After reading various scary stories about the amount of grime my beauty brushes and make-up sponges could be harbouring, I’ve upped my game on the cleaning front recently. Brushes get washed and left to air-dry regularly, sponges are squeezed out under hot, soapy water and I’ve got pretty firm about binning anything that’s been hanging around in my make-up collection for too long (That three year old mascara? No, out you go).
However, this morning I read some advice from Saffron Hughes, MUA at FalseEyelashes.co.uk, and realised there is one major mistake I’ve been making when it comes to the hygiene of my beauty routine: my make-up bag itself.
Make-up bags can be contaminated with superbugs
According to Hughes: ‘Many people believe that using a makeup bag is a safe way to store their cosmetics, but it’s actually a hygiene disaster. Dead skin cells and bacteria from your brushes transfer to your makeup bag after every application.’ Yuck.
She goes on: ‘Shockingly, a study uncovered that 90% of makeup bags are contaminated with superbugs like E. coli due to improper cleaning. Instead, I recommend storing your make-up in drawers or on a dressing table, where the surfaces are easier to clean and less likely to harbour germs.’
Obviously, I am horrified to discover that my make-up bag could be seething with superbugs – especially because I’m making all this effort to wash my brushes and then shoving them back into a pouch riddled with skin-blemishing germs, by the sounds of things. The problem is that my make-up bag, despite being a fancy designer one, is almost impossible to clean. It’s leather on the outside and fabric inside, which means I can’t pop it in the washing machine but it’s not wipe-clean either.
While Hughes’ suggestion of storing make-up in drawers is a good one (I recommend Muji for some great transparent drawers), it’s not exactly practical for those of us who are always on the go. So I’ve done some digging for good alternative make-up bags that are more hygienic.
Large make-up bag
First up, there are clear plastic make-up bags – Space NK does the most attractive ones. They unzip round three sides, so you could empty them out, open them up fully and give them a good spritz and wipe with your chosen cleaning product (personally I find diluted washing up liquid in a spray bottle works for almost everything).
Bedfolk Dream Cotton Wash Bag
If you prefer something you can throw in the washing machine, then a basic cotton wash bag is a great idea – there are lots to choose from online, although I’m quite drawn to the simplicity of these Bedfolk ones, available in various colours from John Lewis.
The Flat Lay Co. Drawstring Bag
I’ve also discovered flat-lay make-up bags, and feel like I’ve been missing a trick, because not only do they open up flat so you can see all your make-up without having to dig your fingers through the entire collection every time, but they also can be popped in the laundry for easy, regular cleaning.
