Why You Should Start Using Hot Towels On Your Face

Hot towels are a classic treatment at spas and are a total must when it comes to luxurious facial care, but at home, we don't usually heat our towels before placing them onto our skin. That made me wonder: Is using a hot towel on your face good for you, or have we all been living a beauty lie? I reached out to a beauty professional to get to the bottom of the mystery.

To sort out whether or not hot towels are actually helpful for your skin in any way, I reached out to Lori Leib, creative director and professional makeup artist with Bodyography. She tells me, "Using a hot towel on your facial skin opens the pores, softens the skin, and allows skin treatments to penetrate the skin with ease." This all sounds good to me!

But Leib adds a small warning and says, "Be sure you are using a towel that is not too hot in order to not burn your skin. If you do not have access to a towel warmer, the easiest way to warm a towel at home is to saturate the towel in water, remove and then microwave for one minute." The microwave method gives you total control over the temperature of the towel, so that will probably become my go-to strategy.

Also, Leib was kind enough to share some extra hacks on getting that enviable rosy glow and I'm pumped to share them:

1. Turn Your Towel Treatment Into An Aromatherapy Experience

Lavender Essential Oil, $18, Amazon

Leib suggests adding a little bit of your favorite facial oil to the hot water before soaking a towel in it for the ultimate skin pampering trick.

2. Use A Hydrating Mask And Towel Treatment

Hydrating Mask, $27, Amazon

"Try Bodyography's skin hydrating mask and lather on the skin," suggests Leib. "When it’s been fifteen minutes, place a warm towel over your face for one minute before removing the mask. Talk about a major glow!"

3. Try Enzyme Exfoliants

Polished Classic Rice Enzyme Powder, $15, Amazon

Another one of Leib's favorite strategies for bright skin is using enzyme exfoliants that aren't super abrasive. I love Tatcha's rice enzyme exfoliator since it's both dermatologist-tested and cruelty-free.

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