It is crucial to carefully select your bath towel to enjoy the necessary comfort after stepping out of the shower or bath. The question that arises is: which towel should be used for the body? There are some essential criteria to consider to guide you in your choice. Discover which ones.
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Which towel for the body?
Summary
Published September 8, 2021,
updated on February 22, 2024,
by
Stéphanie, PhD, Doctorate in Life and Health Sciences
—
4 min read
Criteria for choosing your bath towel.
It is important to carefully select your bath towel. To do this, certain criteria should be taken into account and will guide you in your selection to ensure all the comfort, softness, and warmth you expect, such as:
The Material: The terry cotton is the most common material. It is soft, natural, flexible, and absorbent. This material is recommended for quick and gentle drying after a shower. As for the combed cotton, it offers a great softness to the touch and is stronger than simple cotton thread. We also find the bamboo fibre. These bamboo fibre towels are highly sought after for their softness and fluffiness, and are perfectly suitable for sensitive skin. We also have the Egyptian cotton, one of the most noble and resilient materials. Moreover, its fibres are twice as long as traditional cotton, thus more absorbent. The waffle weave is a very trendy material at the moment. It is very absorbent and compact. Besides their aesthetic aspect, these towels are lightweight and guarantee quick drying. These towels dry quickly and are very light. There is also the linen, appreciated for its natural side. However, it should be reserved for skins that do not fear its slight exfoliating side.
The weight: Indicated on the descriptions of bath products, this is a figure that informs about the density of fibres contained in the material that makes up the towel. Therefore, it refers to the weight of the towel per square metre. The average weight of bath towels is above 450 g/m2. For instance, a terry cotton towel has a weight ranging from 500 to 600 g/m2, which explains their fluffy appearance. Honeycomb towels, more compact than cotton, generally offer a weight between 200 and 250 g/m2. Thus, the higher the weight, the more voluminous the towel is and the more water it can absorb.
The dimensions: Size is also a criterion not to be overlooked. There are different towel models according to their size for various uses. To dry the body, opt for the bath sheet with dimensions of 70 x 120 cm. This type of towel allows you to wrap your entire body after a shower. There is also the bath towel, even larger (90 x 150 cm), which offers softness and plushness.
Which towel should one choose for the body?
The ideal choice for drying the body is therefore to opt for a towelling cotton towel of approximately 600 g/m2 and dimensions of 70 x 120 cm. Indeed, a towelling cotton towel of 740 g/m2 will be capable of absorbing up to 1 litre of water per square metre. Being a natural fibre, cotton is suitable for the skin of babies, children, and adults. Moreover, cotton towels are easy to maintain. Made from refined long cotton fibres, they are soft and smooth to the touch. In addition to being lightweight and soft, they are easy to maintain. They have the advantage of not deforming, regardless of the frequency of use. The choice of your bath towel also depends on your skin type. Those with sensitive skin will lean more towards a bamboo fibre towel for its softness and plushness. However, the towelling cotton towel has a longer drying time and thus meets all the conditions (humid environment) to promote the growth of bacteria and mould. Therefore, it should ideally be changed every 3 uses.
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