# How do you sanatize eyeshadow?



## Hawkeye (Oct 28, 2005)

I am about to swap for a liza AM quad and im a paranoid freak about used eyeshadow. How do I cleanse it?


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## user3 (Oct 28, 2005)

I put rubbing alcohol in a spray bottle and spritz the shadow. You can also rub it over the shadow. I think some people also dilute the rubbing alcohol. I don't.


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## user4 (Oct 28, 2005)

it doesnt do anything to the shadow... the alcohol that is?


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## user3 (Oct 28, 2005)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *sxychika1014* 
_it doesnt do anything to the shadow... the alcohol that is?_

 

For most shadows no. I have noticed that for shadows that have a softer texture it will harden the top layer. That is why I spritz that helps a bit. Keep in mind you need to let the e/s air out and dry before using.


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## Isis (Oct 28, 2005)

Honestly, and I learned this before becoming an esthetician, there is no way to sanitize powder products. Even if you to use alcohol on the top, and there's bacteria (and there always is), it's already gone through the whole product. The safest way to ensure that the product stays clean is to use a metal spatula and scrape the color onto a palate and use it from there. That means no toughing it with a brush, even if its a clean one, or fingers. Depressing, but there it is.


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## dotwarner_us (Nov 1, 2005)

I don't use alcohol to clean my powder eyeshadows. I just wipe the surface with a clean cotton ball. I haven't had any problems and I've been swapping for 2 years.


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## caffn8me (Nov 2, 2005)

You have to bear in mind that mineral based dry powder products aren't a particularly good substrate for the growth or bacteria and fungi to start with.  Bacteria and fungi are living organisms and they need to be able to obtain a source of nutrition in order to survive and reproduce.  The ingredients of most cosmetic powder products don't usually provide this.

Problems are more likely to be caused if you use your fingers to apply a product as the moisture and oils as well as bacteria and fungi in your fingers will penetrate into the product.  Even then it is very unlikely that any such contamination will lead to a viable bacterial or fungal colony though as eye shadows and powders contain preservatives (usually parabens) which kill both bacteria and fungi.

With pressed powder products sold in compacts like Blot Powder and Bronzing Powders there is a thin plastic protective disc between the powder and the compact powder puff when they are new.  Keep this disc and replace it after you have applied the powder.  This prevents oils which will have been picked up by the puff when you used it on your face from transferring into the powder.

70% or greater concentration Isopropyl alcohol (sold in the USA as rubbing alcohol) sprayed from a fine spray bottle will indeed kill anything that is lurking in the eye shadow or compact and it is safe to use on the products.  Leave the product to dry overnight before you use it though.  You can find out a bit more about using alcohol with eye shadows in the TECHNIQUE FAQ: Fixing broken pressed-powder products


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## galvanizer (Nov 2, 2005)

Caffn8me, that's what I thought too... that bacteria doesn't thrive well in a dry environment.  I typically use a 99% alcohol to spritz over products to sanitize them.  I don't know what the other 30% of 70% alcohol is (water?) but I feel  the highter the alcohol content, the more it will evaporate and not affect the texture of the product.  That's what we used in makeup school anyways (99% alcohol).


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## caffn8me (Nov 2, 2005)

Galvanizer - the remaining 30% in 70% Isopropyl Alcohol is deionised (pure) water.  I use pure Isopropy Alcohol which contains a maximum of 0.1% water but that's simply because that's what my local supplier has in stock.  Anything down to 70% will be effective as a sanitizing fluid.


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