If you fly in first or business class, it’s normal to receive a hot towel, either one or multiple times per flight. However, sometimes I just can’t wrap my head around how people choose to use them.
Don’t get me wrong, I believe in hot towel autonomy, and I’m not judging. I just want to understand the logic, similar to how I’d love to understand the thought process of people who swerve through Miami rush hour traffic in their Dodge Chargers, only to not actually get ahead of those people who aren’t driving like idiots. I digress…
In this post:
The practice of hot towels in airline premium cabins
It’s common for airlines to offer premium cabin travelers hot towels (or sometimes even cold towels) throughout the service. Sometimes they’re offered upon boarding, sometimes they’re offered before the meal, sometimes they’re offered after the meal, sometimes they’re offered upon waking up, sometimes they’re just thrown at you throughout the flight with no rhyme or reason, etc.
Presumably the intent with hot towels is similar to the Japanese tradition of oshibori (where you’ll often find towels offered in restaurants, hotels, etc.), which are meant to cleanse and refresh your hands, and they act as a gesture of hospitality and comfort.
Personally, I use the airplane hot towels in one of two ways:
- I sometimes use them to wipe my hands, though honestly, I often don’t, since they dry out my skin (and I try to moisturize my hands every so often, since dry air on planes often chaps my skin, especially when I’m flying a lot)
- Alternatively, I use them to just wipe down the area around my seat, since often aircraft seating isn’t cleaned very well; while these wipes aren’t antibacterial, at least they help with getting any sort of obviously sticky things off the area around the seat
For those curious about the logistics of how airplane hot towels are prepared, airlines generally have these towels arranged in trays, and then they’re either heated, or hot water is poured over them (from the airplane’s water tanks). Some airlines will put a mild scent into the towels as well, be it a lemon or rose scent. And nowadays some airlines even have individually packaged towels.
Why do people wipe their faces with hot towels?
I think among many travelers, there’s confusion about what you’re actually supposed to do with hot towels on airplanes. For example, the below video has been viewed close to 90 million times on Instagram, and I think it sums up the confusion that some people feel (I’m not sure how many views were for the person/thigh vs. the hot towel, but I’m focused on the hot towel here, okay?).
Here’s the thing I can never make sense of — why do so many passengers immediately use the hot towel to just start wiping their face? There seems to be a bit of a gender divide here, and in my experience, it’s more common for men to do that than woman.
I’m not even coming at this from an etiquette perspective, and suggesting it’s inappropriate, or something (after all, we wear pajamas on planes, so therefore we can do whatever we want). I just don’t understand the logic?
Let me start by acknowledging that before I met Ford (well over a decade ago), I’m not sure I was familiar with the concept of skincare or washing your face (or the importance of sunscreen, for that matter). But he’s super militant about it, and it has rubbed off on me, so I use a cleanser, moisturizer, etc. Okay, maybe I don’t use it quite as often as he thinks I do (I probably average once a day rather than the twice a day he assumes), but still, at least I’m in a routine.
So anyway, let me come at this from both a skincare and non-skincare routine perspective…
If you do have a skincare routine, you wouldn’t just wipe your face with a hot towel, since it would take off whatever moisturizer you put on your face. For that matter, you’d probably want to clean your face with a cleanser, rather than just rubbing a rough towel across it.
Meanwhile if you don’t have a skincare routine, I also don’t understand what wiping your face with a hot towel accomplishes? The air in an aircraft cabin is really dry, and simply running a hot towel across your face will dry out your skin even more, no? Like, your skin produces natural oil that’s good for you, especially in a worse air environment, so wiping out those oils and drying up your skin seems counterproductive to me…?
Air in aircraft cabins is actually pretty clean, so it’s not like you need to wipe down your face as if you’ve somehow been in a sandstorm, or something.
Like I said, everyone should do what they want, and I have no issues with however anyone wants to use their hot towels. I’d just love to understand the logic, out of my own curiosity. Is there some explanation I’m missing? Do people just do it instinctively because they see other people do it, without thinking much of it?
After watching so many people run hot towels across their faces five times on a flight, I’m just genuinely curious to understand what I’m missing, so please teach me!
Bottom line
It’s common for airlines to hand out hot towels in premium cabins, and it’s fascinating to see the different approaches that people take with them. To me, it seems logical to use them to clean your hands, if that’s something that works for you.
