Brushes, sponges, and applicators should really never be shared if you can avoid it. Why? Brushes can be a concern when it comes to viruses and bacteria. Dr. Adriana Schmidt, a dermatologist at the Santa Monica Dermatology Medical Group in Santa Monica, California, explained that "... some people are staph carriers, so they have more staph on their skin than other people. So, you don't know who those people are." Staph carriers have a greater concentration of staph per square inch on their face than other people. They can spread a staph infection (unintentionally, of course) when others touch things they've touched or share belongings like towels or makeup brushes at home.
Additionally, little pots of creams and moisturizers can get contaminated by so many hands going into the same product. Shara Strand, the makeup artist behind Shara Makeup Studio in New York City, told me that if it's men that are dipping in to their partner, friend, or sibling's moisturizer, it's probably okay as there aren't many things on the market that would be detrimental to men's skin. Additionally, it's important to remember that there are ways that things like face cream—where you dip your fingers into a pot and apply it to your face with your hands—can be applied more hygienically, whether you're sharing or not.
"I would always recommend washing your hands really well before you dip into any pot, even if you're the only one using it, just because the germs from the day are still on your hands, so you just want to wash really well. I think as long if the two people who are using the pot are really clean before they go in, then it's okay," Strand said. While you may not regularly (until now) stop and wash your hands before slathering on the moisturizer, once you get germs and other contaminants into a product, it's contaminated until you finish the container.
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