Elizabeth Taylor was a fan of using a flannel
Flannel's have always been championed as a must-have beauty product, but figures indicate that they are on the decline.
Years of floundering sales have brought this once essential symbol of personal hygiene to the brink of extinction, new figures have revealed.
According to Debenhams, the sales of flannels have been dropping on average 6 per cent a year, with 2011 being the toughest year yet for the face cloth.
The department store has announced plans to restore the flannel to its former glory - by reminding the nation of the astouding yet cost-effective beauty benefits that this modest cloth offers.
Caroline Hirons, beauty industry expert and blogger is supporthing the campagin, she says: "I have always used flannels in my facials and recommend them to my readers every week in my online clinic.
"They are far more effective in removing makeup, dirt and grime than a muslin cloth due to their weight, size and most importantly their ability to retain heat for longer.
"Flannels are more affordable and therefore more hygienic - I recommend using a fresh one everyday."
Flannels exfoliate the skin naturally with every wash, cleaning thoroughly and bringing a wonderful, healthy, natural colour to the complexion.
Michelle Dowdall, Debenhams spokesperson, explains: "We believe taht the flannel is one of the beauty world's forgetton secrets.
"Using a flannel was good enough for beautiful women from the 1950s and 1960s such as Elizabeth Taylor, Marilyn Monroe and Ingrid Bergman, so I’m sure we can still learn something from their cleansing techniques today.”
Just fifty years ago, no household in Britain would have been without a flannel hanging by the bathroom sink. It was a sign of how highly cleanliness was regarded in the home.
Back then, over six million flannels were sold annually across the UK.
Sales first started to dip in the early 1960s, as British households began the switch from sooty open coal fires to cleaner gas fired central heating.
Demand dropped still further in the 1970 and 1980s, as showers became more popular than baths, and soap was gradually replaced by hand wash and shower gel.
The growing popularity of time saving face wipes has depressed the market for flannels still further.
Michelle Dowdall continues: “Everyone has forgotten how cleaning your skin with a flannel every day is one of the best ways to remove excess oils and dead, dull skin.
“The humble flannel should be an essential part of everyday beauty therapy. It has a strong track record proving that using it is just as much a key to looking good as using a hairbrush, lipstick or mascara.”