collaborative post
We tend to associate a beauty regime with using the best products for our skin and we often spend months, even years on finding exactly the right combination of products to suit ourselves. But what you might not realise is that by not making sure you're using products and tools safely, you might actually be exposing yourself to all sorts of nasty germs and bacteria that can cause some pretty nasty conditions. Here are a few things that you need to keep in mind, aside from the next best skincare product...
I know it seems blindingly obvious but when’s the last time you cleaned your makeup brushes? By “brushes”, we also mean any equipment or tools that you use to apply any type of makeup - foundation brushes, beauty blenders, eyeshadow brushes… the list goes on and on. These tools should be cleaned on a regular basis in order to prevent the build up of bacteria. Using the same brush for too long can be unhygienic and you can find that your skin worsens for it. There are plenty of tutorials out there on how to clean brushes effectively. You can also pick up cleaning solution and cleaning palettes relatively easily now too! Brushes and tools used daily with heavy products such as foundation brushes and concealer brushes ideally need to be washed once a week; eye brushes should be at least once every two weeks and other brushes such as blusher brushes should be washed once a month. To keep your brushes in the best condition always make sure you use a mild soap or a special brush cleanser.
Replace Makeup and Skincare Products Believe it or not, makeup and other beauty products (such as cleansers and moisturisers) can go out of date. All of these products have a shelf life. It can be found in the illustration of a small pot on most products. Printed on the pot will generally be a number followed by “M”. This indicates the number of months you should use the product for. I know it might pain you to do so but you need to dispose of products once this time has passed. Clean Piercings Again, seems like an obvious one but this is something that you can pay for in the long run if you don’t get it right first time round. When you have any piercing, you will generally be given care instructions by your piercer. Make sure to read these and follow them. If you haven’t been given any advice for your specific piercing automatically, you should always ask. For most piercings, the general protocol is to clean and soak the piercing with a solution of boiled water and rock salt. You can use a Q tip to do this. You may also want to dab a little tea tree oil on the area once it has dried too. If you fail to do this regularly, your piercing may become susceptible to infection. Make sure to leave your piercing in for the recommended period of time before removing it and changing the jewellery it was pierced with for other jewellery. This will help the piercing to heal. Once you can change the jewellery, and if you do choose to change it, make sure to only ever use the jewellery designed for the size hole you have. Use rook jewellery for rook piercings, tongue bars for your tongue, and belly button bars for your belly button. Also only ever use brand new and sterilised jewellery. Is there any part of your beauty product upkeep that you always neglect, or do you have any other tips and tricks for staying germ free in your beauty regime?
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