When you apply your makeup using the various tools such as brushes, sponges, etc. some of the cosmetic material is left behind on them. When the brush touches your skin, it is exposed to the oil residue and dirt that cover your skin. Using the same brush over and over again results in these remnants coming into contact with your skin repeatedly. The result of this is outbreaks, rashes and allergies that arise as a result of poor skin hygiene.
No matter how much you clean your skin, using dirty brushes or sponges to apply makeup exposes your skin to irritants several times a day. By adopting a regular maintenance routine is the only way to avoid this. It is also important to ensure that the makeup you use is clean. If your makeup has been contaminated, do not hesitate to discard it since filthy makeup can have severe reactions on your skin.
How to Keep Your Makeup Clean
Avoid sharing mascara, eyeliners, lip gloss and lipsticks with other users to keep it sanitary. After use, sanitize your eye pencils and lip pencils with a makeup sanitizer or sharpen them with a pencil sharpener. Allow the products to dry thoroughly before putting them away in your covered kit.
If you have an eye infection and have been using your mascara or gel eyeliner, discard it and use a fresh one to avoid infecting your eye again.
Powder products can be shared with others, without compromising hygiene, provided each of you has a separate brush/applicator. Remember to clean the brushes/applicators thoroughly so that the product is not contaminated by them. All sponges and puffs should be cleaned using soap and water and letting it dry naturally and all tweezers and curlers should be sterilized with surgical alcohol.
How to Sanitize your Brushes
Sharing brushes and applicators may transfer bacteria from one person’s skin to another. This is not always possible for makeup artists working on different clients. Regular cleansing is therefore essential. For brushes used to apply powder, foundation, blushes or eye shadows, wipe the surface with a tissue immediately after use. Brushes should be replaced after 3- 5 years of use or earlier if necessary, whereas sponges should be replaced once a month or every second month.
Mascara should be replaced after 3 months and lipsticks every year. If you are using a liner brush to apply liquid gel or glitter liners, then you can consider the use of disposable applicators. The same goes for lip brushes and mascara wands. If you do not have disposable applicators for lipstick or liquid eye liners but have brushes instead, then you must sanitize these brushes after every use.
Shelf Life of Makeup
No matter how much you love your favorite pale pink lipstick or your stunning moss green eye shadow, there is a time when you have to bid goodbye to them. Using cosmetics past their expiry date can have disastrous effects on your skin. In general, if you notice a change in the smell or color of your cosmetics then it is time to discard them. Here are a few other points to note about the shelf life of makeup.
Mascara- Since you apply this eye makeup product with a brush the chances of bacteria being introduced to the mascara are very high. Contaminated mascara can cause eye infections (conjunctivitis, sties etc). Throw out your mascara after a maximum of 3 months of use.
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