Makeup Bags Are Carrying A Shockingly High Percentage Of Potentially Deadly Bacteria

Moms.com

Watch Out! More Than 90% Of Makeup Bags Have Deadly Superbugs Lurking, Study Finds

By Kelli Catana

Published Dec 3, 2019

A new study has shown that over 90% of certain makeup products tested carry potentially deadly bacteria due to lack of cleaning and past due dates.

Credit: iStock

Let this serve as your reminder to clean out your makeup bag immediately! Every woman knows that they should be routinely cleaning their makeup brushes and sponges and throwing out old makeup once it's been lingering in the makeup bag too long, but we all know that not everyone does this. However, the results of this new study out of Aston University in the UK may make you realize just how important it is to do this on the regular, especially once you find out what may be lurking in your own makeup bag.

According to new research led by Dr. Amreen Bashir and Professor Peter Lambert of Aston University’s School of Life and Health Sciences, many of the makeup products women use on a daily basis could be infected with potentially deadly superbugs like E.coli and Staphylococci!

The study found that 90% of the products tested contained bacteria that could result in a variety of illnesses ranging from skin infections to even blood poisoning if it happened to be used near the eyes or mouth, especially if there were any cuts or nicks on the skin. Researchers showed that people who were immunocompromised were at an even greater risk of infection. Beauty blenders, mascara, and lip gloss were some of the worst offenders.

If you're a fan of the beauty blender sponge to apply your makeup you may want to pay special attention because they were found to carry the highest level bacteria that could potentially be harmful. Beauty blenders have become all the rage in the last few years, allowing people to get nice coverage when applying their makeup, but unfortunately, they also seem to be the dirtiest. The research showed that a whopping 93% of these beauty blenders were never cleaned even though the study found that 64% had been dropped on the floor while being used.

“Consumers’ poor hygiene practices when it comes to using make-up, especially beauty blenders, is very worrying when you consider that we found bacteria such as E.coli - which is linked with fecal contamination - breeding on the products we tested," Dr. Bashir noted. “More needs to be done to help educate consumers and the make-up industry as a whole about the need to wash beauty blenders regularly and dry them thoroughly, as well as the risks of using make-up beyond its expiry date.”

Not cleaning products isn't the only reason for the growth of such bacteria. The study also found that many women are using products long past their expiry date. This may be the perfect time to stock up on some new beauty blenders for the holidays and pitch those old ones before they have the chance to make you sick!