For some women, makeup is a kind of happiness. They love to color their lips and draw their eyebrows, cover up the wrinkles and acne with liquid foundation.
Makeup is a way for women to express themselves, to look prettier and more confident. Several offices in Jakarta even require their employees to wear makeup at work. Lipstick, eyeliner, mascara, foundation are items that are always in their makeup bag.
Not all makeup products have an expiry date label. You need to pay extra attention to decide when it is time to toss out and replace old makeup products. Bear in mind that your makeup is a potential bacteria-breeding ground. Write down the purchase date on your makeup products when you have a hard time keeping track of the usage period.
Mascara (3-4 months)
Overall, mascara is the most vulnerable product in which bacteria can easily grow once it is opened and you put the wand back into the tube.
Throw away your mascara after four months of use or when it has distinct gasoline-like smell, and replace it with a new one. In some cases, if the mascara dries up before 90 days, do not add water because it increases the bacteria that cause irritation such as redness, itchiness, or pinkeye and sties. Better to throw out all eye makeups and its applicators before the bacteria spreads out and gets worst.
Eyeliner (3 months)
Simple makeup can easily be achieved by applying some eyeliner, either liquid or pencil. Many women found themselves guilty when a survey showed that eyeliner should be replaced every three months, an exception is pencil eyeliner. Nevertheless, for the sake of your eyes, keeping it longer can spread more bacteria and can cause you to experience some irritation near such a sensitive area.
In extreme cases, conjunctivitis, itchiness and redness can occur, which absolutely will disturb your vision and disrupt some of your activities. To prevent from such side effects, sharpen your pencil eyeliner before application.
Liquid foundation (6 months – 1 year)
Bacteria love water-based products. Once the seal of the foundation is opened, it can last for a year.
Do not dip your fingers into the bottle of liquid foundation; keep it away from heat and moist environments. Heat can speed up the growth of bugs and change the smell or color that could cause irritation.
Concealer (2 years)
It functions to cover blemishes. Toss out your concealer once the color changes. Stick and powder concealer can last for two years.
Face powder (2 years)
If the powder contains botanical extracts such as green tea extract, aloe vera or chamomile, it may be prone to bacteria growth if you leave it open in moist areas such as the bathroom. Be on notice if the color changes and has a funny smell.
Lipsticks (1 year )
This makeup product is a favorite among girls and women. The variation of colors let you fit any occasion. The average women owns about three to six lipsticks, which can be kept for no more than a year.
The majority of lipsticks do not contain water. However, the risk of bacteria infestation comes from the repeated expose to the mouth area. It’s time to ditch your lipstick if there is a change in the texture and if you cannot spread the pigment on the lips. Expired lip-gloss will feel streaky when you try to apply it. Replace your lipstick and glosses once a year.
Avoid sharing lipstick, especially when you are sick, because the bacteria can spread and harm your immune system.
Tips to prevent bacteria from infecting your makeup
- Remember that makeups that contain water are high risk to promoting bacterial growth.
- Do not leave your liquid makeup open in the bathroom or moist environments.
- Avoid storing makeup near heat, where a cool place is ideal.
- If the makeup smells bad or changes color, throw it out.
- If there is no expiry date label, put a label on yourself with the date of purchase before the first application.
- Buy cosmetics as your need. There is no use in hoarding makeup if you will end up throwing away most of it anyway.
- Have your own makeup. Shared makeup increases the speed of bacteria spreading like staphylococcus aureus and staphylococcus epidermis.