However, there’s such a common trend whereby people just constantly wipe down their face with the hot towels, and I just don’t get what that’s supposed to accomplish? Is it about cleaning skin? Is it about “refreshing” skin (by drying it out)? Is there something else I’m missing?
Anyone have any airplane hot towel insights?
For me it's just a pleasant thing to do. Most of the time I use them on my hands but sometimes I feel like giving my face a bit of moisture too. There's no grand reason behind it, I just feel like it :)
Sitting in condor business class waiting to take off from CPT and just had the hot towel on my face, so this made me laugh. I don’t rub my face, but I place it over my face as the heat feels good. It’s then a reminder to put some face moisturizer on my face, which I try and do a few times a flight anyway.
I love wiping my face, especially if this is my second flight of the day.
All kinds of benefits from splashing cold water on your face, or wiping it with a cold towel. Wakes you up and stimulates circulation. Hot towel doesn't work as well, I sometimes do it anyway, or use the towel while hot to clean my hands and then dab my forehead with it when it's no longer warm. That skincare stuff is a gay thing, some straight guys seem to have picked it up lately from online influencers working for free samples.
Cuz it feels nice? What would be the point of wiping your hands with them? Would I do that instead of washing my hands? No. I guess the hot towel might make sense after eating (like a fancy wet wipe) but it usually comes well before
Ben, wise up. They are for wiping your feet after using the aircraft restroom when barefooted.
Jack gets it once again.
Haha, I think it’s more than just thighs.
My skin is naturally really oily and I’m constantly wanting to take a shower for that reason. Airports generally are quite stuffy too. I don’t mind them warm, but air flow is a must for me. Without air, I just sweat like crazy. It’s really quite annoying. So the towel on the face is a welcome relief for me tho I don’t always do it. I...
Haha, I think it’s more than just thighs.
My skin is naturally really oily and I’m constantly wanting to take a shower for that reason. Airports generally are quite stuffy too. I don’t mind them warm, but air flow is a must for me. Without air, I just sweat like crazy. It’s really quite annoying. So the towel on the face is a welcome relief for me tho I don’t always do it. I probably should invest in travel size cleansers and face/general moisturizers tho since my hands do suffer from dry skin from surgical operations as a child. Plus you bring a good point it’s a good idea to cleanse and moisturize together. I’m unlikely to sweat badly once I’m on the plane since I’m not running around. Tho I do travel with a portable fan since planes can be so inconsistent with temp and airflow. I do carry moisturizers with me for my hands.
So at the end of the day everyone is different and I guess some people do the face thing since it’s kinda like going to a spa, getting a bit of refreshment before a long flight.
Men are used to hot towels at the barber. They are usually applied to the face before a shave. That may be why you see more men then women using one on their face then just hands.
I don't think I've ever seen anyone wipe down the parts of the seat around them though. :-)
My girlfriend tends to use the hot towels for her hands, whereas I tend to use the hot towels to wipe my
I usually wipe my face, then hands (or sometimes the reverse order, I don't pay that much attention to it). I find it refreshing after rushing through the airport to get on a flight. My skincare regimen is pretty good - but in terms of moisturizer, it's probably already been on your face for a couple of hours anyway before you use a hot towel.
You don't want those germs on your hands to get on your face and in your eyes that can cause pimples, styes or even eye infections, so try to use it on your face first.
I take it to the bathroom and wipe my privates with it. Warms it nicely for the flight and relaxes me.
Often times I’ve had a quick walk from gate-to-gate, dragging a carry-on that’s at capacity and a heavy laptop bag, to make a connection. I use the towel to wipe the sweat from my face and as a gateway to relaxing into the flight, feeling refreshed and calm, just like after an evening shower.
I also don't understand what this accomplishes and I notice that airline review influencers are extremely proud of wiping their faces with hot towels and featuring it in every single one of their videos multiple times. The reason I personally don't use hot towels on my face on an airplane is because the water on them is from the plane's water tanks which is far from clean water. Even after washing my hands in the lavatory I use a hand sanitizer afterwds.
I love putting that on my face for a little steam. It feels great. I think it's supposed to be used in whatever way that makes you feel good. Don't worry about what others do/say/think.
I once sat next to a guy on an old AF 330 who proceeded to thoroughly clean his feet with his hot towel. Then I had the pleasure of sitting next to his bare feet from Chicago to Paris. Disgusting.
