Our make-up and beauty products are an integral part of our life and daily routine. We rely on them, they make us feel good and we use them to look after ourselves.
So it goes to say that we should also look after them!
We cannot emphasise enough how important it is that you maintain your make-up and beauty products so they last longer and stay hygienic.
TIP 1 – Read and follow the instructions on the packaging if there are any.
Some beauty products will have guidance on the packaging or written on the leaflet inside on how to best store the product. They may say ‘keep away from direct sunlight’ or ‘store in a cool dry place’ or ‘refrigerate’. Whatever the instructions please do follow them to preserve your beauty product.
TIP 2 – Avoid keeping make-up in the bathroom.
It is advised that you should not keep any make-up in the bathroom because the moist damp warm air will separate the oil, wax and water in the make-up thus destroying it.
TIP 3 – Wash brushes once a week.
You should wash all your make-up brushes once a week to prevent build up and spread of bacteria.
- Wipe your brushes with a wipe to remove any make-up still on the brush.
- Place some lukewarm water in a bowl and add a little shampoo or liquid soap.
- Clean your brushes in the shampoo/soapy water by massaging the bristles with your fingers
- Rinse your brushes under cool tap water.
- For extra protection you can pour a little alcohol on a cotton wool pad and wipe the handles. This will disinfect the handles.
- Place the brushes on a dry tea cloth and allow to dry naturally.
You can also purchase make-up brush cleaners from the store and follow the directions.
To disinfect and clean your mascara brush, pour a little alcohol in a cup of bowl and dip your mascara brush. Swirl your mascara brush around in the alcohol then wipe the brush with a sheet of kitchen towel paper. Please note this does not prolong the life of your mascara, it should be discarded at regular intervals.
TIP 4 – Once in a while very gently scrape the top layer.
When it comes to blushers and eye shadows you can get a blunt butter knife and extremely gently just scrape the top layer. This will stop bacteria seeping throughout the product.
TIP 5 – Do not share your make-up.
It is advisable not to share your make-up or beauty products with anyone else to stop cross contamination of germs and bacteria.
TIP 6 – Wash your make-up sponges once a week.
Your make-up sponges can carry and transfer bacteria so it is advised to clean them once a week.
- Place some lukewarm water in a bowl and add a little shampoo or liquid soap.
- Clean your sponge in the shampoo/soapy water by massaging the sponge with your fingers
- Rinse your sponge under cool tap water.
- Place the sponge on a dry tea cloth and allow it to dry naturally.
TIP 7 – Clean your lipstick with a cotton bud.
Your lipstick can also harbour bacteria which can lead to cold sores and infection. You can clean your lipstick using the following method.
- Gently wipe your lipstick with a clean cotton bud slowly taking away the top layer off the lipstick.
- Pour some alcohol into a bowl and dip your lipstick into the alcohol for about 15 – 20 seconds.
- Let your lipstick dry naturally
You can use this procedure to clean your lipstick once a month.
TIP 8 – Sharpen those pencils regularly
You can sharpen pencil make-up to maintain hygiene. For retractable pencils you can dip the pencil into a little bowl of alcohol for 15 – 20 seconds. Then allow it to dry naturally.
TIP 9 – Clean and wipe your make-up bags with an anti-bacterial wipe.
You should clean your make-up bag once or twice a month. Carefully remove all your make-up one by one and place it on a table. Take an antibacterial wipe and clean the inside of your bag. Do not wipe the outside of your make-up bag if it will damage the bag.
Alternatively, as long as it does not damage your bag you can wash your bag in the washing machine or by hand. Just follow the instructions on the label.
Another tip is to place your make-up bag in the freezer overnight after you have cleaned it with an anti-bacterial wipe. This will kill any germs that have been left.
TIP 10 – Do not put your fingers in the jar or pot.
We recommended that you do not dip your fingers into your cream tubs and pots or any other beauty product. Use a clean cotton bud, a spatula or pour onto the palm of your hand. This will reduce the amount of bacteria transferring into your product.
If you would like to share your experiences with cleaning your make-up please let us know on our forum and social media! Share some of your thoughts with others and start a conversation.
DISCLAIMER
Before you start any new diet, health programme, exercise routine, and ingest or topically use any oil, vitamin, mineral, product or compound, it is very important to consult your doctor, therapist or do a patch test to make sure you do not have any adverse reactions.
We do not offer any form of medical or psychological advice. The information in our wellbeing articles are offered for educational purposes only. Our wellbeing articles are not intended to diagnose, treat or prevent any disease. Thank you.
