Makeup bags are often a girl’s pride and joy, used on a daily basis and taken everywhere they go. But unbeknown to many, makeup bags can harbour some rather nasty bacteria. Dirt, oil and dead skin cells can accumulate on makeup products and bags – so keeping these clean is essential to avoid skin irritation, acne and to prevent ruining makeup.
Don't keep it past its expiry date
Kelly Lloyd-Sanderson of beauty, health and wellness company Arbonne shares her top tips on how to spring clean your makeup effectively.
Cheek stains
Cheek stains can become saturated with makeup during the application process, which can distort the colour of the product you apply to your skin, damage the brush itself and cause spots. Cleaning the applicator brush of your cheek stain will help to prevent the build-up of products ruining the bristles and will also help to avoid the brush becoming contaminated with dead skin cells and bacteria, which can cause breakouts and blocked pours. It is recommended you clean the brush of your cheek stain using specialist brush cleaner, or alternatively a gentle shampoo – this will ensure it lasts longer and will give you the perfect application.
Mascara
Eyes are delicate and can be very sensitive and prone to infection, therefore it’s important to take extra care with your eye makeup – particularly mascara. Many people pump their mascara in order to release the product, however this can dry it out and the air being forced into the tube can encourage the growth of bacteria, which can be a catalyst for sties and eye infections. As mascara is a product you double dip it is recommended you replace mascara every two months, so not to exceed the product’s expiry date.
Lip balms
Lip balm is applied regularly, especially in hot weather, and so can become lodged with dead skin cells, as well as bacteria from around the mouth. Though it is recommended you replace a lip balm once a year, both sticks and pots – there are measures you can take to ensure your lip balm lasts longer. Using a tissue, wipe off the top layer of the lip balm, then place the exposed product in an alcohol solution for 30 seconds, before dabbing off any excess liquid, allowing it to dry and reseal. This will kill any bacteria on the surface, which can help prevent the reoccurrence of nasty lip conditions, such as cold sores.
Foundation
Depending on how you choose to apply your base makeup, can determine how clean your foundation is kept. Applying foundation using your hands can encourage bacteria to transfer from your hands back into the bottle, which can contaminate the full bottle. Using a clean makeup brush, to apply the foundation will prevent this. Or, where possible choose foundation bottles that come with a pump applicator, such as Arbonne’s Perfecting Liquid Foundation, as this will also be less likely to become contaminated.
Makeup Bag
Makeup bags are often the main culprit when it comes to contaminating your makeup, so keeping these clean will benefit all your products. Every two weeks remove all the items from your makeup bag, turn the bag inside out and clean off excess makeup and debris using a damp cloth. Apply a small amount of anti-bacterial spray and clean deep into the corners and edges of the bag including the zips.
Tagged in makeup