How to Modify Your Beauty Routine for Safe Self-care

Practicing clean beauty goes beyond the ingredient list during a pandemic

We all understand the importance of washing our hands. But when it comes to our daily skin care and makeup routine, how much attention are we paying to avoiding bacteria and other pathogens we may encounter when applying products?

Here are some great tips ways to keep your self-care hygienic…

1. Wash your makeup brushes

Is it an obvious one? Yes. Do we do this regularly? No. To eliminate any bacteria that may be festering on your makeup brushes and beauty blenders, give your tools a good wash every week to eliminate all possible contamination. And this goes for handles, lipsticks, mascara wands and palettes, too—basically anything you touch before you touch your face. If you don’t have a brush cleaner on hand (we highly recommend this one from Ativo), not to worry. All you need is a gentle soap (regular soaps can dry out brush bristles) and water. Simply swirl the makeup brush on your clean hand and rinse carefully. Lightly squeeze out excess water with a clean towel, reform the bristles, and let the brush dry off an edge of a counter.

2. Trim your nails

Keeping your nails short can prevent germs and bacteria from getting trapped underneath then transferring to everything you touch. And with nail salons temporarily closed, this is a great time to go low-maintenance and keep them short and tidy.

3. Don’t use your fingers

To prevent the spread of unwanted germs, avoid dipping your fingers into your favourite product. Instead, try using a small spatula to scoop the product onto the back of your hand and then apply it to your face. Just make sure to clean whatever tool you decide to use. Another way to avoid having to touch product is by shopping smarter: products in pumps and squeeze tubes are a great way to eliminate cross contamination.

4. Take proper care of your glasses and contacts

Wearing eyewear automatically means you need to touch your face. And aside from thoroughly washing your hands before and after removing contacts and glasses, there are a couple of other ways you can prevent bacteria from spreading. Make sure to disinfect your glasses before every use as you’re likely placing them down on unsanitized surfaces without even realizing. Contact lens wearers should also dispose of their daily lenses each evening, and regularly disinfect their monthly/weekly lenses to ensure they remain contamination-free.