Having a clean makeup kit is a necessary aspect of owning makeup and wearing it. Whether you’re just a regular person who puts makeup on an occasional basis or you’re a makeup artist who is repeatedly working on your lengthy list of clients, makeup hygiene should definitely not be overlooked.
If you have a daily skin care routine, it should also be the same with maintaining a makeup kit. According to the US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health, 95% of almost all in-use cosmetics were contaminated with bacteria and about 19.2% by fungus and yeast. Bacteria such as Streptococcus, Salmonella, Klebsiella, Citrobacter, Rhodotorula, Candida, and etc. Powders and eyeliners were the most fungal contaminated products.
Poor sanitation practices associated with makeup can produce a host of germs and bacteria. This, in turn, will bring irritation to your skin. Maybe you are using that lipstick for as long as you can remember, or you didn’t have any idea that you could even clean your makeup brushes, then these tips will benefit you.
Here are some of the most simple yet important makeup hygiene habits and tips that might make you change the way you use makeup starting today.
Table of Contents
Routinely Cleanse Your Brushes
It’s vital that you clean your brushes and make it a habit. Brushes collect oil, dead skin cells, and all sorts of dirt that can spread around your face. You want to make sure that you cleanse your makeup brushes and applicators daily. Don’t forget to wash your hands before you apply any skincare and makeup products to minimize the number of bacteria.
Although there are plenty of products today that are particularly designed for cleaning makeup brushes. Many experts still suggest using baby shampoo (swearing that it’s the most effective). If you are a bit confused about the amount of ‘dry time’ a daily cleanse would need. You can give your brushes at least a wipe down with a clean cloth every time you use them. Don’t just let it go more than a couple of weeks without a deep cleanse.
Start Your Day With a Cleansing Routine
Always begin your day with a cleansing routine if you want to keep your skin clean and protected. When washing our face, avoid using hot water because this can result in unnecessary heat in your skin that can cause flushing and even broken capillaries. Instead, you can use warm water. If you are using a foaming cleanser, try to foam it up thoroughly between cleansed hands. Massage it into the skin, then finish with applying cold water in order to close the pores.
Cleansing twice will protect your skin from dirt and impurities as well as preventing dead cell formation. After cleansing, apply your moisturizer to keep hydration and provide antioxidants to help combat free radicals. Then finish with applying sunscreen, which is an essential UV anti-oxidant. Don’t overlook this one because sunscreen’s purpose is to protect the skin against daily environmental elements and prevent signs of aging.
Never Use Expired Products
We have products in our makeup kit that seem to last forever, but makeup that’s past its expiry date can create great damage to your skin later on. Old and expired makeup isn’t that effective anymore as the molecules can change causing your skin to respond differently to them.
Higher are the chances that it will cause redness, allergic reactions, irritation, blocked pores, itching and possibly infections. What’s even worse is when makeup products get infected with yeast, fungal and bacteria which cause various infections. Here are some basic rules if you need to replace your expired makeup:
- Observe the color, texture, smell, and how the product feels on the skin.
- Mascaras only lasts for 3 months, replace them if it’s more than its shelf life.
- Foundation and powder that’s been in your kit for more than a year should be thrown away.
- Throw away your 18-month-old lipsticks and 24-month-old eye shadows.
Check Which Makeup Remover You’re Using
Finding a good all-rounder makeup remover takes extra effort. Although oil-based removers are effective for cleaning stubborn eye makeup and for moisturizing dry eyelids, overusing them can irritate your sensitive skin around the eye and may cause lashes to fall out.
Meanwhile, water-based removers are gentler on the eye area, but it can be a bit difficult to get rid of heavy makeup. The tendency is you’ll rub it hard which can wreak havoc to fine skin around the eyes causing mild trauma and fine lines and wrinkles to occur.
If you notice that you have sensitive skin, then you may want to steer away from eye makeup removers and opt to use a gentle cleanser instead.
Stop Sharing Makeup
Sharing makeup is definitely the easiest way to spread break-outs, bacteria, and infection, especially for eye makeup. It’s not really good to use anyone else’s eye makeup. You’re not even sure if they’ve just had an eye infection that could be contagious.
You should change your mascara and eyeliner regularly since it carries a huge amount of bacteria because of the area in which they are used. For makeup artists, make sure that you clean and sterilize your products and brushes to remove any risk from client to client.
Remove Makeup Before Going to Bed
Very simple! However, there are plenty of people who get super lazy with this. The longer you leave your makeup on while sleeping, the more long-term damage it does, such as blocking your pores, recurring break-outs, and even premature aging. Should we even explain this further, this is a no brainer so always begin and end your day with your skincare routine.
Ivandrea Ollero is a content writer who researches and writes custom content about home improvements, travel, finance, law, fashion, health, and beauty. She graduated from St. Scholastica’s College, Manila, with a Bachelor’s Degree in Broadcast Journalism in 2016. Ivandrea provides helpful tips and hacks on various topics for her readers. If she’s not in the mood to write, you can find her eating ice cream while listening to rap music.