Yeah, the hot towels are an odd, unnecessary custom.
Also, Ben, you mentioned yet another reason why I'm happy to be out of SoFla... (not saying the drivers in NYC are better, just, up here, I'm usually not the one driving.)
By the way, wild how there've been practically no hurricanes so far this season. What is up with that!?
What confuses me more than the varied ways people use hot towels on airplanes is why people find it necessary to record themselves on airplanes.
A hot towel on your face after you just woke up from a nap on an airplane is so refreshing and wakes me up. Why do spas place hot towels on your face? It feels nice!
Me thinks Jinxed_K below is gonna have big problems with your technique, sir.
I use a hot towel on my face on long haul flights to wake up when I'm feeling sleepy. It feels great 9 hours into a flight when they bring them just before the final meal service. And then, like all good gay men, I reapply my moisturizer.
It's one thing if you see it on planes, but it's another if you see people wiping their faces in Japan with oshibori lol.
I've always treated them as oshibori no matter which airline provides them and only use them for my hands before meals. If they're disposable paper oshibori then I may use them to wipe spills or a surface, but even those I tend to just limit their use for my hands.
Oshibori on faces... those uncultured swine!
My authority on this subject was the Peruvian gentleman I was sitting next to and quietly copying on my first business class flight from IAH-LIM on United (back when the 767s had F) in 2014.
Wash your palms, then each individual finger, then the top of your hand. Then proceed to gently wash your face, and if you're bald like me, wash your head as well.
Seems to have worked for me ever since.
I’m also a face-wiper. I always put it on my head while its hot, and it feels extremely refreshing, to feel the hot towel, as it becomes a cold towel in 5-10 seconds. Then rub it gently through my face, afterwards I clean my hands with it, then the surfaces around.
Do you wipe elsewhere, too, or more of a 'bidget' fan?
I've always thought that the reason for hot towels is to: cleanse and refresh. Thus, I use them to wipe my face (which is often dirty/sweaty from the airport preflight scrum) and to wipe my hands. They're soft and usually smell nice and doing this is very relaxing and refreshing. I honestly do NOT understand using these towels to clean around your seat as there are disposable wipes available for this purpose.
Omg, a rambling article that consumed so much air & could have got the point much sooner.
Hot/cold towels i thought was a asian cultural thing to ‘refresh’ you for the flight & ‘clense’ you for your f&b service. I clense my hands with them & pat the back of my neck & forehead (if sweaty) to stimulate my glands so i feel more alive.
I agree putting them on your face can...
Omg, a rambling article that consumed so much air & could have got the point much sooner.
Hot/cold towels i thought was a asian cultural thing to ‘refresh’ you for the flight & ‘clense’ you for your f&b service. I clense my hands with them & pat the back of my neck & forehead (if sweaty) to stimulate my glands so i feel more alive.
I agree putting them on your face can create issues with sensitive skin if it contains alcohol/anti bacterial (drying) & other chemicals in the solution. I normally have x’y face moisteriser on so the last thing i want to do for a flight is wipe it all off & dehydrate.
Sometimes I'll wipe my face with it, if I feel grimy/sweaty from a prior flight or from rushing through the terminal. Otherwise just my hands.
On arrival i most certainly use the towel on my face and then use a moisturising cream. Otherwise i use the towels just to freshen up my hands.
Last week i saw someone wipe their whole face and even clean the insides of their ears with the warm towel! Each to their own.
The question seems to boil down to: is it an oshibori or not? If it is, then wiping down your seat area with it is equally as inappropriate as is wiping your face.
Very much enjoying the comments, and I appreciate the insights. Let me say this -- if you've had a super long travel day, or if you were running through the airport and were sweating, I totally get the logic.
My question is more specific to just the average person who does this multiple times on flights, who is just starting their day, who isn't sweating, etc. Like, we're not all in a constant state of chaos at airports and on airplanes.
You've nailed my perspective here - I have a totally "adaptable" strategy to the use of the hot towel, depending on length of flight, time of day (start vs. end), and the number of towel services per flight. If it's the start of my day and I'm straight to the airport, oshibori for hands only. If it's a 14h flight US-Australia, hands for first service and face for the pre-arrival. Each to their own, I guess?
Actually, that's a fair point. I have sometimes wondered why I'm wiping my face when I don't need to.
