Bacteria on make-up products and make-up tools
We love makeup or small tools like eyelash curlers, nail files, etc. because they help us feel and look more beautiful. But what we tend to ignore (or don't even know about) are the bacteria that can turn these beauty aids into real sources of danger.
Although most of the bacteria that occur on the skin and therefore end up in your make-up products are completely normal, harmless and can be found on the skin anyway, harmless can quickly become worrying because we don't handle these products correctly also simply underestimate the lifespan of certain beauty products.
Because every time you touch one of your make-up products or tools with your fingers, or use it directly on the skin like lipstick or blush stick or something similar, you transfer all the dirt and tiny microorganisms from your skin directly to the product . This also applies to every brush and every sponge - all the germs on your skin then get from the brush or sponge into your product.
Unfortunately, it can be assumed that we do not clean and disinfect our brushes and tools as carefully before and after we use our products.
If you use your products and tools without cleaning and disinfecting them regularly, very unsightly bacteria, viruses and even fungi can grow there, which can even lead to health problems.
And it happens faster than you think: For example, if you apply foundation with fingers that aren't super clean while you're sick or share makeup products with someone, you never clean/disinfect it (or too rarely), leave it open, the lid If you don't screw it on properly, etc., etc. And then you apply the contaminated product again and it's pretty unhygienic, especially around the mouth area and eyes.
What can happen?
Conjunctivitis, herpes, skin irritations, even flu and colds can survive on the waxes of a lip stick for quite a long time (up to 2 weeks).
What to do?
When it comes to facial care, it's easier; we usually only cream and oil our face after we've cleansed our hands and face beforehand. That's somehow in the nature of things. Many products are only sufficient for a certain period of use anyway and the risk of standing around for years is also lower than, for example, lipstick, which hardly "tips" due to the high wax content, but we like to use several of them and also like to use them on not so " “clean” places (car glove compartment, bag, etc.). The packaging with airless dispensers and pipettes etc. also helps with more hygienic handling.
When it comes to make-up and tools, it's worth having the basics in constant rotation and USING them up and cleaning them regularly.
Cleaning and disinfecting – how does it work?
Everything should be both effective enough to kill germs on your products, but also gentle enough not to damage the makeup or tools.
Most products can be sprayed with alcohol or the top layer wiped off with a cloth sprayed with alcohol - disinfectant wipes also work quite well in some cases.
You need this:
+ 1 small empty spray bottle
+ 70-90 percent isopropyl alcohol (available at the pharmacy)
+ Disinfectant wipes
+ warm water
+ Liquid soap (dishwashing liquid, baby soap, hand soap)
version 1
spray with isopropyl alcohol
Instructions: Fill a small spray bottle with isopropyl alcohol and spray the makeup once or twice from a distance of about four inches. Let it dry before use.
Suitable for:
+ Pressed powders (also eyeshadow, bronzer etc)
+ Cream make-up (including eyeshadow in cream form)
+ Inside of your cosmetic bag
Variant 2 - clean with disinfectant wipe
Directions: Take a disinfectant wipe (or a Kleenex sprayed with isopropyl alcohol) and gently rub it over the top layer or surface of the makeup. Let it dry before use.
Suitable for:
+ Lipsticks
+ Concealer sticks
+ Metal objects (eyelash curlers, tweezers)
+ Eyeliner/lipliner pens
+ Fluid products such as concealer with a brush
Option 3 - wash out with warm, soapy water
Instructions: Fill a medium-sized bowl with 500 ml of warm water and mix in a tablespoon or two of liquid soap. You can also rub the blender with a bar of soap until it is completely covered. Submerge it in the water and then start squeezing the blender gently to create foam. The color of the water should now change. Rinse the blender until clear water comes out when you squeeze it out.
Suitable for:
+ Beauty blender and make-up sponge
+ Makeup brushes
How often?
It's always a good idea to thoroughly clean your produce once a week to reduce the number of bacteria and reduce the risk of some of them developing into pathogens.
Last but not least: the expiration date
Sometimes it is not unimportant to know how long the lifespan of some products actually is.
ATTENTION – only 2-3 months!
+ Mascara
+ nail file
+ Sponges, makeup blenders, loofah sponges
6 -9 months
+ everything else...
Of course there is a longer shelf life. But we don't find them in natural cosmetics and I wouldn't take any risks with facial products either.