Additionally, other skin conditions, like body acne, can be inflamed by the use of loofahs. The bacteria on loofahs could lead to the start of new breakouts. This is the last thing you'd want, especially if you're already suffering from body acne. Loofahs can put your health at risk.
Well-known dermatologist Dr.
When you use it, you spread the bacteria you washed off the last time. This could make your acne worse and even lead to new breakouts. Also, the vigorous and constant rubbing with the loofah can irritate your skin and lead to inflammation and redness.
As a dermatologist, I never recommend a natural loofah (also spelled luffa) for showering. They aren't great for exfoliating, they don't dry well and they can harbor germs. That perpetually damp loofah sitting in the shower is home to microbes that can cause infection on your skin.
The impurities lurking in your tap water and the high amount of minerals create a layer of soap on top of your skin and clogs your pores, contributing to breakouts. Your body wash should form a lather on your skin instead of creating a pore clogging soapy layer.
Cold water can be especially beneficial for dry or acne-prone skin, says Knapp. “If you have chronically dry skin, hot water can strip your sebum levels (oils) and exacerbate the issue, so cold water is a good alternative.”
Wong recommends hopping in the bath first. The steam and heat from the water stream will help relax pores and soften the skin around the pimple. You'll notice the area is a lot more pliable after spending 10 minutes in the shower.
"But if you're going to choose one, wash cloths are much better than loofahs, provided you only use the cloth one time before washing it. Both can harbor bacteria, but loofahs are much more prone to doing so given all their 'nooks and crannies. '"
Washcloths are an efficient standby if you want to ditch loofahs, poufs, and sponges altogether. They have a gentle exfoliating effect and can spread soap later easily. Best of all, a washcloth can just be thrown right into a washing machine after use and rinsed with detergent and hot water regularly.
Everyday use of loofah could leave your skin dry and itchy by stripping it of its natural oils. If you love your loofah scrub, stick to twice-a-week routine. Avoid sharing it with anyone to reduce the risk of any skin infection.
Clean it weekly.
“No matter which loofah you are using, you should clean it at least once a week,” she says. To do so, soak it in a diluted bleach solution for 5 minutes and then rinse thoroughly.
Poor hygiene and excessive sweating may cause your skin to act out as well. While sweating can clear up your pores, the presence of dirt, oil, and dead cells blocking them may cause you to develop body acne. Cleaning your skin regularly is the best way to remedy this.
Scrubbing skin with acne may seem best, but this actually worsens acne. When washing your back and applying acne treatment, you want to be gentle. 3. Stop irritating your skin with harsh skin care products.
Use an Exfoliating Scrub
Washing your back can help eliminate acne-causing bacteria, but that's only one piece of the bacne puzzle. Regular exfoliation is also an important part of treating bacne because it scrubs away pore-clogging dead skin cells.
The scrubber is made with soft silicone bristles that work to exfoliate skin. Because the bristles are made of non-porous material, they hold on to way less bacteria than a loofah would. Plus, they actually do lather up the same way a loofah would.
Depending on texture, washcloths can help provide exfoliation that ranges from gentle to intense. You can also easily control the amount of pressure you use to concentrate on tough areas such as the knees and elbows and a gentler touch on more sensitive areas.
A loofah or scrub towel is better. The abrasive nature sloughs off dead skin cells. Just soap just gets off the surface oils — unless it's one of those soaps with abrasive particles embedded in it like certain exfoliating soaps like oatmeal soaps, or with pumice/sand particles (though that maybe too rough).
In fact, dermatologists recommend showering in water that's lukewarm or slightly warm. Do a quick rinse to wet your skin before applying any soap. Using a loofah, washcloth, or just your hands, apply bar soap or bodywash to your body. Start at your neck and shoulders, and work your way down the length of your body.
Loofahs start out hygienic, but the accumulation of dead skin cells and storage in humid environments turns it into a bacteria haven. Soak your loofah in diluted bleach for five minutes each week to kill bacteria and germs.
Using a clean, soft washcloth is effective for cleaning your face, but unless you use a new one every day, you should probably stick with using your hands to scrub, Dr. Green says. Also, ideally, you should change the towel you use to dry your face every couple of days to keep bacteria at bay, adds Dr. Gohara.
Because popping isn't the way to go, patience is the key. Your pimple will disappear on its own, and by leaving it alone you're less likely to be left with any reminders that it was there. To dry a pimple up faster, apply 5% benzoyl peroxide gel or cream once or twice a day.
Pustules are a type of pimple that contains yellowish pus. They are larger than whiteheads and blackheads. Pustules appear either as red bumps with white centers or as white bumps that are hard and often tender to the touch. In many cases, the skin around the pustules is red or inflamed.
“Hot water strips the skin of its natural oils and healthy bacteria,” Grous explains, “which plays a major role in keeping moisture in—and the bad stuff out. And because dryness triggers the sebaceous glands to produce more sebum, hot water can worsen preexisting acne or cause a breakout.”