Makeup 'Testers' Regularly Tainted By E. Coli, Staph and Herpes: Study

"Tester" products found at beauty counters have been found to contain E.coli, staph and strep bacteria, the L.A. Times reports. A study conducted by Dr. Elizabeth Brooks, a biological sciences professor at Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia, revealed that the percentage of tainted tester makeup--when analyzed on Saturdays, the business shopping day of the week--was a shocking 100%.

"We went to department stores, specialty stores, drugstores--everywhere. Wherever you see E. coli, you should just think 'E. coli equals feces.' That means someone went to the bathroom, didn't wash their hands and then stuck their fingers in that moisturizer," Brooks said.

And according to Dr. Zein Obagi, a dermatologist based in Beverly Hills, California, tester makeup can spread herpes and conjuctivitis.

Comments

[Blues02]

06:36 PM on 04/21/2010

I thought it was common knowledge to never use testers...­I guess not...

[copelli21]

11:13 AM on 04/22/2010

That's what I was thinking..­..common knowledge.

My mother schooled me on that when I was a kid. Those testers are nazty.

[reluctantcougar]

08:46 AM on 04/21/2010

I never touch a sink or door handles when exiting a public bathroom without using a paper towel. I've seen instances of homeless people with better hygiene etiquette than so-called educated people.

[SonyaInTx]

02:15 AM on 04/21/2010

Gross!


There is nothing as basic as washing your hands every time you use the toilet.

Anytime I've ever tested makeup at the cosmetics counter, I always put it on the back of my hand and then use makeup remover to take it off. I never use testers from the makeup counters on my face......­and now that I read this article, I'm glad I never did.

[RachelMc]

11:18 PM on 04/20/2010

ummm hmmmm i would kinda think they world have some germs and microbs.

[Courtenay Jones]

11:07 PM on 04/20/2010

MMMMMMMMMM­MMMMMMMMMM­MMMMMMMMMM­MMMMMMMMM HERPES.

[goosie29]

09:23 PM on 04/20/2010

Well, D-U-H!!

[pinkeyelemonade]

08:44 PM on 04/20/2010

Secondly, I'm glad to see these threads bout the gunk from which cosmetics are actually MADE, especially those made in China. When I buy makeup, it's the natural stuff whenever possible. Physician'­s Formula is a great brand. Watch out for: fragrance, sodium laureth sulfate, parabens, and dozens of other ingredient­s that I've forgotten names of. If you try the Aubrey Organics website, you may be able to order the booklet I found which contains the list of crap to avoid, and a longer list of what to look for. It's probably free to order.

[pinkeyelemonade]

08:40 PM on 04/20/2010

I'd stopped thinking about how often I hear others in the ladies' rooms of everywhere flush the toilets, then see them exit the stalls and pass up the sink entirely. It's so common in my experience that I've pretty much forgotten about it. And I'm not really one who uses testers at all, but I am now banning them permanentl­y from my life of product usage. Effing gross.

[BlackYowe]

07:39 PM on 04/20/2010

I don't like makeup it is gross on most people. Why cover your living breathing skin with commercial paint?

[alsm9]

01:03 PM on 04/21/2010

Well coz it's fun and creative and life's too short to take it all that seriously?

[mslindac]

07:35 PM on 04/20/2010

The makers of cosmetics should supply the stores with trial sized products instead of those nasty testers.

[blimie]

07:19 PM on 04/20/2010

Those viruses and bacteria are in all kinds of places, it's what is in the makeup that is the worry.

[theredqueen]

04:15 PM on 04/20/2010

I am concerned also about cosmetics produced In China, perhaps this is unfair of me but after the pet food, and medicines produced there that were found to be contaminat­ed I feel disincline­d to put on make-up made there. On the subject of testers in the stores, I agree wholeheart­edly that they are Petri dishes for contaminan­ts. Plus, I will never have a "makeover" done again at any counter having seen the brushes used by the "artists" over and over again. I'm just going to buy the stuff and return it if it's not for me.

[NevaforLeadership]

01:22 PM on 04/20/2010

I have stopped going to the Body Shop altogether because of unhygienic conditions in a store close to me; and I have stopped going to a particular MAC store close to me for the same reason. When I pointed out the situation to the manager at the MAC store, she laughed at me.

[Vanessa Belle]

12:34 PM on 04/20/2010

This is nothing new. I have known that this is the case since I was a teenager.

That is why I don't try on make-up testers at cosmetic counters. I have always known that there is risk of contaminat­ion of some sort.

We don't need science to tell us about this. It really is just common sense.

[uniquelyme]

01:26 PM on 04/20/2010

Totally agree. I *never* touch any cometic or lotion testers in any store.

[usamade]

11:23 AM on 04/20/2010

When you also hear what is in the makeup on purpose you would never want to wear it again. For example, there is cat urine in mascara.

[TheNuff]

01:12 PM on 04/20/2010

Link?

[NevaforLeadership]

01:26 PM on 04/20/2010

There are all kinds of preservati­ves, humectants­, etc. in makeup but there is certainly no cat urine in mascara.

Please site your sources.