Be Nice To Your Makeup

We poke, we prod, we smudge—sometimes, we’re downright rude to our precious products. But bad beauty manners no more! Learn tips to treat your makeup and skin care products with more respect.

1. Protect your products.

Beauty products need SPF just as much as your face does. The pigments in your makeup are incredibly sensitive, and can fade when exposed to prolonged direct sunlight. The ingredients in many vitamin C serums and sunscreens can become highly unstable upon UV exposure, which means they’re not as effective at doing their job on your skin. To preserve product functionality, keep all makeup and skin products away from windows and bright lights. If possible, decant the contents of clear plastic and glass bottles into opaque blue or brown bottles to further reduce light exposure.

2. Prevent bacterial growth.

You know what beauty products hate most? Heat and moisture. So why is it that most Beauties store their collections in the bathroom? Steam from the shower helps propagate bacterial growth all over, so it’s time for a makeup moving day! For those who can’t bear to banish their makeup entirely, compromise by at least taking out bacteria-happy cream-based makeup. Store your skin care regimen under the sink or in a cool, dry place.

3. Give it a rinse.

If you have to think hard to recall when you last washed your makeup brushes, perhaps there’s a problem. Cleaning the packaging of your beauty staples can prevent so much dirt and dead skin cell buildup. Give your favorite products a weekly swipe with a clean, damp washcloth (or a disposable face wipe for the ultra-lazy). Also, dry off your bath accessories after a hot shower to prevent rust—it’s possible to keep the same razor blade fresh for weeks!