SPRING CLEANING FOR HEALTH

SPRING CLEANING FOR HEALTH

When was the last time you cleaned out your personal hygiene or beauty drawer?  If the answer you came up with was last year or even never – don’t delay!

We all want to look our best with the tools we have, but we sure don’t want them to make us sick. Well, what could happen you ask? Issues that come to mind are lip sores, eye infections, etc. which just might take you to the dermatologist or eye doctor. In other words, would you use the same drinking glass or stemware for 7-10 days straight without washing after each use? I didn’t think so. (^_^)

Storage

Begin with cleaning off shelves, drawers or bins where you store your items. Give them a good scrub down with old soap and water. Clean mirrors ~ include your makeup compact mirrors with a glass cleaner at least once a month.

Personal Grooming Tools

Pull out all nail clippers, tweezers, scissors, files, personal trimmers, etc. Give them an alcohol bath or wipe down and allow to dry on a clean washcloth or paper towel.

Wash and rinse all hair brushes and combs.

Ladies, deep clean your makeup brushes once a week (see Brushes*). After each daily use, use a quick cleaner/disinfectant on your makeup brushes and tools. We recommend Callais Brush Out! 30 second Cleaner Disinfectant.

So, while I’m on the beauty tools, use a makeup pencil sharpener on all of your lip and eye pencils, plastic bag them, then put them into the freezer for a few hours or overnight. Why in the world would I put them in the freezer, you ask? This will help the pencils last longer (especially if they’ve been out in the hot weather or in a closed up hot car). Wipe the sharpener blades down with alcohol.

Lip Products

Wipe down your lipstick tubes with an alcohol dampened makeup pad or square of a paper towel (only wipe off the used portion). Freeze them. Lip products need to recover from heat too and will be firm again to use. This will also disinfect the lipstick tube. If you had a cold, cold sore or the flu, for instance, recover, then use the same lipstick…well then, you’ll possibly re-infect yourself. Not pleasant!

Powders

Examine your pressed face, eyeshadow and blush powders. Check for any buildup. I.e. oily buildup. The buildup will look like small hard darker lumps or also described as uneven road maps. Oily skin buildup holds bacteria and if this happens, the product will not pull up onto you brush properly. Use a small cheese or hors d’oeuvres knife and gently scrape away the hardened area and toss away.

Brushes*

Pull out all brushes, even from your compacts. Using a liquid antibacterial soap for a deep cleaning. Fill a small bowl with warm soapy water just enough to cover the brush bristles. Swish the brush bristles only around to loosen the makeup product. Rinse well in clean water, repeat until water runs clear, and then squeeze out as much water as possible. Reshape the bristles to original shape, then let air-dry on a clean towel or paper towel. If you are in a hurry, you can use a hair dryer to gently blow the brushes dry. Brushes should be deep cleaned once a week.

Do not let your brushes stand upright in a container to dry as the water will collect in the ferrule where bacteria can breed, as well, as, weaken the glue that holds the bristles intact. Gently wipe down the brush handle or base with an alcohol wipe. Once the brushes are completely dry, spray bristles with Callais Brush Out! 30 second Cleaner Disinfectant or a mix of 50% distilled water and 50% rubbing alcohol. Let dry completely.

Powder Puffs and Sponges

All sponges (rounds or wedges), sponge tipped applicators, powder puffs, body loufahs and body sponges need to be washed, rinsed and dried too! Clean by swishing in antibacterial soap and water. Rinse well, squeeze and allow to dry. Toss makeup sponges after 3-4 washings.

Make the above a regular practice and you will have a healthier you!

Portions referenced Noreen Young; Brushup with Barbara