Research conducted at London Metropolitan University found bacteria which causes neonatal meningitis and septicaemia on old foundation brushes, lip gloss and lipstick, and warns consumers to monitor and maintain their cosmetics on a regular basis.
Dr Paul Matewele, senior lecturer in Biomedical Science at London Metropolitan University, led a team that tested five beauty products, sent by beauty bloggers across the UK, which were near or past their use-by-date from high street and designer brands.
Products test positive
They found that each of the products which were only a few months out-of-date, tested positive for a strain of bacteria that can pose a serious health threat. The lip gloss tested wasn’t past its use-by-date but also still tested positive, the study says.
“All the old make-up products of foundation, lip gloss and lipstick tested positive for Enterococcus faecalis under strict laboratory tests,” says Dr Matewele.
“Enterococcus faecalis is the potentially deadly strain of bacteria which causes meningitis and Septicaemia and is one of the biggest killers for newborn babies.”
Rakesh Aggarwal CEO of online beauty site, Escentual.com, who commissioned the research, adds that this is particularly alarming a many consumers are totally unaware that cosmetics can be a potential breeding ground for bacteria.
“This research has even surprised us and has shown that there is a serious health risk here. Pregnant women or mums with small babies need to take extra care after our findings showed that the deadly meningitis bacteria was found on several items of out of date make-up,” he says.
Consumers urged to stay vigilant
The Cosmetics Toiletry and Perfumery Association (CTPA) comments that this news can cause alarm and highlights that this is why some cosmetics products have strict usage guidelines.
“Just as you keep your home clean, you should keep your make-up bag clean, including regularly washing make-up brushes and applicators. However, it’s equally important to store products properly,” says the trade association.
In total, the research team says it found six different types of bacteria on the five types of everyday high-street cosmetics that were tested, which included: Eubacterium, Aeromonas, Staphlyoccocus epidermidis, Propionibacterium, and Enterobacter.