The UK’s Daily Mail (2/25) reports that the majority of “women are unaware of how their make-up bags can be a breeding ground for bacteria” that can “be transferred on to the face and cause irritation or even infection.”

For example, “old mascara wands can breed bacteria that lead to conjunctivitis” and “should not be used six months after opening,” while “dirty brushes are a breeding ground for micro-organisms that can cause herpes, ringworm, and impetigo.”  Read the full article “Women warned of make-up bacteria risk as the average cosmetics bag is found to be four years out of date”.

At Spectrum Eyecare in Peachtree City, Dr. Henahan sees many patients per week with red, irritated eyes.  Often times the cause cannot be clearly determined, but as this article shows, keeping old makeup is a major cause of red eyes.  It was shocking to see how long certain types of makeup were kept.