What causes towel discoloration

ML purchased new towels in September 2019. Nice ones from Lands End.

My towel is getting white discoloration spots.



When I first noticed them I started paying attention to my post shower actions. I shave pre-shower and get right into the shower without touching the towel.

Post shower I apply an assortment of lotions, aftershave, cologne, hair gel and topical creams. I used to apply a product, rinse my hands and dry them on the towel before using the next product. Now  I do these in sequence rinsing my hands after each. I do not touch the towel. Once all products are applied I wash my hands thoroughly and then dry them on the towel.

Despite this my towel grew more spots. ML's towel only has one spot. Probably from me.

I use various hard soaps or gels in the shower. I make sure I am well rinsed before toweling off. Then I follow the new routine. I think the spots may have stopped but it is a subjective guess.

The towel is used for 5 days and then laundered.

Any ideas. I would hate to replace these and have the problem again with new towels.

Thanks for the help.

Despite

Benzoyl peroxide does that.

I’m with @"nikos.a"   a lot of cleansers have benzoyl peroxide in them and the ruin towels. Use white towels. I got the hotel white towels from Costco and that solved the problem

Do you use bleach in a high efficiency washing machine? I get those spots when my wife does laundry. (More is better syndrome) but where it's only your towel than I wonder. It's a puzzle and you have to keep us informed!

Maybe the towels are defective.  Bad dye lot.  After further consideration I'm thinking that the pattern of bleaching isn't consistent with what you get if you dry your face after using a benzoyl peroxide cleanser that isn't sufficiently rinsed off.  That causes more of a smearing faded areas rather than dribbling / sprinkling of whatever caused the bleaching on your towels.  Maybe the towels were exposed to something in the manufacturing process that prevented the dye from fully bonding on those spots.

I'm really interested in the answer to this dilemma. It's a puzzle and I want you smart fellers to figure it out!

Well @"nikos.a" nailed it. Benzyl Peroxide.
I occasionally us an acne cream. I use to use a salicylic acid based one. I must have grabbed a different brand without reading the label. This coincided with the move into a new house and the purchase of the towels.

This explains why ML's towel was not affected.

Also the BP must really stick to my finger once applied. I mentioned in the original thread how I had modified my routine to try and keep products off of the towel. Yet the white spots increased.

So no more BP products for me.

Lipripper660 - I considered laundry as a source but since my wife's towel was mostly unaffected I assumed it was my post shower routine.
My wife's towel has one tiny spot.

It is a pity - these are lovely Egyptian cotton towels - super absorbent yet light and fluffy.

Thanks nikos.a for the tip.

I had some new shirts do this and it was the cologne/AS I was using. Some of those can do this.

3rd the benzoyl peroxide

Well @"nikos.a" nailed it. Benzyl Peroxide.
I occasionally us an acne cream. I use to use a salicylic acid based one. I must have grabbed a different brand without reading the label. This coincided with the move into a new house and the purchase of the towels.

This explains why ML's towel was not affected.

Also the BP must really stick to my finger once applied. I mentioned in the original thread how I had modified my routine to try and keep products off of the towel. Yet the white spots increased.

So no more BP products for me.

Lipripper660 - I considered laundry as a source but since my wife's towel was mostly unaffected I assumed it was my post shower routine.
My wife's towel has one tiny spot.

It is a pity - these are lovely Egyptian cotton towels - super absorbent yet light and fluffy.

Thanks nikos.a for the tip.

I'm glad I could be of help.

Had I known that earlier myself, I wouldn't have destroyed so many towels, sheets, pillow cases, even a blanket!

Use products that contain this (magic) ingredient for a number of skin problems with caution.