Where would we be without our little bad habits? These trifling faults sometimes make our life much more bearable. Still, while some of them can be winked at, there are others which are insidious and should better be curbed. Makeup bad habits often fall into the latter category, working slow and subtle damages to the skin in particular and to health in general – so, let’s run over them to ensure that we are not doing our face injustice.
Don’t share your makeup, it’s NOT friendly!
You are so close with your friend that you think nothing of sharing your clothes and bijous with her. Do you extend the habit to your favorite lipstick? Better reconsider it. The good reason is not that she might bag it, actually the consequences may be far worse. Dermatology experts are certain that sharing lipsticks portends a high risk of getting infected. Stuff like lipsticks and eyeliners are apt to carry around viral infections (conjunctivitis, cold sores, and s.o.). There was even a case of a woman in Australia who allegedly contracted a staph infection and is now bound to a wheelchair after making use of her friend’s brushes.
Expired makeup is a strict no-no!
You’d hardly venture drinking milk that has expired, but you may feel different about your beauty products – or even fail to notice the expiration date. When you have gotten used to applying your favorite mascara (or any other product) you may automatically keep using it though it’s past its shelf life. But such products begin to collect bacteria, and you can end up with skin irritation or unwelcome problems like a pink eye. So, mind you paid attention to the information on the product telling how long it is good to use. Be especially careful with eyeliners and mascaras which have quite a short life – never use them for more than 3 months.
Don’t go to bed without taking your makeup off first!
Yes, there are times when you’re so spent by bedtime that you seem to be unable to do anything else except hit the pillow. So you don’t take the trouble to take off your makeup. Yet in the morning you may feel and notice the outcome of your omission on your skin and eyes. Your pores have been clogged all night and your eyes are irritated because when you turned your head on the pillow tiny makeup flakes found their way into the eyes. Waxes and oils in the makeup can jam glands during the night, which makes the skin go bumpy.
Be careful with lash extensions!
Lash glues can be rather harmful since some of them include formaldehyde, an eye irritant. If extensions are applied without due care, lashes can break off easily and eventually get brittle. So, using extensions requires certain precautions. First of all, avoid overusing them for fear of lash loss. Then, conduct a patch test to see whether you are allergic to formaldehyde and other glue ingredients.
Eyeliner over waterline augments bacteria!
There are quite many natural bacteria in your eyes as it is, to which eyeliner pencils add more foreign bacteria. Consequently, it is advisable to forgo lining the waterline (the line inside lashes) or the inner rims in order to avoid blocking oil glands and contracting infection. A recent research carried out by the University of Waterloo showed that applying eyeliner on the inside (compared to the outside) leaves from 15 to 30% more tiny liner flakes on the protective layer of the eye – a considerable difference!
