Are you alarmed by the spread of Ebola? With Ebola being a global health threat on everyone’s mind, I think it’s a good time to review skincare safety and smart skincare hygiene.
One of my followers made a comment about yucky product testers the other day. And that also inspired me to write this post.
In this article, I want to show you the best way to test skin care when you are in a store.
What’s Contagious?
First off, no need to panic about skincare being a carrier of Ebola. Ebola is a virus that requires contact via bodily fluids.
But what the current Ebola epidemic can teach us is to be vigilant and careful about sanitation. Disease spreads through poor sanitation. And skincare is easily contaminated by dirty hands, not to mention airborne microorganisms, and the usual air and light.
While it is highly improbable you would get a life-threatening disease from skincare, you can get bacterial and fungal infections from contaminated product.
Are Product Testers Clean?
You know the product testers that stores make available for you to try? They’re usually the full-sized product labeled with a sticker “Tester” or “Try Me.”
How many of you use those testers? I suspect a good number of you do, and an equally good number of you say “No way!”
As you might imagine, testers that are handled by many different hands are not clean. Our hands carry millions of germs!
But that doesn’t mean you can’t use them. Some types of testers are ok, some are not.
I personally do use certain types of testers but am really turned off when I see dried crud or sticky residue around an opening. Or worse, cream that has changed color. I’ve actually seen testers with black and green mold in large beauty chain stores!
Most appalling is when someone in a store offers to make me a sample from an open jar. YUCK. When I decline, I’m mortified when they find it strange. Clearly, they have not been taught basic sanitation. Open tester jars are full of microorganisms. It’s like being offered food in a restaurant from someone else’s plate.
What’s OK to Try On?
Testers that come in a bottle or tube with a small opening that can be squeezed or pumped out are OK.
Testers that come in a jar with a lid are NOT OK (unless it’s an airless jar with a tiny hole like the one shown here on the right).
The key is small opening. A small opening doesn’t allow as many contaminants into the container. It also protects the product inside the container from air and light (both degrade ingredients through oxidation).
More importantly, a small opening doesn’t allow anyone’s finger to touch the product, unlike a regular jar. You can also disinfect the opening by wiping with tissue and alcohol.
The best type of tester is a product packaged in an airless container. In an airless container, product flows in only one direction – from the inside to outside. So you don’t have to worry about contamination.
Types of Containers OK to Test:
- Bottle with a squeeze tip
- Bottle with a pump handle
- Bottle with a spray nozzle
- Tube with a small hole
Types of Containers NOT Ok to Test:
- Jar – if you can stick your finger in it, AVOID
- Bottle with a large opening – if you can pour something in it, AVOID
How to Use Product Testers The Sanitary Way
Here is how you can use a public tester safely.
5 Simple Steps for Disinfecting A Tester
1. Wipe the tip (or opening) with a clean tissue. If the store provides alcohol, put some alcohol on the tissue first, then wipe.
2. Next, squeeze (or pump) out a small amount of product onto the tissue. The cream or liquid at the opening is contaminated, so you want to expel this out.
3. Wipe the tip (or opening) AGAIN, on a different, clean part of the tissue. Not the same part you just wiped.
4. Now you are ready to test the product. Squeeze or pump out what you need. Test it on your hand, wrist, or arm, but NOT your face.
5. As a courtesy to the next person, wipe the tip (or opening) again once more, to leave it clean.
A simple way to remember:
WIPE – SQUEEZE – WIPE
If You Still Want to Test From a Jar
If a store keeps its testers and counter area clean, you can test a product from a jar, if the cream looks clean or relatively untouched to you. But on your hand, not face.
Obviously, if it looks like many people have dipped into it, stay away. Use your best judgment.
Be sure to use a mini spatula or Q-tip provided by the store to dip into the jar.
And again, only put the cream on your hand or arm, not face.
Don’t Worry Too Much!
There is no need to worry about getting sick from skincare. But good skincare hygiene keeps your face away from harmful bacteria. And it never hurts to be cautious, especially since we live in a world with increasing uncertainty about biohazardous health threats.
Use the same caution you would with a gym locker room (much easier to get germs there, since the environment is wet and moist!) or a restaurant.
Of course, I’m hoping that someday (not too long from now), skincare manufacturers will offer samples for every product and make it easily available to anyone who asks for it. This is a much better way to try a product, in the comfort of our own home, on our own time. Let’s hope we don’t have to wait too long!
Thank you so much for responding. I understand it better now. And I want to add that your site has motivated me even further in learning my ingredients. I look at your info DAILY lol. You could say I am becoming obsessed with ingredient knowledge and your educational background and passion is what makes you stand out from the rest and I trust your opinion. Looking forward to reading many more interesting things from you. THANKS AGAIN !
Glad it helped you! Thank you so much for visiting my site daily 🙂 I’m very happy to hear that it motivates you and you enjoy it!