Make Up Bag Clean Up!

hello beauty queens,

It isn't hard to tell by now how much of an extreme germaphobe i am. So when i saw some tips on how to keep your make up bag super clean, i was instantly drawn in. I then thought of different things i do without even noticing since being a fanatic is such second nature to me, and made a short list below.

 

Most girls don't know that every time you pull out your lip gloss or mascara, bacteria starts to  descend, ready to spread nasty infections such as sties, cold sores and the flu even!! && surprisingly, a new survey from the folks at Q-tips has found that only 34% women clean their makeup bags at least once a year!

press the reset button;;

First of all, dump out everything and clean the bag thoroughly (inside and out) using anti-bacterial wipes or baby shampoo - Dawn sometimes works due to its grease fighting. Allow to dry completely before replacing the contents. Next, wash all makeup brushes thoroughly, whether or not they seem visibly dirty. This is also the perfect time to take stock of what you are actually using right now and store away the rest in a cool, dry place.

sanitize, sanitize, sanitize;;

I have an abundant supply of 99.9% alcohol, hand sanitizer and antibacterial brush cleansers. Once a month (or after you have had any infection, if you do)-- gently swab all makeup surfaces – blush, compact powder or foundation, lipstick, etc – with the 99% alcohol to DE-germify. And keep a pencil sharpener handy – it’s the best way to keep your brow, eye and lip pencils sanitized. i also sanitize all outsides of each containers.

switch to plastic;;

Powders, dyes and germs latch on to cloth or canvas surfaces, making them difficult to clean. A makeup bag made from plastic, on the other hand, can be easily cleaned with a wet cloth, making it easier to maintain. a lot of people have various thoughts on this as with cloths, you can always throw it in the washer and dryer. only issue i have with that is i'd have to wash it by itself as i wouldnt want any of the poweders or creams getting onto any of the other items in with it.

sharing is not caring;; Try your best not to share make up - especially mascaras and eyeliners. some make think some thing like eye shadows are okay, but if you use your make up brush on it, apply to your eye, go get more, then reapply, you are putting the bacteria and skin cells on that eye shadow now. when your friend goes to use it, the same thing will occur. this is not being selfish–merely smart && safe. Even your own bacteria is something to ward against as much as possible let alone another human beings!

double tasking;;

do not double-task your tools. Lip brushes should only be used on the lips, and the same goes for eyes. This is not a place to  mix-and-match. this is how cross contamination can easily occur. all parts of the face carry different skin bacterium you do not want getting mixed up. your mouth has a ton of acids in it to break down food, would you want any of those getting in your eyes per say? not likely.

make up is life <3

Now for individual make up items, i listed one by one and what i do to

keep them cleaned as best as i can. i got a lot of these tips from a simple google search.

lipstick;;

metal containers are the best to buy as they aren't as bad of a breeding ground for bacteria like plastis ones are. as far as cleaning your lipstick, it’s a two-step method and should be followed every two weeks, or at least once a month. first grab a q-tip, hold it at an angle, slightly twist up your lipstick, and then scrape the top of the lipstick off. you don’t have to remove a large chunk, but instead remove the top layer of the lipstick. second, pour some rubbing alcohol [or shitty vodka] into a small dish and duck your exposed lipstick into the solution for at least 30 seconds. afterwards you can allow it to air dry, or gently wipe dry with a clean tissue.

pencils;;
This includes any type of makeup pencil from lip liner to eyeliner, brow pencil, etc. the simplest way to keep pencils clean is to sharpen them before each use. you don’t have to remove that many layers, just a couple quick twists will do. if your pencils are retractable instead of sharpening, then pour some rubbing alcohol or vodka into a small container then dip the tip of the pencil into the solution for 30-seconds. later air dry or gently wipe dry with a clean tissue.

foundation;;
If you use a liquid foundation in an open bottle that requires the use of your fingertip, then you have to pour out the very top portion of the foundation in order to clean it. This doesn’t always remove all germs, since you tend to shake your foundation. this really bothered me so what i began doing was using q-tips to dip into the bottle instead, usually get a goop on the top of my hand, and use my foundation brush to apply face. of course wash and sanitize your hands every time you begin doing your make up. also use a different clean q-tip each time!

The ideal foundation will come in a pump, enclosed squeeze container, or in a large jar if you use a mousse or thicker cream foundation. the pump foundation is the cleanest, and you only need to take an antibacterial wipe to the pump in order to remove germs. squeeze containers are similar, requiring only the cleaning of the tip with an antibacterial wipe every two weeks. just remember not to touch the tip of the squeeze container with your fingertip, since this can cause germs to go into the container.

cake eyeshadow, powder, blush, & bronzer ;;

cake makeup products such as eye shadow and blush are rather easy to clean. Simply grab a butter knife and scrape the top of the product into the trash can. Just be careful not to press down hard or you’ll break your product into pieces. This is also a good plan if you use a powder often and you form a compacted shiny area on the product, which is caused by oil from your skin.

make up bags && cases;;
Bags and cases that we store our makeup in can get very dirty quickly.  refer to the blog post i posted on keeping your make up bag germ-free! At least twice a month, or at least monthly, you should remove all products from your bag or case and give it a good cleaning. The best and quickest way to do this is with antibacterial wipes. Simple wipe the inside of the bag or case until any makeup residue is gone. do not wipe the outside of your bag or case with antibacterial wipes unless you know that it will not damage the finish.if you feel that your makeup bag or case is still loaded with germs after wiping them down then simply place them in the freezer overnight. The extreme cold will destroy any germs left behind, even after using antibacterial wipes.

make up brushes ;;

Brushes may seem difficult to clean, but it’s actually very easy. i am currently writing a more in depth blog post on this and will be posting later this month. In between washing your makeup brushes. you can spray them with a solution of one part water to nine parts vodka or rubbing alcohol. Spray the solution on a dry cloth and then wipe your brush across it, quickly and easily removing makeup from the surface of the bristles. It’s a good idea to do this after each use, and then follow up with a regimen for washing your makeup brushes every two weeks or every month.

makeup products you can’t clean;;

 There are certain products you can’t clean, and should be thrown out after using it for so long or if you end up with an infection. i have the basic life line of each item listed below.

--the most important product not to clean is mascara. You may think you can clean the wand in order to keep the mascara longer, but germs still get into the product with each use. Besides, mascara isn’t manufactured to last for years so just let it go. in extreme situations, i'll just use water and a baby wipe the wand  down, but that's as far as i will go. it is also dangerous to use a product as opposed to just water as the products may cause eye infections, or a sty.

-- lip gloss in a tube is easier to clean because you can wipe down the tip, but sponge applicators and pan lip gloss can’t really be saved and should be tossed if you have an infection. otherwise, if it smells normal you may be able to keep it for a year or two.

-- disposable makeup sponges are just that; disposable. They are not meant to be washed and reused for months at a time. If you find that you’re getting more breakouts than normal and you use sponge applicators then toss them ASAP.

-- nail polish really can’t be cleaned. So if you have a fungal infection on your nails, or you let a friend use your favorite nail polish and they have an infection just throw that shit out. it’s better to buy a new one than take the risk of getting a nail infection..those are never fun!

So that's it in a nutshell

so tell me how often do you all clean your makeup bag?
tell me in the comments section--i promise not to judge!

if you learned some thing new, or have some thing to add let me know and i'll add it on!!