What do older sisters, BFFs, and glamorous aunts have in common? They’re your 3 am phone call, quintessential wingmen (or women), ride-or-die all rolled into one. ‘Sharing is caring’ has always been your motto and there’s no limit to how much you would give – or take – from each other.
And it’s definitely more fun to share (nay, borrow) if it means saving some major dough – – from designer clothes, Netflix passwords, and gas points to bar tabs, cell phone plans, and even the occasional credit card swipe – but certainly not when it comes to boyfriends, beauty products or makeup tools.
Because the ugly and scary truth is that in this not-so-ideal-world, viruses and bacteria exist – and they thrive in colonies, residing in innocent inanimate objects like your used cosmetics and skincare must-haves.
There may be many lucky ones out there who have escaped unscathed for years of unbothered trading of lipsticks, mascaras, and whatnot; for others though, there are some pretty nasty consequences that can occur – and these are the five definite dangers you should watch out for.
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An influx of bacteria
Like we’ve said before, clean skin is the foundation to great skin*. But it wouldn’t make a difference if your foundation brush, or blending sponge, or miracle-cream-in-a-jar has turned into a petri dish of bacteria after loosing its ‘for personal use only’ tag since you bought it.
Though every chemical has a different absorption rate and that most of what we put on our skin is absorbed much too slowly than what is advertised by makeup and skincare manufacturers, one thing is for certain: your body absorbs what you apply on it – and that includes all bacteria found in your makeup tools and beauty products. -
Dead skin cells (and all facial grime)
Cleansing devices and cosmetic tools are not meant to be shared for a reason: they glide across your pollution-ridden skin daily so it is totally unhygienic – and impolite – to have another human being use it too. -
Constant breakouts
Did you know that an excess of bacteria can be so irresistibly charming for those pore-clogging cysts and acne-inducing breakouts?
If you find yourself popping zits more than usual, then maybe you and your best bud should quit cold turkey in swapping with each other the same powder blush or pressed foundation. -
Eye infection
Every time you push the wand back in to lube up the brush head, it brings in enough air for aerobic bacteria to feed on. Liquid eyeliners, on the other hand, are quick breeding grounds for all sorts of viruses and fungi.
If you find people double-dipping food into a communal sauce gross, then it’s so much worse to cross-contaminate your favorite eye products (think sty’s, staph infections, and warts – yuck!) regardless of your thick-as-thieves status with your BFF. -
Viral Illnesses
No, we're not kidding. Your lipsticks and lip balms can be a herpes playground if you pass it around like candy on Halloween.
Unless you are a hundred percent sure you can sanitize it every time your friend borrows it, sharing your lip product should be off-limits unless you’ve got some kind of built-in resistance for keeping cold sores at bay.
Say NO to swapping, double-dipping, and trading! Stock your at-home beauty and skincare arsenal with the right products and tools so you can perfect your look without worrying about all the insanely icky stuff you get from sharing and borrowing. Check out TEI SPA BEAUTY’s entire line of FDA-cleared skincare products and aesthetician-approved beauty tools today so you can achieve flawless, radiant beauty that celebrates your own uniqueness.