Keep it clean people...

I found it appropriate to discuss the importance of proper hygiene for your cosmetics and makeup applicators after I received a phone call from a friend of mine the other day questioning why her eyes were getting so irritated and could it possibly be due to the fact that she hasn't changed or cleaned the rubber on her eyelash curler in 7 years?!?!?

YESSSS!!! That tiny little eyelash curler is a bacteria breeding ground! It is recommended that you clean or replace all your makeup applicators every 3 months. It is so simple and could save you the hassle of a terrible eye infection.

All you have to do to keep that eyelash curler clean is:

*take a clean wash cloth and wet it with warm water

*dispense some of your daily face cleanser on to the wet wash cloth and lather it up

*scrub your eyelash curler (use your own judgement to decide how clean it is)

*once all the debris is scrubbed off, rinse the tool in warm water and lay it on a paper towel to air dry (preferably somewhere it won't collect other dirt and bacteria).

Other helpful tips to keep all your eye products bacteria free:

Eyeliner- spray or wipe your eyeliner pencil after each use with alcohol. It will dry quickly and stay sterile... and no worries, it will not ruin or dull the color of your pencil.

Mascara- You should replace your mascara every 3-4 months. #1 Rule for mascara- do not jam your mascara wand back and forth into the tube to get more mascara on it. This causes the mascara to pick up bacteria from the air along with making it dry out quicker and clump up.

Eyeshadow- Like all of your beauty products, you should replace your eyeshadow every year. Keep your sticky fingers out of them! Use a brush to apply or a spatula to scoop it out.

Follow these little tips and you will be sure to keep those little germs at bay : )

xoxo,

Meredith