Most Common Bathroom Mistakes That Are Ruining Your Skin, According to Experts

What do breakouts and bad skin have to do with your bathroom? Everything. Bathrooms are a sanctuary, a place to prepare for the day or unwind from it, but did you know that your bathroom habits could be affecting your skin?

Bathrooms are a recognised breeding ground for germs, which can infiltrate your skincare routine, and cause common skin issues if care isn’t taken. As we adjust to colder weather as we move into winter, and with the seasonal changes affecting our skin, it’s the perfect time to overhaul your routine to ensure it is keeping your skin as healthy as possible.

Bathrooms specialist, Sanctuary Bathrooms, has identified four common bathroom mistakes that can lead to bad skin, working with experts to provide top skincare tips on how to avoid causing skincare issues. Review the tips below and take the quiz to assess your skincare routine and find out more about the changes you can make to maximise it.

1. Brushing your teeth before washing your face

To avoid introducing bacteria to cleansed skin, you should always brush your teeth before starting your skincare routine. Saliva and toothpaste residue contain bacteria from your mouth that can spread across your face and cause breakouts, acne, and irritation. So, always brush your teeth before starting your skincare routine.

And when it comes to your cleansing routine, Demet and Lema Emir, Head of Beauty from multi-award-winning hair salon Inanch London,recommend washing your face at least twice a day, in the morning and at night before bed, along with your desired skin care routine. They also advise splashing your face with cold water to finish, to boost your circulation and increase blood flow, while also giving your skin an enhanced glow and definitely making you feel more awake and ready for the day!

2. Bathing in hot water or washing your face in the shower

As we enter the colder months, hot showers and baths are the perfect way to warm up and wash the day away, but high water temperatures can dilute active ingredients in your skincare products, strip your skin’s natural oils, and compromise the skin barrier, resulting in dry, cracked, or irritated skin. Instead, wash in warmer water and keep shower and bath time to a minimum.

Showers should also be a body and hair wash zone only, so keep your face washing routine at the sink to avoid high temperatures.

3. Not washing your tools enough

If the products you use aren’t clean, then neither is your face. Flannels and face cloths are important skincare accessories, while TikTok has driven the use of skincare accessories like guashas and jade rollers.

Anything that comes into contact with your face should be clean. Flannels, face cloths, and towels harbour bacteria, dead skin, and oils, which are then transferred to your face when you use them. Another mistake people make is keeping towels and face cloths too close to their toilet. When flushed, the bacteria can seep into these accessories, and then onto your face. Always close the toilet lid before flushing to help.

Sharin Shafer, founder of Aesthetic Dermatology & Laser Skin Clinic, Skinfluencer London, recommends using a clean face cloth for each day and storing them in a clean, dry place once washed to ensure they remain bacteria-free, while Demet and Lema Emir from Inanch advise: “Guasha and jade rollers should be cleaned after each use with warm, soapy water. Dust can gather on these items as they are often left out, and you don’t want to spread bacteria into your skin.”

4. Storing your skincare products in the bathroom

Interestingly, bathrooms are one of the worst places to keep your skincare products and can cut their shelf life by as much as half. This is because skincare products are susceptible to changes in temperature, so all the heat and humidity that come with a bathroom can disrupt active ingredients and make skincare products ineffective.

Instead of leaving skincare products out, store them in a drawer or cupboard. The ideal temperature to store products is between 15 and 25 °C.

James Roberts, director of Sanctuary Bathrooms, said: “It’s interesting to see that so many bathroom habits people make every day could be negatively affecting their skin health. From not washing face cloths correctly to washing in too hot water, taking steps to change these could have a positive impact on people’s skin.”

“To see how many more common skincare mistakes you’re making, take our quiz to test your routine.”

To read more on common skincare mistakes and to take the quiz, visit here.