What skin care products are ruining your towels and washcloths?

This is something I try to remind my patients about, but it bears repeating for everyone who is using skin care products.  Many skin care products have adverse effects on your linens, and clothes.  I’m here to solve the mystery.  There are a few common issues – bleached blotches, yellowish stains, dingy gray marks and a metallic smell. 

Bleached blotches – Bleached blotches are a problem with pillowcases, towels, washcloths and sometimes even on clothes. The culprit – BENZOYL PEROXIDE.  Benzoyl peroxide is commonly found in acne washes like Proactiv, Panoxyl and Clean and Clear.  It is also found in topical acne medications both OTC and by prescription.  

Dingy Gray Marks – This is most often seen on white towels and comes from TINTED SUNSCREEN.  After much googling, I think it is the pigment or tint, not the zinc or titanium.  I repeatedly have this problem with our bathroom hand towels, and have resorted to gray hand towels in our bathrooms.

Orangish Yellow Stains  – This is most commonly seen with AVOBENZONE an ingredient in some sunscreens.   Apparently it is worsened by hard water.  You can avoid this one by using Mineral Sunscreens only. Tide actually has a whole page on “ How to Remove Sunscreen Stains”.

Metallic Smell  – A metallic smell to your laundry can come from SULFUR WASH that I often prescribe.  We use it for acne, rosacea, seborrheic dermatitis and more.  However, I would recommend washing those washcloths in separate loads.  If washed with other towels and particularly if dried in the dryer. Often the whole load will come out with. A metallic smell.

So there you go!  Dermatology laundry mysteries solved.  As with all stains, it’s best to try to avoid them in the first place, because getting the stain or smell out is sometimes very difficult. 

How about you?  Have you had any of these issues or other dermatologic medications stain your clothes?  Let us know on social media!

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