Sharing makeup with a friend may seem completely harmless, but that is not always the case. In fact, sharing makeup can actually be more dangerous to your skin and body than you’d think. In this article, we explore why you should always stick to using your own makeup – whether it’s your special day or not. We’ll break it down by makeup genre to give you all the facts.
Eye makeup – sharing eye makeup is probably the most risky type of makeup to share with others as it can lead to eye infections. Your eyes are delicate and extremely susceptible to attracting bacteria. Pink eye, flat warts, styes, and other bacterial infections can be contracted after using someone else’s eye makeup tools, such as mascara, eyeliner, or eyeshadow.
Lipstick and lip balm – anything that you put on your lips is definitely not to be shared, and you don’t want to use anyone else’s lip makeup, either! Even if individuals do not display external symptoms, they can be carriers of viruses like HSV-1. These viruses can be spread to others via lip makeup as well as other bacteria. These viruses typically show themselves through symptoms such as a cold sore or fever, however, you can have this illness with it going undetected as symptom flare ups depend on your level of immunity, stress level, and other extraneous factors.
Anything that comes in a jar – makeup that comes in a jar shouldn’t be shared. In fact, it should be used with even more care than other makeups. Because you are repeatedly sticking your fingers into the jar to extract cream, foundation, lip balm, and so on to use, you must ensure that you wash your hands before each use to prevent germs and bacteria from spreading and from getting trapped in the jar. You should also keep this type of makeup for your personal use only to avoid being exposed to the germs of others. Your body is said to absorb 60% of anything you apply to your skin, so you want to apply items that are as pure as possible.
Makeup brushes – if you’re looking for a surefire way to induce skin breakouts, sharing makeup brushes with others is the way to ensure them. Using someone else’s brushes spreads bacteria and is harmful to your skin. You should also make sure to regularly wash your own brushes weekly with a gentle shampoo or cleanser, then treating them with conditioner to lengthen their life.
While most makeup is obviously not safe to be shared, there are several items that you can safely use among your BFFs. Anything that has a pump – lotion, foundation, and so on – can be shared, as there is no chance for individuals to contaminate the product during use. The same goes for things with a sprayer, like makeup primer or perfume. Loose powders are also safe to share as they are not moist, which means they don’t give bacteria a chance to thrive. As long as you use a fresh and clean brush with each use, it’s okay to be generous with this kind of makeup. Nail polish is also completely safe to share as there is very little chance of bacteria growing on the brush. However, beware of sharing nail tools (like nail clippers or cuticle cutters) as those can retain bacteria and germs if they aren’t properly sterilized.
To ensure that you and your skin are healthy for your big day – and for every other day – practice safety and avoid sharing your makeup with others. These dangers just go to show that some things are just better kept to yourself!
