Beauty Alert! is well represented, and I love the photo the writer chose! When isn’t it a good time to get some pointers and start fresh? Even if you are in the beauty business you can always get inspiration from a different point of view. Check out Nikki at the downtown Nordstrom Bobbi Brown counter and check out the Seattle Times NW Source today!

Once, I had the bright idea to leave my sunscreen in my car, so I could reapply when needed.  One warm day, I pumped out a little of the lotion with SPF, and it was lumpy and curdled.  I didn’t even know a lotion could do that.  It was a new, 6 ounce tube, and I felt very wasteful.  Store your products in a cool, dry place.

If something smells or separates, toss it. Bacteria loves warmth, humidity, and liquid, so your products are a very good breeding ground for things to go very wrong.

I keep my potions and lotions in a beautiful red box, it is a great way to hide your make-up and creams away from light and makes an attractive storage place. This cream comes in a jar, so try not to double dip (touch your feet and then put your fingers back in the jar) and it is also the perfect example of what our Beauty Alert! labels are great for.

This cream would fall under the six month category when properly stored and no double dipping occurs. I love this foot cream! Warmer weather reminds us to take care of our feet. Make sure you get your mani/pedis in a salon that uses a good sterilizer, and never walk barefoot around a nail place, or in a hotel for that matter. Travel with flip flops. Use a cream like the Brown Butterfly foot cream with Tea Tree to keep yucky fungi away. Wash and dry your feet completely after your bath or shower, and do find a good place to get a pedicure! You don’t have to paint your toe nails, but pedicures are a great way for women (and men) to keep in touch with how your feet are doing.

I think I need to clean out my inbox more often than my hand lotion container. The story goes like this:

I spent last summer in Europe and sublet my apartment.  Before I left, to make space in the bathroom, I put my Lubriderm hand lotion in a drawer.  When I got got back, I put it back on the counter and did what I always do, put it all over my arms and legs.  A few days later, I developed a big nasty blister on my shin, which I thought was just an allergy (my skin is super-sensitive), so I just put some hydrocortisone on it.  But it spread, all over the place:  various spots on my legs, my arms, even a spot on an underarm, and then one really nasty one on my left index finger (it was really disgusting—I’ll spare you details).  That one really worried me because it just would not go away and was spreading, so I called Group Health and told them I was worried about MRSA.  I described symptoms and they told me get over right away.  The GP was worried, and thought it might be some auto-immune response, so she called in the dermatologist who biopsied the blisters. We went over all the possible things that could cause something like this:  I had spent the summer in Spain, I go to a gym regularly, but nothing made sense.  She didn’t think the lesions were auto-immune but was worried about MRSA and she gave me both mega-dose topical steroids in case it was an allergy and an antibiotic in case it was a bacteria.  She asked me if I used any new skin products, and I said no, I’m really fussy about that.  What she didn’t ask me was whether I was using any OLD skin products.  It turns out that the culprit was that bottle of Lubriderm that sat in a drawer in my bathroom, all summer (an especially warm one), and it was the perfect incubator for bacteria.  Blame both my thriftiness (there was about 2 inches left in the bottle!) and the fact that it never occurred to me that Lubriderm could have a shelf life or grow bacteria.

The story has a happy ending.  The steroids + antibiotics combo worked like a charm, the biopsy showed nothing but bacteria.  A few weeks later my skin was back in the pink, not red and blistery, and only the fingernail on my left index finger betrayed any signs of all that nasty bacteria.  Now, I use those Beauty Alert stickers on EVERYTHING.

One more thing:  I should see you more often, not just because my brows need attention but because I always come away inspired, with such good advice on how to live a healthy life.

Thanks!
Theresa

Here is the link

I’ve seen the occasional article over the years that discussed the importance of chucking cosmetics and products after a certain period of time.  I’ve seen how grody a Kaboodles box bought in junior high and chock full of years of makeup can be.  An episode of Tyra scared the bejeezus out of me as they brought a microscope to the tools and cosmetics we all are guilty of keeping for years—and sometimes decades—past their prime.

I’ve even seen Sarah Jessica Parker pull a beyond-old compact out of her designer clutch, the perfect peachy blush she can’t seem to replace of use up.

I understand.  I’m one of those gals.  I got my first makeover at a MAC counter when I was in my mid-20s.  I still have the Cubic blush from the first encounter at the makeup counter.  I can’t seem to use it or give it up.

I’m now 40.  Do the math.  The pot of blush has been with me through three cross-country moves, numerous heartbreaks, and all sorts of temperatures.  Yet it still seems innocent, friendly, comfortable.  It doesn’t smell or look weird. What’s a girl to do?

Ben Franklin famously said that fish and houseguests smell after three days.  Well, it’s a bit harder to know when cosmetics have worn out their welcome.  Happily, Beauty Alert! is here to help you.

Created by two women whose friendship dates back to high school, Stacya Shepard and Alissa Schoenfeld developed this project, researching safety guidelines and sourcing the best possible adhesive for labeling your products.  The result is a handy little pack of stickers, color coded and easy to follow.  Write the date of purchase on the sticker and affix it to your product. All cosmetics are covered, as are skin care and hair styling products, nail polish and sunscreen.  Retailing for less than $10, Beauty Alert! should keep you and your beauty booty safe.

BACKGROUND: Microbial organisms are normally present on human eyelashes. Application of mascara to lashes has the potential to inoculate the mascara tube with microbes. This pilot study of a real-world situation investigated the microbial contamination of 2 brands of mascara used daily for 3 months.

METHODS: Forty women between the ages of 18 and 39 were randomly assigned to use 1 of 2 brands of nonwaterproof mascara. All mascara tubes were unexpired and purchased on the same day. Subjects were instructed to use the mascara on both the upper and lower lids every day for 3 months. After 3 months, the mascara tubes were collected, cultured, and examined for microbial growth.

RESULTS: Mascara tubes were collected from 33 of 40 (82.5%) subjects who began the study. Microbial growth was found in 36.4% of the subject tubes. Based on growth on selective media, most of the organisms were determined to be Staphylococcus epidermidis, Streptococcus species, or fungi. We did not attempt to quantify the numbers of bacteria or fungi present within the tubes.

CONCLUSIONS: Because microbial presence was found in 36.4% of the mascara tubes cultured after 3 months of use, we recommend a maximum 3-month use of a mascara tube used on a daily basis. More frequent replacement may be warranted with further study.