Testing makeup at Sephora before you buy it sounds like a brilliant idea, but the results of new research will make you think twice before applying store products. Tests of swabbed lipsticks, blushes, eyeshadows, concealers, multi-sticks, and mascaras showed growth of bacteria that can cause staph infections, urinary tract infections, respiratory illness and pneumonia. Experts and professional makeup artists have long urged the public to steer clear of testers, especially after complaints of people developing cold sores from lipstick testers. Sephora offers pads and Q-tips to consumers looking to test makeup on display, but many people use their fingers instead, or apply the makeup directly to their faces. Dermatologist Dr. Tami Buss Cassis said that staphylococcus bacteria and fungus are typically found on testers, and that bacteria is the leading cause of skin and soft tissue infections that can result in boils. She recommends purchasing the product outright, or at the very least make sure the tester is sealed and use an individual, one-time use applicator and put it on the back of your hand, not your face.
