Prevent Bacterial Infections by Changing Makeup Brushes Frequently
Have you ever thought about the lives of your makeup brushes? Not enough of us do; though they are “makeup essentials,” we rarely worry if are brushes are clean enough, healthy enough or even safe enough. Consider what one expert said about makeup brushes: “many don’t realize … the efforts from washing and cleaning their face in the morning is often eradicated when applying makeup, due to the buildup of germs and bacteria on makeup products,” including their brushes.
Why Do Makeup Brushes Get So Filthy?
Though brushes are among our makeup essentials, they just cannot be cleaned to the degree needed to keep them for the long term. Every time you apply makeup, the brushes and applicators used are going to pick up everything from oil and dirt to dead skin cells and bacteria. Combined with the oils and other compounds in makeup, the makeup brushes become the ideal home for the growth of harmful bacteria and viruses. This is even more the case if you keep them in a holder in the warm and humid conditions of the bathroom.
And it doesn’t get better with time because most bristles begin to stiffen and harden. This allows the once soft bristles to now irritate and even scrape or puncture the skin, actually forcing any of the bacteria or viruses they contain into your skin. In fact, this is what lies beyond issues like cellulitis or infections in different areas of the face, where dirty brushes and applicators apply harmful materials to the skin or even help them penetrate.
Cleaning Your Makeup Essentials
Naturally, that leads many to wonder if they might just clean their makeup brushes to prevent this problem. That is a yes and no question. Why? Because you can perform certain types of cleaning treatments to the brushes, but few work well enough to eliminate all of the risks, and cleaning often causes the brushes to begin to deteriorate.
Experts do say you can and should clean with a sanitizing spray and antibacterial wipes at least once each week, but that replacing them is the key to avoiding harmful bacterial infections in the skin, eyes and other areas of the face.
When to Replace Brushes and Applicators
A report done on makeup essentials and other related issues by the Today show determined that any and all makeup brushes and applicators should be tossed every two to three months. That seems like a waste, but according to the report, consumers “should be buying new brushes every three months if they start to shed, smell or are discolored. As for that foam blending sponge, In Style says that needs to be replaced at least every three months, if not two.”
Are your makeup essentials as safe and clean as possible? If not, take the time now to toss those items over the age of three months and replace them with premium, ethically-made options like those from BEAUTIAC, a subscription-based cosmetics firm dedicated to ethically-made products.