It's fair to say we're all guilty of accumulating old make-up - stubs of old pencils and half a square of eye shadow left in the palatte where all other colors are missing. You get the picture.
But did you know old and stale makeup can contain bacteria? And that means germs being transferred from your dirty brushes, sponges and applicators onto your skin. That's great if you're looking to get eye infections or break out in pimples on Saturday night.
Start with one big clear-out of your makeup bag. Throw away tubes and pots of things you haven't touched in 6 months. Chances are you will never use them again and won't miss them. Anything caked or crumbling needs to go. Pencils are less than 4cm tall are difficult to sharpen, so sling those as well.
Now remove all the applicators. That includes sponges from compressed powders, brushes from blushes and sponge tips from eyeshadow palattes. Take your set of makeup brushes and together, place all these items in a sink of fresh hot water with a mild liquid soap swished in. Let everything soak for a while.
Meanwhile, using a clean cotton hanky or cloth, wipe clean all your makeup containers clean of smears and smudges. Place your lipsticks and pencils in a tupperware container inside your fridge door. Chilled pencils are less likely to break when sharpened and lipsticks are easier to apply when firmer, and last longer.
Mascara especially should be changed if it's more than 3 months old. Sponge applicators for foundations should be rinsed out with clean water after each application, and changed after a couple of months. Powder puffs should be washed and left to air dry once a week.
Remove all your items from the soapy water and rinse each one under cold running water until they are thoroughly clean. Leave out on a piece of kitchen paper to air dry over night.
Last but not least, don't stuff everything back into your old makeup bag. Wash the bag throughly, preferably in the washing machine.
Okay, now you ready to go. Your makeup is fit for application and will last a whole lot longer - and that means more money to spend when they next "must have" of makeup products hits the shops.
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As seen in Oprah’s Magazine!