Images: Imaxtree
Women who offer a swipe of lip gloss in bar and restaurant bathrooms are the reason why we have faith in humanity. But as much as those last-minute, borrowed gloss and mascara touch-ups have helped us in the past, we all should reconsider sharing certain makeup.
Bacteria travels easily with wet or gel-based formulas and even some mineral-based products, and sharing products can spread disease and skin conditions. Your best bet if you absolutely must share makeup? Alcohol-based wipes or a spray sanitizer can de-germ some products in a pinch. Pump dispensers are also your friend if you’re generous with your beauty products (or have a roommate or family member who helps themselves). But there are a few products that should never, ever be shared. Here, the products you can safely claim all for yourself.
[ Next: The Mother Earth-Approved Beauty Products You Need for a Zero-Waste Routine ]
5 beauty products you should never share
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Jars
Anything that comes in pots or jars, be it your gel eyeliner, bronzer or eye cream, should never be exchanged with other people. We usually use our fingers to apply these products on our faces and it is the fastest way germs can travel and eventually be absorbed by our skin, especially when it comes to super absorbent skin care products.
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Mascara
You probably know this already, but sharing mascaras is very unhygienic. Here's why: Since mascara feathers attract bacteria when they come in contact with our lashes and then those germs are pushed back into the bottle, makeup pros often swear by disposable wands. That means you can never borrow mascara even for finishing touches.
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Pressed Powder
Pressed powders are also not safe to share. A lot of people believe that only wet products are potentially contaminable, but pressed powders and minerals, even pressed eyeshadows, can transmit germs, especially if you are using the same puff or brush. Foundations that come in pumps are much safer.
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Brushes
Sharing your makeup brushes or blenders is a bad idea, too. Using someone else's brush can be particularly rough on your skin and if you make a habit of sharing, your existing skin conditions can get worse. Even if you are using your own brushes, you need to freshen them up after you use them to keep the bacteria away.
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Lipstick
Be selfish about your lip glosses and lipsticks — you have good reason to be. Glosses, especially, harbor bacteria and they travel faster thanks to the wet formulas.
