A woman’s make-up bag is the cornerstone of handling the ‘no-time’ trend – whether its about finishing lipstick application ‘dans la tube’ or transitioning from a day-to-nighttime look in the office loos. However its important to manage this vital toolkit wisely, especially if prone to problem skin. Think about an item like a compact foundation – incredibly convenient for touch-ups, but that applicator is in constant contact with both hands (which may, or may not be clean) and face (oily t-zone, anyone?), so will rapidly become dirty and a breeding ground for bacteria.
There are some key steps to avoiding skin issues due to the murky depths of your make-up bag:
1) Wash brushes once a week in gentle shampoo to avoid the harbouring of acne-promoting bacteria.
2) If using a compact foundation, be scrupulous about sponge hygiene. There is nothing ickier than a sponge in need of a bath.These are breeding grounds for bugs, so wash regularly, allow to dry thoroughly and replace frequently.
3) Choose products that are non-comedogenic, especially if looking for longlasting products to survive the full work day. I see a lot of patients with a condition called perioral dermatitis – red bumps around the mouth that look like acne – and their cosmetics almost invariably play a role in this annoying and frequently recurrent disease.
Besides: if your make-up promotes blemishes, you will end up spending more and more time covering up your skin in the morning – a rather futile spiral.
4) Avoid putting fingers into a jar of cream, however indulgent that might feel. Use a clean spatula to decant product hygienically.
5) NEVER use saliva to wet make-up brushes or correct make-up mishaps. The mouth is a dirty, dirty cavity.
6) Don’t borrow or lend make-up, especially eye products. Conjunctivitis is highly contagious and leads to a red, sticky eye (not attractive).
7) Finally, pay attention to the physical properties of your make-up. Unfortunately many cosmetics don’t have an expiry date. Liquid foundations and mascara have the shortest shelf-life – they should be replaced after as little as 3 months. If a foundation changes texture or a mascara acquires an unusual odour, it’s time to bin it. Bacteria can colonise products and the preservatives might not be work quite as well as they did when you first opened it – so to reduce this risk by seeking out products in a pump, rather than in a pot or open-necked bottle.
Originally posted on : 5/7/14 Dr Sam Bunting Word Press
