There’s A Lot Of Bacteria Lurking In Your Makeup Bag

Deep in the dark, moist depths of your makeup bag lurk some shocking truths that you’d probably rather not know. From that year-old liquid foundation and those unwashed brushes to the slowly drying mascara and out of date lip balm, it's time to stop ignoring these items. Because while we’ve been turning a blind eye, they've been busy making friends. Bad ones.

“It’s a well-known fact that makeup bags are a breeding ground for bacteria,” explains Dr Anjali Mahto, consultant dermatologist at the Cadogan Clinic. “Many laboratory-based tests where makeup items have been swabbed have shown the growth of all sorts of different microbes that can cause infection.” Nancy Crossley, makeup artist and founder of Beauty So Clean adds, “We have done studies with outside labs and on average, 11 out of 25 products tested contained Staphylococcus Aureus [a common cause of skin infections and food poisoning], Pseudomonas Aeruginosa [which can trigger bloodstream infections and pneumonia] and E-Coli.”

So… how much bacteria could be in your makeup bag? Short answer: a lot. But there’s also a lot you can do about it. Click on...