Now, more than ever before, we need to pay attention to the transmission of germs, bacteria and viruses. We wash and sanitize our hands. We’re wary of touching surfaces in public places. We use wipes and other disinfecting cleaners all over our houses. Yet, what about our cosmetics? These are the products we place directly on our faces, lips and eyes – the entry-ways for bacteria and germs to get into our systems!
Cosmetic products contain preservatives to help slow down the growth of microbes, but they can become contaminated if people use non-sterile applicators or fingers to apply products, or if the products are poorly handled and stored. For example, products stored in warm and humid or damp conditions such as the bathroom, or out on an open counter in department stores and makeup kits.
Additionally, the natural oils from within your skin carry bacteria to the skin’s surface to be cleaned away, but some of that oil stays behind. So, when you use your brush on your blush, apply to one cheek, then “double-dip” the same brush to do the other cheek, those oils (and their bacteria) are transferred onto the blush itself, where they begin to grow.
Makeup brushes also have the potential to act as suitable homes for bacteria to thrive. Often, applicators are dampened to help the application of eyeshadows or foundation. But this environment has the potential to promote rapid bacterial growth.
Viruses can last anywhere from a few seconds to a few days on common surfaces. A simple sneeze or cough could transmit these virus particles on to your cosmetics or cosmetic brushes, where they are then able to transfer to the next surface they encounter – including your skin!
VIRUSES
Human coronaviruses are a large family of enveloped viruses that infect both animals and humans. They are named for the crown-like spikes on their surface.
A novel coronavirus is the name for a coronavirus that has never infected people before. This recent new strain of coronavirus has been named SARS-CoV-2. The disease caused by this novel coronavirus is COVID-19.
Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV-1) is a highly contagious infection, that is common throughout the world. This very common virus is mainly spread by skin-to-skin contact, kissing and sex, but it can also be transmitted in droplets of spit left by an infected person on towels, cups, cutlery and, yes, lipstick. It is a hidden enemy – a person does not need to have visible signs of the virus to spread the infection. The virus lives in facial tissues where it can shed and spread.
Herpes causes blisters on the lips and around the mouth that can last up to ten days.
Human influenza A viruses cause seasonal epidemics of disease almost every winter. Influenza A viruses are also the only influenza viruses known to cause flu pandemics.
Currently circulating Influenza A (H1N1) viruses are related to the pandemic 2009 H1N1 virus that emerged in the spring of 2009 and caused a flu pandemic and has continued to circulate seasonally since then.
BACTERIA
Staphylococcus Aureus is a group of bacteria that can cause a multitude of diseases because of infection of various tissues of the body. Staphylococcus is more familiarly known as Staph (pronounced “staff”)
Pseudomonas Aeruginosa is an opportunistic bacterium that lives in soil, water, and even in environments like hot tubs and on cosmetic items.
Escherichia coli (commonly abbreviated E. coli) – is the name of a germ or bacterium, that lives in the digestive tracts of humans and animals.
BeautySoClean® has the solution!
In an independent laboratory study, BeautySoClean® Cosmetic Sanitizer Formula C246 has been clinically proven to effectively remove Staphylococcus Aureus, Pseudomonas Aeruginosa and Escherichia Coli (E. coli).
Further testing also revealed this formula to be 99.9% effective against Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV-1), Influenza A (H1N1), and Human Coronavirus (229E).
How are the tests conducted?
Bacterial Efficacy:
- A sample from each of the products tested was streaked on one side of an agar plate. The product in question was then sprayed with BeautySoClean® Cosmetic Sanitizer, as per the label instructions.
- A second sample was then taken from each product and streaked on the opposite side of the agar plate, adjacent to the original sample taken from each product. Each respective product plate was incubated at 30-35 degrees Celsius for 48-72 hours.
- No bacterial growth was observed in the samples treated with BeautySoClean® Cosmetic Sanitizer Formula C246.
Virucidal Efficacy:
- The test and virus control substances were dispensed in into sterile vessels and were each inoculated with the test virus. The test suspensions were held for 15 seconds, and then neutralized by serial dilutions into the appropriate dilution. Following neutralization, the viral suspensions were tested to determine the levels of infectious virus using standard cell culture assay techniques.
- Taking the cytotoxicity and neutralization control results into consideration, BeautySoClean® Cosmetic Sanitizer Formula C246, demonstrated an 99.99% average ≥ 4.57 reduction in viral titer at a contact time of 15 seconds.
Can you determine Virucidal Efficacy for SARS-COV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19)?
Due to the novel nature of the virus, no official methods exist to test the efficacy of a disinfectant against the specific novel enveloped virus strain, SARS-CoV-2 which causes the disease COVID-19.
These procedures take a significant amount of time to develop, validate, and standardize. Therefore, no product will have label claims against COVID-19. In the interim, CDC and Health Canada recommend using products with efficacy testing against Human Coronavirus.
Even though Human Coronavirus 229E, and SARS-COV-2 are not the same virus strains, all coronavirus strains are enveloped viral particles that belong to the same virus family of Coronaviridae.
Products with efficacy against enveloped viruses are therefore expected to be able to kill COVID-19 when used according to manufacturer’s instructions regarding proper concentration, and contact time.
