Have you ever wondered if there are certain beauty products you should never share?
One TikTok which recently went viral discussed the beauty products that might be the most unhygienic makeup options to borrow.
Berlin-based content creator Andrea Subotic, 25, shared a video with her 3.3 million followers detailing the expensive products she would happily share, along with the one inexpensive product she would never let her friends use.
The video received more than 93,000 likes and 200 comments, with women weighing in on the makeup products they strongly advise against lending.
FEMAIL spoke to a certified cosmetologist-esthetician to find out if there are any beauty products that are safe to switch from.
A TikTok that recently went viral talked about which beauty products might be the unhealthiest makeup options to borrow (stock image)
In the viral video, Andrea explained that she would be happy to share her Dior blush, lipstick, Miss Dior perfume, lip liner or highlighter, but she would never lend out her beauty sponge.
In the viral video, Andrea explained that she would be happy to share her expensive Dior blush ($40), lipstick, Miss Dior perfume ($100), lip liner or highlighter, but she would never lend out her beauty sponge, which costs around $20.
Commenters were quick to weigh in on the items they would happily trade with their friends, as well as those they would never let anyone touch.
“I don’t share mascaras because for some reason they immediately give me an eye infection,” one commenter explained.
“Anything that goes on my lips or eyelashes, people can’t use it, just like my beauty sponge,” one person commented, while another said sharing lipstick was “unhygienic.”
Other people said they don’t share any beauty products except their perfume, while others were a little more selfish and didn’t even share their scent.
“I am never everything,” one proclaimed.
However, some people thought that sharing was caring, especially if that’s how they had grown up.
“I’m a theatre girl. Everyone’s makeup and perfume are common to us. If you have it, we need it,” wrote one user, while another said it depended on who they borrowed their beauty products from.
Valerie Aparovich is a biochemist and certified cosmetologist-esthetician at OnSkin, a cosmetic scanner that decodes cosmetic ingredients and analyzes products.
Commenters were quick to weigh in on which items they would happily trade with their friends, as well as which ones they would never let anyone touch.
Some clarified that they would be willing to share the product but not the applicator.
Valerie AparovichBiochemist and certified cosmetologist-esthetician in On the skinA cosmetic scanner that decodes cosmetic ingredients and analyses products has revealed to FEMAIL which products can be shared and which are the most unhygienic.
“The eyes are a particularly vulnerable facial area as they lack the protective barriers that skin has, making them more susceptible to infection,” Valerie told DailyMail.com.
‘Mascara can harbor and therefore spread harmful microbes that can lead to conjunctivitis or pink eye.’
‘In general, sharing beauty products that come into contact with the eyes, such as eye shadows, eyeliners and eye makeup brushes, is a seamless transfer of bacteria and viruses from one person to another, so you should put these items away to maintain eye health,’ the cosmetologist said.
According to Valerie, sharing lip products is equally risky, ‘because it can easily transmit germs from one person to another through traces of saliva.
“Shared lip products can especially spread the HSV-1 virus, which many people carry without showing visible symptoms,” Valerie warned, and which can lead to cold sores.
While it’s a little safer to share powdered products, there’s still a bit of risk involved, as Valerie warned that you can still pick up germs and risk skin irritation and infections, especially around the eyes and mouth.
Even swapping makeup sponges or makeup brushes can lead to cross contamination, which can cause irritation and inflammation “and can exacerbate skin conditions like acne,” according to Valerie.
So is it safe to share any beauty products other than perfume?
“You can share powder products if your friend uses a clean makeup brush and brushes over the product no more than once,” Valerie said.
“You can only share your mascara, never its original brush,” Valerie said, as long as you have a fresh disposable brush on hand and only dip it once.
And it is possible to share eyeliner, as long as you sharpen it immediately before and after using it, in which case you may find it easier to buy a new product.
