Five reasons why you should never share your makeup

We’ve all likely done it at one time or another, borrow some mascara from a friend for a quick touch up, share some concealer with a family member or dab on some lip gloss from a co-worker while we’re at lunch. While you may have been performing these perilous practices without incident, you’re still putting yourself at risk for spreading things like pink eye or even herpes. Here’s a host of five other reasons you shouldn’t be sharing cosmetics with friends and family.

The Eyes Have It

A dark, gooey mascara tube is the perfect environment for bacteria to flourish along with plastic and glass cosmetic cases that are touched by human hands, one of the biggest ways that germs travel from person to person. These little buggers can cause a number of different eye conditions that are often caused by bacterial infection.

Dermatologists recommend discarding eye makeup after three months and if you are the victim of some kind of virus or bacterial infection of the eyes, get rid of all your eye makeup immediately after you’ve recovered and replace them with new products. The same is true for all cosmetics, although they don’t have a “date code,” they should still be ditched after a few months.

Kissing A Fool

People can carry the cold sore virus without showing any signs or outward symptoms of this nasty infection. Sharing lipstick and gloss is practically the same as kissing someone from a bacterial standpoint so you should keep these products to yourself at all times.

Makeup and Staph

Given the right conditions, Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis, commonly known as staph, can be lurking in some of your makeup products or your friend’s cosmetics. Most of the time, staph only causes minor skin infections, but they can turn deadly if the bacteria invades other areas by entering into your bloodstream and causing damage to joints, bones, lungs or your heart.

Attacking Acne

Suffering through acne is difficult enough, but adding someone else's infected skin oils and other bacteria is a recipe for disaster on your face. While you may never apply concealer with your fingers and diligently clean your brushes, you can be sure your friend does the same.

Anytime, Anywhere

Where is the majority of makeup stored and applied - many would say the loo - which is the worst place to store and put on cosmetics. Think of uncapped lipstick or open container of concealer sitting on a bathroom counter just feet from the toilet and sink. Add sharing into this equation and the possible exposure to fungus and bacteria boggles the mind. Perhaps storing and applying them in your bedroom would be a better idea.

Why risk your health, the cost and purity of your beauty products? Keep tabs and a close eye on your cosmetics and don’t share them with anyone, even family. And most importantly, resist the temptation to try testers at stores or getting one of those free makeovers that could be ripe with infections and bacteria.  

Guest post by Mark Kirkpatrick