Ewww, what's on your lipstick??

Mintel (a leading global research organization that publishes studies on the beauty industry) recently published a report that highlighted the dangers associated with using outdated cosmetics.  We all know that as beauty products age, they lose their efficacy but did you know that outdated products can actually be hazardous to your health??

Alexandra Richmond, Mintel's senior beauty analyst, said: "These latest findings highlight a lack of information available on cosmetic sell-by dates. Repeated exposure to bacteria from the mouth affects lip colour cosmetics, while out-of-date mascara and eye pencils can raise the risk of infections. Natural and organic products containing fewer or no preservatives have a shorter shelf-life than conventional products and therefore potentially harbor higher levels of bacteria."

Interestingly enough, Dr. Oz (of Oprah Winfrey show fame) kicked off his new TV show with a segment on the dangers of using yucky (unclean) or old cosmetics.  The bacteria found in cosmetics can cause vomiting, diarrhea, and even meningitis!

Dr. Oz shared the following tips:

1. Absolutely, under no circumstances, should you share lipstick or lipgloss.  These products harbor bacteria which can be transmitted from person to person.  You can actually catch Herpes from using an infected person's lipstick and since some people show no signs (i.e. no cold-sores), you wouldn't even know you were immediately infected.
2. To kill bacteria on your own lipstick, dip the lipstick in ispropyl alcohol for 15-20 seconds.
3. Do not "pump" your mascara.  This actually introduces more air into the product and creates a breeding ground for bacteria. To kill bacteria, Dr. Oz recommends freezing mascara tubes overnight. Who knew?!?
4. To clean pressed powder, take a plastic butter knife and scrape off the top layers of the powder until it looks (in both color and texture) like it did when you first purchased it.
5. Regularly sharpen eye pencils.  Sharpening discards old layers, revealing fresh product underneath.
6. Wipe down your make-up bag with sanitizing or alcohol wipes at least once per week.

For more information on when to toss your cosmetics, check out my earlier post on this topic.

Comments

[atlanta spa]

i used lipstick with a long life and can be used for long time that will not expired.

[Lauri Hersh]

Who would have thought that make-ups can also be breeding grounds for bacteria. But it does seem logical, since we use them in the most bacteria prone areas of our face, especially lipsticks.

[2mg xanax]

I do not know if this is normal or true. A few years ago there was a rumor / story that has aluminum or lead in lipsticks Clinic. I do not know if it was true or not.