

Can a Glasses Towel Be Used to Clean Your Face?
Editor
May Willis
Published
Jan 12, 2025
5 min. read
Key Takeaways:

Glasses towels or microfiber towels are not suitable to use for facial skin because of their synthetic make up and chemical manufacturing process.

Microfiber towels made from polyester can irritate delicate facial skin.

Chemical residues like chromium that are used to process and dye microfiber towels can cause and exacerbate dermatitis and ezcema.

The best towel for facial cleansing should be 100% cotton disposable face towels.
Introduction
In our daily skincare routines, we often focus on products like moisturizers, cleansers, acids, and serums. Something that we rarely focus on as skincare enthusiasts is our towels. This, in our opinion, is one of the biggest overlooked parts of skincare: we assume that if something looks clean, it must be suitable to use on our face. This is particularly true for microfiber glasses cleaning towels, which many people think they can use to clean their face (I am guilty of this as well when I used to use microfiber gyms during workouts.) However, this seemingly harmless practice can lead to unexpected skin issues.
In this article, we'll explore why glasses towels, otherwise known as microfiber towels, are not suitable for facial cleansing, especially if you have sensitive skin.

Before we deep dive into why you should never use a glasses microfiber towel for your facial skincare, let's understand the basics first. Read on!
I. The Science Behind Facial Skin Sensitivity
Our facial skin is unique. It is more delicate than any other skin on our bodies. The outer layer of the skin, known as the stratum corneum, acts as a protective barrier that holds moisture and defends your skin from dirt, irritation, and bacteria. For people like me with sensitive skin type, it usually means that this protective barrier is extra weak, leaving us more vulnerable to the aforementioned risks.
"Disruption of the epidermal barrier leads to skin that is irritated, more reactive, and more sensitive than normal skin."
--- Yan Wu, MD PhD, Department of Dermatology, Peking University, First Hospital, Beijing, China
Compromised Skin Barrier and Sensitive Skin in Diverse Populations, Published @ National Library of Medicine
When the barrier is already weak, and you use a non-ideal towel to clean and wipe your face, then your skin might be at greater risk of irritation, bacteria-caused infection, and breakouts. Thus, understanding why different towels aren't suitable for our skin is crucial!
II. Why Glasses Cleaning Towels Are Problematic
While microfiber glasses towels are often great for cleaning gasses without damaging your precious lenses, they are not inherently suitable for facial skin. After my in-depth research, I want to bring three most important reasons to your attention:

Synthetic Materials Can Be Abrasive
Made from polyester and polyamide, microfiber towels are fine and dense, leading to increased friction when used on the face. This can potentially cause micro-tears and irritation. Research that shown that wool and synthetic fibers such as polyester can worsen skin conditions like dermatitis. From a user standpoint, even worse, when you wipe and don't pat your face dry, the increased friction can lead to stretching of the facial skin, which contributes to sagging.

Cross-Contamination Risks
Microfiber towels can harbor bacteria due to more surface area and moisture retention capabilities. Thanks to the millions of standing fibers, bacteria can cozy up really easily within the towels. When you wipe your face, they can be transferred onto the face.

Chemical Harm from Synthetic Materials
According to research, microfibers can release toxic substances into the environment and potentially into the human body. The production of microfiber involves chemical ingredients like flame retardants, heavy metals, and dyes. These chemicals can be released during washing or use and can bring significant harm to not just our skin but health in general. For example, exposure to heavy metals like lead and chromium used in the dyeing processes has been linked to dermatitis and eczema.
"Chromium is also used as a pigment mordant to bind dyes onto the fabrics. Dermal exposure to chromium and copper is linked to eczema, itchy skin, and dermatitis."
--- Maria A. Muñoz and Pamela J. Lein, UC Davis
Toxic textiles: Potential health risks associated with toxic chemicals in clothing, Published @ Open Access Government
III. Skin Issues That Can Arise From Using Microfiber Towels on Your Face
In short, using a microfiber towel to clean your face can lead to the following problems. I want to emphasize this again so that we truly understand the consequences.

Breakouts
The transfer of bacteria harbored in moist & dense spaces on microfiber towels can lead to bacterial acne.

Bacterial Infections
Even worse, if you recently popped a pimple, then the bacteria from the towel can make them drastically worse. I've learned this lesson the hard way.

Increased Skin Sensitivity
Over time, using abrasive synthetic towels like microfiber towels can damage our sensitive skin and make them even more sensitive.

Your skin makes up a core part of your personal image & expression. Don't take the towel you use lightly!
IV. What We Believe is the Best Material for Facial Use: 100% Natural Cotton
If you do not want the problems mentioned above, then what you really need are 100% natural cotton disposable face towels. In terms of materials, cotton is still the gold standard. This is particularly important for people like us with sensitive skin.
When you use disposable towels that are made from 100% natural cotton, you no longer need to worry about bacteria and irritation issues. Cotton is so much gentler and softer on the skin compared to microfiber towels, plus they do not have any chemical ingredients or go through any chemical manufacturing process.
Protecting our delicate facial skin from any kind of irritation and bacteria is crucial, period. So next time you want to use microfiber towels to cleanse your face, stop yourself and get 100% natural cotton towels.
Conclusion
Investing in appropriate towels for skincare is super important for improving your skin health, especially if you have sensitive skin and don't know how different towels affect your skin's protective barrier. Using microfiber or glasses towels on your face may seem convenient, but they pose significant risks, ones that we live the consequences for both in the short term and long term. At CottonNow, we firmly believe that natural ingredients are a must-need for effective hygiene and self-care. Microfiber towels stand for everything we don't believe in, and it pains us that there are still people out there trying to use them to clean their faces. With this blog, hopefully we have made it clear to you the reasons why. We hope to see you on this side, with the healthiest skin ever!
Q&A
Microfiber towels, while effective for cleaning glasses and electronics, can be too abrasive for the sensitive skin on your face and may trap oils and bacteria that cause skin irritation and acne. 100% cotton disposable face towels like PureNatura™ are softer and gentler on your skin. They are designed for single use, which prevents the buildup of bacteria and ensures each towel is hygienically clean, making them a superior choice for facial cleansing.
Using a disposable towel like PureNatura™ 100% cotton face towels ensures that you are always using a clean towel without the hassle of laundering. Microfiber towels need to be washed frequently to prevent bacterial growth, which is not always convenient. Disposable cotton towels are not only hygienic but also save time and maintain better skin health by reducing the risk of acne and irritation from bacteria.
Microfiber towels are made from synthetic fibers that can shed microplastics into the environment during washing. In contrast, PureNatura™ cotton disposable towels are made from natural fibers that are both compostable and recyclable. When disposed of properly in compost or recycling bins, cotton towels can be a more sustainable option that reduces environmental impact compared to synthetic microfiber towels.
Why trust us?
With 10+ years struggling with acne & skin conditions, we understand what it’s like.
Science & evident-based approach to personal care. It has to work.
Incubated at the Harvard Innovation Lab.