We’ve all done it, a swipe of lip gloss in the ladies’ room, a touch up of blush here or there. Where does sharing makeup rank on the list of beauty no-nos? When it comes to makeup, it’s best to be selfish and keep your products to yourself. While most cosmetics contain preservatives to help slow the growth of bacteria and fungus, sometimes this isn’t enough to prevent your makeup from getting contaminated
- When it comes to bad makeup sharing habits, the eyes rank is the most dangerous. The most common viral infection of the eye is conjunctivitis, or pinkeye, which is extremely contagious.
- Lending lip gloss could be risky if your friend has herpes labialis, an infection caused by the contagious herpes simplex virus. That’s the virus that causes small painful blisters known as cold sores or fever blisters on the mouth. Your friend may be ‘shedding virus’ and not realize she’s getting a cold sore.
- Make up brushes and applicators can easily carry bacteria from one person to another, and moist, dark containers allow such germs to thrive.
- Hidden threats are hiding in your makeup bag that could be hazardous to your health. Besides contamination from germs and daily dirt and grime, we also have to worry about potential allergens and scary chemicals that have been linked to cancer, respiratory illness, and even birth defects.
- Some people use the same makeup for ages, you might be borrowing lipstick that has been in use for over a year, and it might be germ infested.
