7 Easy Ways to Reproductive Proof Your Beauty Routine

You wash your hands, don't touch your face, and disinfect everything visible. But the number one factor we often overlook in our chronic battle with bacteria? Your beauty routine. Don't be surprised. However, cosmetics and skin care products are breeding grounds for bacteria. Therefore, it is very important to follow proper procedures before putting anything on your face. Here are seven small steps that you can take. It will help a lot in keeping all that bacteria at bay.

1. Use an antibacterial spray.

You have used antibacterial or antibacterial cleaning products around your home. Now it's time to spray your vanity. Similar to hand sanitizers, cosmetic disinfectant sprays have been shown to kill 99.99% of bacteria within 60 seconds and inhibit further growth of bacteria in between uses. Sephora Clean Up Nice Antibacterial Spray, can be applied to tools, creams, pencils, powders, and palettes to refresh your routine.

2. Wash your makeup brushes.

Your brushes are the backbone of your beauty kit. As much as your face may be clean, makeup brushes (and sponges) need to be cleaned at least once a week (if not more) to prevent the spread of bacteria. Besides it is a factor, dirt and oil buildup on makeup brushes can spur an onslaught of skin conditions, including rashes and acne outbreaks. If you want to remove the remaining dirt from your precious tools without damaging the quality of the bristles, baby shampoo, gentle face cleanser, or EcoTools makeup brush cleansing shampoo.

3. Disinfect your lipstick.

How many times a day do you reapply your lipstick? Due to our naturally warm and moist environment, our mouths are swimming with bacteria. Of course, there are also leftover food and dead skin cells that are transferred to the lipstick during midday touch-ups. Still grossed out? There is a simple solution. Roll up the lipstick so that most of the bullet is exposed, then submerge the pigment completely in a small cup of isopropyl alcohol for about 30 seconds. Once the product is removed from the cup, it will be completely bacteria free.

4. Use a skin care applicator instead of your fingers.

We all love a good jar of moisturizer, but have you thought about how many times you dip your finger in it? If you're not careful in your approach to application, you could end up with a lot more information in those jar files than just the product itself. Always sanitize your hands before applying anything to prevent your skin care from becoming full of bacteria. For good measure, using a skin care applicator is an excellent way to avoid infection and keep your products clean. Sephora Face Mask Applicator, although some skin care products without a pump may come with one.

5. Throw out expired products.

Yes, makeup does have an expiration date. Take this as a cue to finally wipe out those drab palettes and dry mascaras from years ago. As a rule of thumb, the easiest way to determine if a product has served its time properly is to observe visual and olfactory changes. If the product separates, changes in color or texture, or smells, it is probably well past its expiration date. For some skin care products, you can look at the bottom of the container. Usually, you will see a number such as 12M or 18M. This means that the product will expire in 12 or 18 months after opening.

6. Clean your makeup bag.

Not so fun fact: Studies have shown that handbags may contain more bacteria than the average toilet seat. Still, most makeup bags, if any, usually go months without being cleaned. Skipping this very important step can make disinfecting all your products pointless. If you are using a plastic cosmetic pouch, wipe the inside with a soapy towel or disinfecting wipe. If you are using a cloth version, drop it in the washing machine and run it once under hot water to remove any bacteria.

7. Never share your makeup.

When it comes to makeup, no sharing is caring. Letting a friend borrow your makeup is a one-way ticket to infection. This is especially true for eye products, as eyes are susceptible to bacterial infections. In fact, many illnesses such as the common cold and flu are spread through saliva and mucus, so it's best to be generous with yourself (and for them).