5 Tips for Practicing Good Beauty Hygiene During the COVID-19 Outbreak
Practicing good beauty hygiene by properly cleaning your brushes and brush care tools has always been necessary, but is especially important during the rapidly evolving COVID-19 global outbreak. While we all should be doing our best to stop the spread, now is a great time to take extra sanitary precautions. Follow these tips to keep your fave beauty products clean and avoid potentially spreading unwanted bacteria.
Tip 1: It’s critical to wash hands frequently with soap and water (or using alcohol-based sanitizers if you’re in a pinch). This is especially true before handling skincare, makeup or touching your face. Avoid biting your nails and take care to keep them trimmed or long nails cleaned to prevent the transfer of bacteria onto your products. Ensure your hands are clean or use sanitary skincare tools before applying any skincare products prior to makeup.
Tip 2: The CDC recommends cleaning AND disinfecting frequently touched surfaces. This should also include sanitizing all daily beauty tools. Make sure to wash your makeup brushes (sponges, too!) before applying products. Remember to clean your brushes AND the containers you store them in, while wiping down any mirrors and tables to prevent spreading bacteria to clean products/brushes.
Tip 3: Refrain from sharing any makeup products, especially with those who are feeling sick. Many brands have taken steps to remove in-store testers or temporarily close retail operations to prevent the additional spread of germs. Make sure to avoid using any communal makeup testers or fragrance bottles that may remain on shelves.
Tip 4: Deep clean the brushes you use for liquid and cream products frequently. Foundation and concealer brushes should be sanitized more often, as they are more likely to harbor bacteria.
PRO Tip: To prevent transferring germs, avoid blowing on makeup brushes used for powder or eyeshadow. Instead, gently tap off any excess product before applying.
Tip 5: Consider tossing or replacing products with shorter expiration dates, like tubes of mascara, or instead, use a disposable spoolie brush to apply to lashes. Sharpen your eye and lip pencils before each use and utilize an alcohol solution to sanitize your pencil sharpener. For lipstick, use a spatula to gently scrape excess product onto a palette and apply with a lip brush, making sure to clean it after each use.
All of these tips are important to maintain good beauty hygiene, but especially if you have been sick. If you have been sick, clean or discard any beauty products that have been used while sick to prevent spreading more unwanted bacteria. Stay clean, stay safe!