Professional makeup artists name the most dangerous habits: we are all guilty

Most women apply makeup on their own, without the help of a professional artist every time. In addition, each of us has our own habits in skin care and choice of cosmetics.

However, there are habits that makeup artists call dangerous. HuffPost talked to several professionals in this field and determined what you have to change when applying makeup.

Not washing brushes and other tools regularly

All makeup artists say that the most harmful thing for your skin is using brushes that are not properly cleaned.

Just imagine: all the dust, dead skin cells, and bacteria that multiply are on your brushes. This is especially important for those with problematic and sensitive skin and frequent breakouts.

"Sponges are a breeding ground for bacteria, especially if you use them and don’t store them properly," says Tilly Ferrari, a London-based makeup artist.

Even if your skin isn't acne-prone, not washing your makeup brushes enough can cause other problems related to makeup application.

"Using dirty brushes to apply makeup can deposit oils that lead to a hard pan and reduce the longevity of your beauty products. It can also make blending more difficult, as too many colors on a brush often results in a muddy application," explains New York-based makeup artist Suzy Gerstein.

So, how often should you wash your brushes? Experts recommend doing it once a week with a special brush cleaner that rinses off.

Sharing your cosmetics with friends and family

As a general rule, anything that is directly applied to the face with an applicator should not be shared with others. This includes mascara, lip gloss, eyeliner, and makeup brushes.

Brushes can transmit skin bacteria and infections, and mascara ranks first as the worst product to share with others. Eye infections can be easily transmitted.

"Sharing your mascara, waterline eyeliners and brush or doe-foot applicator products with others is the worst. It doesn’t matter if it is your best friend or your mom. These products harvest all the picked-up bacteria and multiply when the product is closed again," says Rincon Djuro.

Using testers in the store

Store samples cannot be properly cleaned, so ideally, you should not apply them directly to your face.

"When shopping for makeup, do not ever put tester products on your eyes or lips. So many people’s grubby fingers have touched those! It’s germ city. Only swatch things on your hands, and wash them properly afterwards," says the makeup artist.

Applying makeup with dirty hands

Although dirty makeup brushes are the easiest way to transfer bacteria and dirt, makeup artists often notice the fact that people can apply makeup with dirty hands, or use saliva as water, to apply their eyeliner or using it to dampen their foundation sponges.

"The No. 1 gross unhygienic thing I see people do," says other makeup artist.

She recommends carrying a bottle of hand sanitizer before applying makeup or, if possible, washing your hands. If that's not possible, you can always carry a small retractable brush to use instead of your fingers.

Applying makeup on public transportation: yes or no?

If you are short on time and want to apply makeup during your commute, it can be a problem if you don't wash your hands properly or use tools and products that have not been thoroughly cleaned.

"For me, this isn’t strictly a no-go, as I love having an extra 10 minutes in bed. However, last week I witnessed a woman drop her makeup brush between the seats, wipe off the dust and then continue to apply her makeup with it. To stay on the safe side, keep your products in your lap/bag [rather than on the train seats or tables], and sanitize your hands before starting," recommends Clark-Clements.

Some additional tips

Don't use mascara past its expiration date and throw it away whenever you have an eye infection to avoid spreading it - yes, even if it's new. The same goes for cold sores: if you have them, avoid using lip products or concealers directly from the applicator, as you risk spreading them.

A cotton cosmetic bag that can be thrown in the washing machine can be handy.

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