The gross reason a dermatologist wants you to clean your glasses every day

Every time you experience a breakout, your mind goes into detective-mode, trying to figure out what went wrong and caused the pimple that popped up on your face. Well, while there are always plenty of possibilities, one is pretty straight-forward: You’re not cleaning your glasses.

One of our editors recently learned from a facialist at the Miraval Life in Balance Spa at the Park Hyatt St. Kitts that wearing your glasses every day without cleaning them can cause acne on your nose, around your eyes, and elsewhere on your face—basically wherever your glasses have contact with your skin. And, it checks out. According to dermatologist Jaggi Rao, MD, acne expert for Facing Acne, the oil and bacteria on your glasses can easily transfer, clogging your pores and resulting in pimples. Continuing the bad habit will only make things worse over time.

“While touching your glasses and transferring germs to your face will initially create a few pimples, these will never really get a chance to heal if you keep touching your glasses and getting them dirtier each time,” says Dr. Rao. “You’ll not only end up breaking out all over again each time, but you’ll be additionally exasperating old acne, and never really allowing it to diminish. Thus, by extension, if this happens on a daily basis for a long time—as most of us push our glasses up on various occasions every day—it should come as no surprise that you may be getting severe, on-going acne all over your face.”

To make sure you allow your skin to heal (and don’t make matters worse!), Dr. Rao says to clean your glasses throughout the day. That means the earpieces, which can get oily from your hair and spread on to your face, the bridge of your glasses, the nose pads—essentially everywhere. “For all parts of your glasses, opt for using lukewarm water and disinfecting soap. Then dry them out with a soft cloth,” he writes. “If you truly want to combat your acne, clean them twice a day.” By adding the quick step to your daily routine, your pesky pimples will be gone for good.

Here’s how to deal with combination skin:

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