5 Beauty Products You Should Never (Ever!) Share

Sharing is caring folks, that is, unless we’re talking about our beauty stash. Would you share a drink with a friend that had a cold? Didn’t think so. Just as you wouldn’t dip a dirty digit into your favorite face cream, you shouldn’t dream of letting a friend do the same. Below we share the skin care products you should absolutely stop sharing with others—really, sometimes it’s okay to be a little selfish.

Skin care products packaged in jars—overnight masks, eye cream, body butters, etc.—are top of the list of things not to share. That is, unless you use them properly. Typically, these types of formulas should be removed from their jars with a small spoon (either one that comes with the package or one you get separately). The spoon should be washed after each use and stored in a cool, dry place. This helps to ensure you aren’t spreading bacteria and germs from your hands (or worse… from someone else’s!) into you products and subsequently onto your face. Breakouts, anyone?

Ladies, the only lips your lip balm belongs on are your own—and same goes for your glosses and lipsticks, too! By sharing your lip products, you run the risk of catching colds, germs, and bacteria from your friends that you wouldn’t have normally. Play it safe and just say no when it comes to sharing products for your pout.

Remember how we told you about the breeding ground for bacteria that is an unwashed makeup brush or sponge—check this out for a quick refresh—well, multiply that by a lot if you’re sharing these beauty tools. The oils found on your friend’s face are—shocker!—not the same as those found on your own, so allowing your bestie to borrow your brushes can lead to breakouts for you. The foreign oils can mix with excess sebum, dead skin cells, and other impurities on your own skin and may clog your pores and turn into blemishes. Keep your makeup brushes clean and to yourself!

Any pressed powder makeup product—from setting powder to blush to bronzer—should not be shared and it all goes back to those foreign oils. When your friend dips her makeup brush into your powder, the bacteria and oil that are living there can transfer to your favorite product. When you go to use it later your brush may pick up these germs and oils and deposit them to your complexion which can in turn cause breakouts.

Did you know that Clarisonic brush heads need to be replaced every three months in order to be at their best? Over time the bristles can exhibit a normal wear and tear and become less effective—in fact, the brand’s co-founder says to try changing up the brush head if you feel like you’ve fallen out of love with your Clarisonic. What will make you fall out of love even faster however, is if you share your cleansing brush with a buddy. The foreign oils from her face don't just contaminate your makeup brushes, they can also infiltrate your beloved cleansing brush. Reserve these splurge-worthy devices for yourself.