IS YOUR MAKE-UP BAG A HEALTH THREAT?

By Zuzana Ritchie, Beauty Writer and Make-Up Artist

We all have our favourite mascara or a lipstick that we hang on to for dear life but what if those favourites, together with the ‘Oh, I forgot I even had this’ products that lurk in our make-up bag, pose a serious threat to our health? We look at the most frequent offenders that outlived their usefulness.

AU REVOIR, MASCARA

Mascara has the shortest shelf life of all beauty products. Liquid products can encourage the growth of more bacteria. Double-dipping its brush with every usage increases the risk of eye infection.

Ditch it after 3 months.

SO LONG, PENCIL

Your favourite eye pencils and lip pencils tend to be used up pretty quickly but keep them health-risk free by sharpening them before and after every use. You’ll prolong their life too. Be merciless with any old, stubby pencils and trash them immediately.

Ditch it after 1 year.

LAST KISS GOODBYE, LIPGLOSS

With a heightened risk of cold sores, lipgloss is another product that needs to be watched closely, due to its liquid form and double-dip method of usage. If it smells funny or its colour has changed, you know what to do.

Ditch it after 6 months.

SEE YA, EYE SHADOW

Powder eye shadows normally last a long time but if they become hard and dry and barely transfer any colour onto your skin, there’s no point hanging onto them.

Ditch them after 2 years and cream eye shadows after 1 year.

FAREWELL, MAKE-UP FOUNDATION

Another liquid make-up product that may harness bacteria harmful to your skin, if you keep it for too long. When the foundation changes its original consistency and starts separating, feels runny or becomes clumpy, it’s time to say goodbye.

Ditch it after 1 year.

TOP TIP: Don’t forget about the actual make-up bag. All that healthy feng shui-ing will be pointless if your make-up bag looks like a warzone inside. Machine-wash it or dip it in a soapy water and rinse.

By Zuzana Ritchie, Beauty Writer and Make-Up Artist