Makeup brushes harbor bacteria. I feel as though this is information every woman (or man) who wears makeup knows — we just don't really desire to think nigh information technology.

But what you probably didn't know is that in addition to exacerbating your developed acne, your dingy-ass makeup brushes may also exist crumbling you and making you sick if you share them with others (and sometimes fifty-fifty if you stick to your own).

WHAT.

According to Brianna May, an esthetician who spoke to NBC 25News, "The moisture and the leaner is really going to build up and that's going to cause clogged pores, acne" and "it can become into your oil glands and tin can cause crumbling after."

Dr. Debbie Palmer, dermatologist and co-founder of Dermatology Associates of New York, agrees. She told Good Housekeeping, "Dirty makeup brushes can betrayal the skin to oxidative stress from free radicals, which causes a breakdown of collagen and elastin and tin effect in premature aging."

NOOOOO. We wear makeup to raise our looks, non damage them. Simply that'due south not all.

Andrea Blankenship, a cosmetology teacher at Mott Community College in Flintstone, MI, reiterates what our mothers told us long ago: "Never share, no double dipping."

If someone else had a staph infection or a MRSA infection, something like that and then you utilize their sponge…y'all could exist introducing that bacteria directly to your skin.

Sue Koler, also a cosmetology teacher at Mott, cautions makeup users to be especially vigilant virtually this rule when it comes to sharing eye and lip brushes, as the eyes and lips are mucous membranes, which makes them particularly susceptible to leaner that could lead to infections such equally pink middle or cold sores.

But it'due south not just your eyes and lips that are at run a risk.

Bethanee Schlosser, Chiliad.D., director of the Women's Pare Health Programme at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, told Self that even women who take eczema, utilize exfoliants, or get waxing done are prone to infection because these go out behind tiny open up sores and/or irritation, which is an invitation for leaner to come on in.

GROSS.

Robert Dudock, a biology professor at Mott, says the kind of bacteria in our makeup brushes are everywhere, and y'all tin't really completely rid your brushes of them. Still, it's worth maintaining a regular cleaning regimen when it comes to your cosmetic tools.

Blankenship and Koler recommend cleaning brushes with soap and h2o, air drying, disinfecting them, and air drying again at least one time per week. And as for sponges? They are a i and washed tool. Cleaning them is futile, so stock upwards, ladies (and gents). You're not going to want to reuse those.

And always, ever launder your easily earlier and later on applying makeup.

At present, if you'll excuse me, I take to go slather bacteria all over my face existent quick-like. I'm late for piece of work.

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