How to Prevent Cosmetics Contamination

The recent outbreak of the coronavirus has not only caused panic and chaos among communities, but has also created havoc amongst businesses small and large around the world. Whether it be deserted restaurants and shopping malls, or overcrowded grocery stores with endless lineups for toiletries, the effects of widespread disease reaches every individual around the world.

Medical experts around the world have all provided in depth analysis of the spread of the disease, it’s capacity for infection, and most of all, steps that we as individuals and communities can take to help reduce it’s spread and contain it where possible. And although there are no guarantees that practicing such measures will give a hundred percent results, they can significantly reduce the spread of the virus both locally and abroad.

How to Prevent Cosmetics Contamination

When it comes to dealing with household cosmetics, makeup, and other beauty products, the implementation of good hygiene is something important to consider. We seldom think of our makeup products as a source of contamination, but the regular use of such products can create an environment where both bacteria and viruses can accumulate and potentially infect us if not cleaned properly.

Many of our makeup and skin care products are left in our bathrooms collected on shelves. Therefore it’s important to remember to not only wash your hands before using them, but also to wipe down the bottles and jars with a disinfectant before opening them for our daily routine. For products that are applied with makeup brushes, regular washing and disinfection of brushes is a must.

The following is a simple step by step guide to cleaning your brushes:

1. Squeeze a small amount of liquid soap into a container or mug and fill with warm water.
2. Swirl your brushes in the water and gently massage the bristles to further remove any residue or makeup product.
3. Rinse with clean water and carefully squeeze the water out.
4. Lay flat to dry on clean paper towel.

So what types of cleaning products can and should be used? Generally when wiping down hard surfaces, standard disinfecting wipes such as Lysol or Clorox are a good choice. However, when it comes to washing your makeup brushes, a gentler product should be considered since there is direct contact with the face. Using soap with warm water is often considered effective, but recently products such as Virus Soap have provided new disinfecting power without being harsh on the skin. The company claims on their website that their unique soap is made with lipid like substances called amphiphiles that disrupt viral proteins and remove them from surfaces.

The most important thing to remember is that prevention in all forms is often the key to creating safe health environments both in the home and outside. By practicing good cleaning habits, not only do we protect ourselves, but also our loved ones and anyone else we come in contact with.