Why is Dirt on Skin When Rubbed? Have you ever rubbed off your skin and have dirt coming off even after a shower? Well, worry no more! It is normal to have dirt come off once you rub your skin. The dirt that comes out is not actual dirt, to be exact. It is a mix of dead skin cells and secretions of your skin like sweat and oil. Read on to understand why our skins will have dirt when rubbed even after a shower.
With a total area of twenty square feet, skin is the largest organ in the body. Our skin helps regulate the body temperature and protects us from harmful elements. If you happen to rub your skin, you will notice that dirt comes off. It is a mixture of dead cells and that of your skin’s secretion of sweat and oil. This situation is similar to what happens with your towel. Our towels need a wash after a few times of use. It makes you question, where does the dirt come from even after washing our bodies?
To keep our skins moisturized and hydrated, there are glands responsible for sweat and oil secretion. The mixture of dead skin cells and secretions also causes dirt on your towel even after taking a shower.
Why is Dirt on Skin When Rubbed?
In some cases, rubbing your skin will have black stuff coming off. It only happens if you have a skin condition known as Dermatitis neglecta. Dermatitis neglecta is a skin disorder brought about when an individual doesn’t observe personal hygiene. A person having Dermatitis neglecta will have dark flakes falling off the skin because of accumulated dirt and dead skin cells. This condition can be treated using prescribed medicine and ensuring the individual showers regularly.
How to Remove Dirt on Skin
As such, you may find yourself asking, how do you remove the deep dirt from your skin? As aforementioned, a regular wash removes dirt from your body. However, your body’s secretion of sweat and oil will need more than a normal wash.
Here are easy steps to follow to ensure that you get to remove the deep dirt from your skin. Thoroughly wash the folds and pits of your body. Using a rough cloth, scrub your skin and remove all the dead and dying skin cells. Repeat this process twice to get rid of deep dirt and rinse thoroughly.
Other than doing more than a regular wash, you can get rid of dead skin in your body using easy steps. Here are steps you can follow:
- Ensure that your rinse your body with warm water. Warm water is effective in removing oil secreted by your skin.
- Using a cleanser of your choice, lather it gently on your skin and use your fingertips to rub. With your fingertips, you can make sure that you do it gently and not with a lot of force.
- Using clean water, cool to be exact, rinse off your face.
- Use a clean towel to dry your skin by patting it all over your body.
The above steps will help you get rid of dead skin. You can also use various products as an effective way of removing dirt.
Here are some of the products recommended for use when getting rid of deep dirt in your skin:
- Alcohol. Classified as an astringent, alcohol can be used to remove dirt from your body effectively. Dab a cotton ball in alcohol and use it to wipe your face and neck to remove dirt. Alcohol is effective in that it removes all traces of dirt left in your face after washing.
- Baking soda. Baking soda is considered a natural and healthy product to use on your face to remove the deep dirt. You can use baking soda as an exfoliator and a mask. Not only does baking soda help remove deep dirt from your face, but it also helps in unclogging pores, therefore, preventing acne breakout.
- Coconut oil. It is quite the purest and effective product to remove the deep dirt on your face or body. Coconut oil helps clean your face while moisturizing it.
- Your Natural Scrub. Many natural products can be used as exfoliators hence helping remove deep dirt from your skin. An all-natural recipe is advisable as it enables you to eliminate deep dirt and keeps your body hydrated. With an all-natural scrub, your skin’s natural barrier is kept intact. You can make an all-natural scrub among the products: honey, oatmeal, plain yogurt, avocado, and sugar.
If the above products are not available, your body lotion will do. Body lotion will help remove deep dirt from your body naturally. Wet the affected area, spread body lotion with your palms on the affected area, and use your nails to scrub off the filth.
However, you might find yourself scrubbing your face and body hard in the name of removing deep dirt. Avoid scrubbing your skin so hard to avoid blemishes. Cleaning your skin hard is not advisable as it can cause irritation and remove the protective layer on your skin.
Takeaway
Dirt that falls off when we rub our skin is not necessarily dirt. It is a mixture of dead cells and that of our skin secretion like oil and sweat. It can also mean that you are having a skin disorder, dermatographia, or acanthosis nigricans (AN), to name a few.
A regular bath is not enough; your body needs exfoliation and gentle use of scrubs to remove deep dirt from your body. However, scrubbing your body hard will not help. Ensure that you use the right products to remove deep dirt or practice easy steps to follow daily.
The next time you rub off your skin and have dirt fall from it, remember it is regularly happening with your skin’s secretion and dead cells. However, keep in mind that if the dirt comes off as flakes or black stuff, check in with your dermatologist. It might be a skin disorder that will only get worse if not treated immediately.
