Something we don’t think about often enough, is what is lurking on your make-up brushes and what is it doing to your skin? How often do you clean them?
If you have brushes beautifully displayed in your bathroom you can be sure they have been collecting dust, dirt, and bacteria, and all this gets transferred to your precious products. In addition to the moist environment bathrooms provide, your toilet provides a fine mist of germs with every flush too.
If you need a good wake-up call, here are a few things that can happen when you skip washing those bristles.
Your pores can get clogged up
It's great that you're not touching your face so much with your fingers when you apply makeup, but if your tools are filthy, you could still wind up breaking out. "If you don't wash your makeup brushes enough, you spread dirt and bacteria from your face, to your makeup, then back to your face," explains Laramie, pro makeup artist and founder of Book Your Look. "If you've been breaking out and you've tried or ruled out everything else, your makeup brushes could be at fault."
You risk getting more wrinkles
Dirty makeup brushes can expose the skin to oxidative stress from free radicals, which causes a breakdown of collagen and elastin and can result in premature aging - another bad habit that leads to wrinkles
You could get a staph infection
Makeup brushes can accumulate dead skin cells, dirt, oil, pollution and bacteria. These can include staphylococcus, streptococcus, and e coli, fungus, and viruses. Brushes that are well-cared-for last longer, simple as that. So don't let your expensive brushes go to waste — keep your tools clean!
You could get pink eye (conjunctivitis)
Cross contamination happens when 2 or more people use the same brushes or eyeliners. The main danger with sharing makeup is passing on an infection like viral conjunctivitis or pink eye. Exposure to even a small amount of virus can lead to a very uncomfortable infection.
Your skin can get irritated
When all that gross bacteria and grime builds up, you could wind up with stiffer bristles that can really aggravate your skin. This can trigger breakout and exacerbate acne, as well as other skin conditions. It can be a lot more problematic if there is spoiled or expired cosmetic product/residue in your tools.
You may attract bugs
Yes, dear friends, if you don't pay attention to your tools, you could wind up like Stevie Miller, whose video of her makeup sponge containing bugs went viral. If you ever needed a reason to clean your makeup brushes and sponges, let it be this.
To protect your skin and kill any harmful bacteria that lingers in your makeup brushes, it’s a good idea to wash your brushes every 7 to 10 days.
To clean your makeup brushes, dermatologists recommend the following tips:
Rinse the tips of your brushes under lukewarm, running water to remove residual makeup. Only rinse the tip, as submerging the whole brush head will eventually dissolve the glue that connects the brush head to the handle.
Fill a bowl with lukewarm water and a tablespoon of either gentle shampoo or clarifying shampoo. Using plain soap and water can dry out the bristles.
Swirl each brush tip in the bowl. For a good lather, you can also massage each brush tip in the palm of your hand.
Rinse the brush tips under running water.
Continue shampooing and rinsing each brush until the water runs clear from the brush.
Squeeze out excess moisture with a clean, dry paper towel.
Lay your brushes flat to dry on a towel with the tips hanging off the edge of the counter. Do not dry your brushes upright in a container, as this will cause the water to run down the brushes, loosening the glue that connects the brush head with the handle.
And spray your brushes lightly with the Soopa Skin HOCl Rescue Mist to keep those bugs and viruses out of your brushes.
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