Written By: Tania Tarafdar | Updated : November 16, 2017 4:43 PM IST
Lipstick: Adding a hue of colour to your lips can immediately make your day better. Choosing a lovely bright colour like red can instantly make you happy [1]!
You definitely do not want to walk into a beauty store looking for a wine colour lipstick and leave with a deadly disease. While you cannot carry herpes as cold sores need skin to skin contact to spread, other infections can spread through cosmetic products. It is okay to not toss a lipstick if someone just suffered a cold because the chances that you will get infected by cold germs are low. That is because the virus dies quickly. However, the respiratory virus can survive on a surface for varying amounts of time depending on the environmental conditions and the type of virus. If someone has just suffered anything more than a cold like a strep throat, flu, or mono it will be easy for the bacteria to live longer and increase the chance of an infection.
Wipe the sample with alcohol and then use
According to dermatologist Dr Sejal Shah, the risk of infection is more when you test the sample on mucosal membranes that includes your mouth and eyelids. So you should ideally not use any sample in these areas and just try the new ones. But if you still want to test that lipstick shade or that foundation, you can simply wipe down any product with alcohol before getting it in contact with your skin. But you may still want to use completely new products while testing the product on mucosal surfaces or anywhere close to your eyes. These shocking facts about lipstick might just keep you off them.
Other tips
You can also use a disposable make-up applicator if available. For instance, you can ask for a sample that has just been tested with a disposable applicator. Go ahead with trying out the lipstick shade if they provide you with a lip brush. Also, it can be a good idea to test the sample on your hands rather than trying it out on your face. Also, share your smiles, mot your lipstick.
