Is Your Makeup Bag Making You Sick?
We all know that makeup expires. The expiry date is written in plain sight on most cosmetics. So, why do we not take it seriously? You wouldn’t eat food that’s expired and while many beauty products may seem safe, there comes a time where you really need to review how old your products are and whether or not they’re sanitary.
A study was done recently that found that there were deadly bugs in 9 out of 10 makeup bags reviewed (1). That’s a super high number and it’s not just in the cosmetics themselves but your makeup bag and your brushes too! Another study found an abundant amount of staphylococcus bacteria in many makeup bags, which can cause a very serious antibiotic resistant infection (2). With all of this horrifying news, the big question is how can we keep ourselves safe? We’ve compiled a few guidelines for making sure that your makeup bag stays clean and safe so let’s dig in.
Clean Your Makeup Bag
Your makeup bag is harbouring some unwanted guests in the form of bacteria. Now, we all need a few friends but I’m pretty sure these guys aren’t exactly what you had in mind. So, what now? Well, it’s simple, clean your bag! If you have a fabric bag, put it in with your laundry and run it in hot water. If you’re not sure if it can be dried in a dryer, you can air dry it. If you have a plastic bag, you can sanitize it by using a good quality antibacterial cleaner and wipe it dry. It’s easy, it’ll take you only a few minutes and it’s worth it.
Throw Out Your Old Makeup
Yes, makeup is expensive and consumer culture leads us to believe that we need a million lipsticks and eyeshadow palettes but exercise caution because all consumables have a shelf life and makeup is no exception. Mascara should be tossed every 3-6 months and foundation, lipsticks and liquid liners after 1 year. It’s around this point that they start to break down, introducing harmful bacteria to products that you’re putting on your face, which could cause you to get seriously sick.
Clean Your Makeup Brushes
Most people don’t clean their makeup tools nearly as often as they should. The general guideline is once a week and they should be left to dry flat as leaving them to dry upside down can weaken the glue in the ferrule that holds your bristles in. You should also be wiping down your eyelash curler with a cleaning wipe after every use and disinfecting it every week as well when you clean your makeup brushes. Beauty blenders should be cleaned at least once a week as well.
Tips for cleaning your brushes
Clean brushes once a week
Wash with shampoo or brush cleaner
Sanitise with Isopropyl alcohol
Dishwashing liquid works well on removing oil
Use oil on synthetic brushes that are used for cream or liquid makeup
Dry brushes flat on a towel to stop handle, ferrule and hairs loosening
By following these rules, you’ll be well on your way to avoiding nasty bacteria and bugs on your products, bag and beauty tools, allowing you to continue putting your best foot forward!
References:
1. https://sfamjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/jam.14479?referrer_access_token