There isn’t anything more disappointing than seeing your Mascara go dry. Especially if it was your favorite one or if you had spent a lot of money on it.
Or, if you are a professional makeup artist or even regularly into makeup for your own, cleaning, disinfecting, and sanitizing your Mascara tube may seem like a task.
But what if we tell you that there is a one-stop solution for all the concerns mentioned above.
Yes, to the surprise, if you have a tube of Rubbing Alcohol at home, you can use it in a number of ways with your makeup.
Do bacteria grow in Mascara?
Yes, if your Mascara is within usage, bacteria can surely grow/ develop in the product.
Bacterial growth in makeup products also arises when they are used on multiple individuals.
Even leaving your product open in the bathroom and other such places can lead to bacterial growth inside them.
Can you put Alcohol in Mascara?
Yes, you can put Rubbing Alcohol in your Mascara for not one but different purposes.
Isopropyl (Rubbing) Alcohol helps sanitize, disinfect, and clean the Mascara tube.
And not just that, it even helps in reviving your old dried Mascara, making it fresh to use again.
Can you disinfect your Mascara?
Washing making brushes and mixing plates is a common ways of cleaning and disinfecting.
But do you know how important it is to clean the actual makeup product?
Makeup artists work on several individuals across the day. They use similar products on people one after the other.
Though it might not look, both makeup and its tool catch endless germ in this process.
Or even if you use personal makeup, there may be instances when your sprawl them near the bathroom sink in airports or hotel rooms.
If not, even when you open, close, use and store them, there come many instances where both your makeup can become contaminated.
That is why it is important to sanitize and disinfect your makeup products so that they stay clean and fresh all the time.
How to Sanitize Your Mascara: 6 Steps
You should always be taking care of your makeup products and makeup tools.
From brushes to applicators and wands, everything needs cleaning and sanitizing.
Here is the step-by-step guide for cleaning and sanitizing your Mascara.
The things you will need:
- 70% isopropyl alcohol
- Paper towel/ tissue
- Water
- Your Mascara Of course
The Procedure:
- Firstly, take the Paper towel/ tissue and drench it in 70% Isopropyl Alcohol.
- Now immediately wipe the Mascara wand with the Alcohol drenched tissue. Because Rubbing Alcohol evaporates fast, do this process quite quickly.
- Or if the product build-up is more, firstly wash the Mascara wand under running water and then wipe it with Alcohol-drenched tissue.
- Now once you feel the Mascara wand is looking clean and fresh, keep it to air dry.
- Further, take an earbud, dip it into Rubbing Alcohol and clean the neck of the Mascara bottle. Also, using an Alcohol drenched tissue, wipe the Mascara bottle from the outside as well.
How to Disinfect Mascara After Pink Eye?
Pink eye bacteria can stay on your makeup for several days even when you have recovered from the eye flue condition, your need to sanitize all your eye makeup and eyewear (specs, sunglasses, etc.) before reusing them.
Here are the two effective methods of disinfecting Mascara after recovering from Pink Eye. Have a look:
- Take Antiseptic wipes or disinfecting wipes.
- Unfold a wipe and, using it, clean the Mascara brush and bristles quickly and neatly.
- Now using another wipe, clean the neck of the Mascara bottle as well.
- Further, allow the bottle and wand to dry nicely before you use them again.
Or,
- Take a spray bottle and fill it with Vinegar and Water mixture (1:1).
- Now dip your Mascara wand into the mixture, and then wipe it clean with a paper tissue.
- Wet a tissue can clean the Mascara bottle as well.
- Further, allow the wand and bottle to dry.
You can also use the Rubbing Alcohol cleaning method for the same. Though remember to only use 70% Isopropyl Alcohol.
Does freezing Mascara kill bacteria?
Freezing Mascara doesn’t kill bacteria, but it simply prevents its growth further.
Also, some experts suggest that freezing Mascara does kill its bacteria but definitely not all of them.
How to sanitize eyeliner pencil?
Depending upon how often/frequently you use your eyeliner pencil, it is important to clean and sanitize it well.
If you are a regular makeup user, sanitize your products at least once a week or twice a week (more preferably).
Here are a few tips that will help you to sanitize your eye pencil and other products.
- The first method is to sharpen your eyeliner pencil. By sharpening, you can shed away all the bacteria-containing parts. However, the only issue with sharpening is that you will also keep losing the pencil during the process.
- The second method is using Rubbing Alcohol. Take a tissue paper and spray some 70% IsopropylAlcohol into it. Now using the moist tissue, clean the eyeliner pencil with it.
- The third method is using a sanitizer mist. If you do not want to deal with one or the other remedy for cleaning, just keep a bottle of sanitizer mist in your vanity.
How to disinfect lipstick?
Disinfecting a liquid lipstick or a pencil lipstick is as same as disinfecting a Mascara or eye pencil.
All you need to do is clean the wand or pencil tip with isopropyl alcohol.
Though the process of cleaning a tube/roll-up lipstick is quite different. Here is the method for the same,
- Take a plastic or glass bowl and fill it with 70% Isopropyl Alcohol. Consider using a small bowl so that Alcohol can raise enough for dipping in the lipstick product.
- Now take the lipstick and roll it up until the entire bullet is exposed.
- Further holding from the back, submerge the lipstick bullet completely into the 70% Isopropyl Alcohol solvent. Keep it on hold for at least 15 to 30 seconds.
- Now remove the lipstick, take a dry tissue and wipe off the top layer of the lipstick. Do this very lightly, or you may end up ruining the lipstick.
- Lastly, let the lipstick stay uncovered for some time so that Rubbing Alcohol can evaporate completely.
Is there Alcohol in Mascara? Which one?
While the most common type of Mascaras contains an emulsion of oils, waxes, and water, some formulas may also contain Alcohol.
Mascara and almost all makeup products contain denatured Alcohol or denatured ethanol in them.
Is there bat poop in Mascara?
One of the very common beliefs amongst individuals is that Mascaras are made up of bat poop. However, bat poop isn’t actually a part of your Mascara liquid.
What people are confused about is Guanine. Guanine is an organic compound that occurs from natural sources such as guano. However, it isn’t bad poop.
What are the bad ingredients in Mascara? Mascara ingredients to avoid.
Knowing about makeup isn’t only about how long it will stay or how good will it look.
But one should also focus on makeup’s ingredient list, especially if your Mascara contains any of these:
- BHA and BHT
- Parabens
- Formaldehyde Releasing Preservatives
- Strong Fragrances
- Benzalkonium Chloride
- Ethanolamines
- Titanium Dioxide
- Imidazolidinyl Urea
- Aluminum Powder
- Synthetic Dyes
- Coal Tar Dyes
- Propylene Glycol
- Retinyl Acetate
For Further Reading
Wrapping up…
All in all, yes, you can definitely put Rubbing Alcohol in Mascara for cleaning and disinfecting purposes.
Even following the above methods once a week or twice/ thrice a week (for professionals) is recommended.
Makeup is not about just looking good but staying good as well.
Thus, as much as you care for your skin, care for the cleanliness of your makeup products and tools as well.
My name is Logan, and I’m a 36-year-old dad who owns a small pressure-washing company in the suburbs of Atlanta, Georgia. My main goal with rubbing-alcohol.com is to show you how versatile isopropyl rubbing alcohol can be! I hope. You find it useful.
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