You’re washing your pillow cases wrong – common mistake can give you spots
For years people have debated how often you should change your bed sheets.
Some cleaning gurus have to wash them once a week, while others could go months without a freshen up.
But it turns out it’s the pillow cases that need the most attention – that’s if you want to ensure your beauty routine keeps in shape.
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Experts revealed a common bedroom mistake can wreak havoc with your skin and lead to spots and acne.
Many people struggle to maintain a blemish-free complexion, but a range of factors can create problems from diet and lifestyle habits to environmental pollutants.
It turns out one of the most prolific culprits of spots, blackheads and acne could be lurking in the bedroom – with unwashed pillows being the perfect home for nasty bugs, dead skin and oils.
(Image: Getty Images)
Sam Cinkir, CEO of leading skin and hair clinic Este Medical Group, said: “Millions of people suffer from spots, blackheads and acne on their face from time to time and skin issues can be really frustrating to have.
“Blemishes can be down to a range of factors, but there’s no doubt that our environment can play a big part in causing breakouts.
“As gross as it sounds, our pillowcases are a lot dirtier than we might think and are often full of dead skin, oils, sweat, sebum and even tiny bugs such as dust mites.
“This in turn can clog up and inflame the hair follicles on our face, which then bulge outward as the body tries to heal itself.
“To avoid this cross-contamination, we should all be changing our pillowcases at least once a week, although people with oily skin may need to do it every four days.”
(Image: Getty Images)
While spots and acne are more common in younger people, skin problems can create misery for people of any age.
The NHS says around 95% of people aged 11 to 30 are affected by acne to some degree.
While skin problems such as spots and blackheads are often partly down to genetics, they can be caused or worsened by lifestyle factors such as hygiene and grooming routines.
Due to this experts recommend changing your pillowcases regularly to reduce the risk of inflammation and cross-contamination.
Ideally, it should be at least once a week, but people with sensitive or oily skin may need to do it more often.
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