Beware of sharing your makeup with others…health risks to your skin!

Specialized medical reports have warned against the common habit among women of sharing cosmetics and makeup tools with friends or relatives, stressing that this spontaneous behavior carries great health risks to the skin, eyes, and lips as a result of the transmission of bacteria and viruses.

Experts explained that using shared makeup tools leads to direct health damage, most notably:

Eye infections: Mascara and eyeliner are among the tools that most transmit bacteria, and sharing them may cause conjunctivitis (pink eye) and transmit a rapidly spreading visual infection.

Pimples and acne: Oils, dead cells, and acne-causing bacteria are transferred from one skin to another through makeup brushes and sponges, leading to skin irritation and the appearance of pimples.

Lip ulcers (herpes): Sharing lipstick or lip balm causes the transmission of the “herpes simplex” virus, which is responsible for the appearance of painful sores around the mouth, even if the other person does not have symptoms.

In order to maintain skin safety, specialists stressed the need to treat cosmetics as very personal tools that cannot be shared, making sure to wash and sterilize brushes and sponges periodically, and dispose of products as soon as they expire or change in smell or texture.