you feel fresh after a nice
shower, can it? Also it spoils the decor.

5. It loses its absorbency

After a certain number of washes, the towel will wear out to such an extent that it loses its absorption capabilities, and using a towel that doesn't absorb defeats the whole purpose of using a towel.

Like everything else, towels too expire at a certain point of time. They last long, yeah, but not forever. Their expiry is not something that can be exactly visible. We like to hold on to our dear towels for as long as it can look no more like a towel. But, your towel, like every other important item in your household, is something that adds value to your daily life, so always give it some thought and make sure you give it the due importance it deserves.

No one likes a smelly towel. They not only smell and feel bad when you use them, but sometimes it goes to extremes where a bad smelling towel can make a whole room smell bad. This is common, but something which can be easily avoided by getting a few things straight. Towels tend to get smelly when they are put away wet. While this is something most of us know, sometimes towels may smell bad even with enough air. This is because with frequent washing, there tends to be detergent/fabric softener build up along with the moisture, which causes a
sour smell. The worse the smell gets, the more dangerous your towel becomes because a moist towel is the perfect breeding ground for bacteria. Using towels with a bacterial infection can lead to infections in various parts of your body, and your private parts can especially be very vulnerable to such infections. Here’s a list of things you can do to keep your towel clean and odour-free.

1. Sun dry your towel

Sun drying your towel is the easiest and most efficient way to keep your towel moist-free and hence, bacteria-free. After every use, sun dry your towel for at least 1-2 hours. If you can’t sun dry it, at least put it out to dry on a cloth line with maximum air circulation.

2. Use mild detergents/fabric softeners

Using mild products on your clothes will ensure minimum build up. Also make sure you don’t use too much product with every wash. Wash with warm water to get rid of as much build up as possible.

3. Use vinegar and baking soda

Every once in a while, when your towel keeps smelling bad despite proper washing and drying, it is because of excess build up of soap. To get rid of this, wash your towel as always, and on the final wash, add a cup of vinegar to help remove build up. This should effectively solve the problem, and in case it doesn’t, all it takes is one more rinse with half a cup of baking soda to completely solve the issue.

4. Use towels only for specific purposes

Oftentimes, once a towel has been in use long enough, we start using it to clean kitchen counters and floors as well. Bath towels are not designed for this and using them to clean such areas can lead to extreme odour as they collect grime and dirt, and won’t get rid of them very easily. To prevent this, use your bath towels only for bathing and buy a separate cloth for cleaning purposes.

5. Buy products made of natural, anti-microbial fabric

There are many products available in the market right now that are made of natural, anti-microbial fabric such as banana yarn. These fabrics help them stay odour-free longer than regular fabrics as they naturally fight against germs. Opt for such fabrics to keep the odour away.

6. Buy better quality towels

Quality comes with a price, but in such cases it is better to pay a little more to ensure you get the best for your skin. The better the quality is, the more absorption is, meaning lesser moisture and lesser odour.

Little effort goes a long way and this applies to your towels too. Follow these simple steps to ensure that your towel and its smell is not a source of discomfort for you on a daily basis, and this will also save you from a hoard of skin and health issues later on, while giving you an amazing towel experience at the same time!