Ew. On most airlines, the water for hot towels comes from the tank on the plane, which is rife with bacteria. (That's why there is usually an indicator in the lavatories that the water should not be consumed, not withstanding the little paper cups in there.). For the Japanese and some other airlines, the towels are packaged moist and heated, rather than hydrated from the hot water tap.
Isn't the oven hot enough to kill and potential bacteria and viruses? Something similar to cooking chicken, it's hot enough to kill any potential bacteria.
And I'll admit, I've used that water to brush my teeth and gargle and I'm still here. I'm sure countless people have and even done worse!
On some airlines (particularly US ones), the flight attendants just pour hot water on the towels and distribute them - no oven involved. The towels would need to be in a hot oven for a longer period of time to kill bacteria.
If the water is boiling, then it should be enough to kill any potential bacteria/viruses. If it were just warm, then probably not.
It's probably not something to be overly concerned about.
Sometimes I've been sweating because the airport AC isn't very good or carrying luggage and walking a long way made me sweat. I'm grateful for a hot towel to wipe the sweat off.
I use the hot towels to clean my hands and face; now that I think about it, I should freshen my face first before my hands! It reminds me of my typical shave service at my go-to barber shop.
And I hope since the pandemic, cleanliness and hygiene come right after safety with all touchpoint surfaces being disinfected.
I do enjoy the scent on CXs hot towels. I wonder what other carriers have a good...
I use the hot towels to clean my hands and face; now that I think about it, I should freshen my face first before my hands! It reminds me of my typical shave service at my go-to barber shop.
And I hope since the pandemic, cleanliness and hygiene come right after safety with all touchpoint surfaces being disinfected.
I do enjoy the scent on CXs hot towels. I wonder what other carriers have a good scent in their hot towels.
And just for the record, it's called an "oshibori" in Japan ;) And it's only used for your hands (at least in that part of the world)
Oh good lord, get a clue. It feels good.
because the cabin is dry, I usually put this towel over my face and sit back to relax and breathe in the steam, to humidify my nostrils. so every time there is a hot towel service, it's another opportunity for me to get some humidified air. they do this at men's spa and many massage places as a relaxation amenity
Like some others noted, it feels somewhat refreshing. If it is after a long day of travel or maybe after sleeping/trying to sleep on the plane. I for myself usually use the towel first for my face and my hands, then I wipe across tray table, IFE screen, armrest, etc.
Well I have greasy skin, so the goal is to dry it out more. Also, it feels nice to put a hot towel on your face.
Have you met fellow commenter 'ORD Is My Second Home' yet?
lol youre overthinking this way too much.
men sweaty. clean warm towel feel good on skin.
thats literally it man
This +1000
Yupp. Feels nice. Whats so hard to understand about it.
Give the pits a wipe too.
A man of culture!
Parallel to this, I don't understand hot towels on flights departing tropical countries. Cold towels would be much more appropriate.
I have oily skin, I use the hot towel on my face all the time .It also feels good too :)
Contrary to what you're hypothesizing, wiping my face IS skincare for me, at least on an overnight flight. I have a full day's worth of grime on my face and wiping it off with a hot towel is more pleasant than trying to wash my face in an airplane lav. It's not what I would do at home, but it beats not washing my face at all.
Yep -- this is the answer.
I did it once til I thought through what a cheap hot towel was really doing to my skin. I think people do it because of the herd mentality. They feel weird not doing it because it's what they see everyone around them doing. Same concept with how everyone immediately unbuckles upon landing and stands straight up.
Interesting. I use them to wipe my hands, *then* police my area. Now that I think about it, though, it would be great for a hot towel to put over my face when I'm going to sleep. Hmmmm. Anyway, I don't suffer from dry skin, so I'm very fortunate in that regard.
Wiping your face is the whole point of the hot towels. The idea is that you are sweaty and greasy from a long day of traveling, which you get to wipe off, and it refreshes you. D'uh. The reason women often don't do this is because they are wearing makeup and the towel would smudge it.
It’s a clean, hot towel. In the midst of traveling (getting to the airport, waiting for your flight, etc.) it’s a brief moment to refresh and breathe. Applying a hot towel to your face feels good for many people. Let us live, man. Let us live.
Forgot about the hot towels - let's talk about the HOT boy in the video!!!
*rich boy