Hello loves! Welcome back to the blog! Today I really want to talk to you about collecting makeup. All over social media, we see so many people showing us their makeup collections, although they are not makeup artists. Let me describe the picture: a beauty room with a nice mirror, a clear chair, and white drawers bought from IKEA full of makeup classified by category. Did you ever see that? Well, I did! Although we are all tempted to buy eye shadows, different mascaras, and all the possible colors of lipsticks, we really should avoid that. Why? Because expired makeup is the home sweet home of colonies of bacteria or fungi (or both!) that can cause irritations, infections, and breakouts.
Let’s have a look at what happens to our makeup over time.
- Beauty products contain preservatives, ingredients that help to maintain the safety of the products by inhibiting the growth of bacteria and fungi. In fact, cosmetics are produced in a sterile environment but if they contain water or water is introduced in them, microbial life may occur. Just think about how steamy the bathroom becomes each time we have a shower and all the products we store there…
- To know how long beauty products last, we should check behind the product. There is always a symbol of a small jar with an open lid with the number of months that the product can be safely used after opening it. After that time, the preservatives are not stable anymore, their effect is reduced, and bacteria can grow in the product. Studies show that a high percentage of people use beauty products after the expiration date. What’s the problem with that?
- Studies show that bacteria like S. aureus, P. aeruginosa and, other pathogens are found in all makeup products, like mascaras, eyeliners, and face powders which can be harmful to our health, causing conjunctivitis and skin infections.
Tip: write down on a calendar or on the product when you opened it, to avoid using it for too long.
Unfortunately, also beauty blenders are not the most hygienic makeup tool (sadly!). As you might know, they are synthetic sponges that are used to apply foundation or concealer. Not only they are continuously in contact with the face and hands, but also they are used moistened. Among all makeup products and tools, they are basically the worst! Experiments show that they have the highest bacterial and fungal contamination, especially if they are used after been dropped on the floor or if they are not properly cleaned and dried after each use.
If you are not sure how long ago you opened your makeup there are still few things that you can notice before using your products.
- Concealers/foundation: these are liquid products, and, as they contain water, they have a higher chance to be contaminated by pathogens. If you realize a non-homogenous texture or strange smell, it’s better to trash the product.
- Powder products are dry so their contamination is generally lower. You can remove the top layer of the product to remove eventual contaminations.
- Mascara and eyeliner: these products are applied to the most sensitive part of the face, the eyes, so we should be extra careful with them. Toss everything that appears dry, not homogenous, and with strange smells.
Remember loves, although it’s pretty glamorous to have a nice makeup collection, your health is more important. Keep your makeup tools clean and buy few products at a time, it will also make you save some money. I am still trying to find an alternative to the beauty blender, let me know if you have any in the comments!
With love,
