September
2008
Makeup Pads, Bacteria and Your Skin
I am a huge fan of using spongy makeup pads to apply my foundation. I don’t know what I’d do if I had to actually go back to using my fingers before I found my favorite makeup pads, which are only found at Wal-Mart that I know of. The ones I use come in a white color and are oval or egg shaped, and they are still the only makeup pad I will use, so I don’t know what I’ll do if they ever discontinue them.
Makeup pads are great for applying your makeup, especially for those that have had acne and have scarring and unevennes they want to cover up or camouflage, because makeup pads help you to apply just the right amount of foundation. Because they absorb some of it, you don’t end up with that excess makeup on your face, which can lead to a chalky look, and you also don’t usually end up with too little either, which can leave your less than perfect areas not adequately camouflaged. They give a great finish and I recommend them to anyone who uses liquid foundation like I do.
Now, for the bad part. And I’m not saying I haven’t been occasionally guilty of this too, is that sometimes you can go too long between washings and let your makeup pads build up a lot of old makeup, dead skin and bacteria. Because they are essentially wet when you’re done using them, they can accumulate bacteria very easily, so take care that you wash them periodically.
I’d say a good rule of thumb is to wash them out about once a week. This way you don’t let too much gunk build up in them. Many makeup application sponges are washable, you just have to read the label. If they don’t indicate it, just try one out. I usually wash mine in the sink with warm water and add a tiny bit of soap to get the old foundation out, and then let them air dry because I’m really not sure if they are drier safe or not - they may shrink or be ruined from the heat. This will ensure that you don’t aggravate your acne or bring on new breakouts since we all know that trapped bacteria in those nice clear pores is one of the worst things to cause acne.
