Never borrow your best friend’s lipstick, even if you trust them

• Never borrow lipstick or share personal lip cosmetics like glosses and hydrated balms because doing so transfers harmful viruses and bacteria directly between close friends through oral contact.

• Board certified dermatologist Dr. Jack Levy from Weill Cornell Medicine warns that Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 and staphylococcus bacteria spread rapidly even without visible symptoms.

• The American Academy of Dermatology recommends strict personal product use, proper hand hygiene and immediate cosmetic replacement to prevent cross contamination.

Lipstick is the 1 thing your best friend should never borrow no matter how close you are, because sharing personal lip balms, glosses, or solid sticks directly transfers active bacteria and oral viruses contained in saliva. In this sense, dermatologists clarify that while sharing cosmetic products does not cause an immediate infection 100% of the time, it significantly elevates cross contamination risks, proving that personal closeness never prevents microscopic pathogen transmission across delicate skin surfaces.

Infectious risks and oral diseases linked to sharing lipstick

Dr. Jack Levy, a board certified micrographic dermatologic surgeon at Weill Cornell Medicine, explained to Today magazine that oral Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 represents 1 primary clinical concern, noting that these common viral agents cause painful blistering outbreaks around the mouth while spreading easily during active or completely asymptomatic stages.

Meanwhile, the American Academy of Dermatology strongly advises that individuals should never borrow lipstick or share personal makeup items, warning that bacterial strains such as staphylococcus exploit small skin tears to trigger severe cutaneous infections when users share cosmetic products.

 

Ver esta publicación en Instagram

 

Una publicación compartida por Dra. Edna Morán (@draedna.dermapedia)

Preventive steps and health guidelines to avoid cosmetic contamination

To protect your oral health and eliminate cross contamination risks, dermatologists recommend adhering strictly to the following step by step hygiene guidelines:

1. Strict individual cosmetic use: Keep your cosmetics private and never borrow lipstick, glosses, or moisturizing balms, refusing to share cosmetic items even with close friends or family members.

2. Pre application hand hygiene: Wash your hands thoroughly prior to applying any makeup, preventing external environmental bacteria from reaching your lips and mouth.

3. Immediate suspension during active outbreaks: Avoid applying cosmetics over open sores, cuts or suspected cold sores, stopping active viral particles from contaminating the product container.

4. Deep replacement over superficial wiping: Recognize that wiping a lipstick tip with a tissue fails to eliminate deeply embedded germs, requiring complete product replacement after shared use, a protective rule that applies equally to makeup brushes.

Dermatological experts emphasize that consumers should never borrow lipstick and must build disciplined cosmetic hygiene habits to safeguard personal immune health over time, ensuring that replacing 1 shared cosmetic item and regularly cleaning makeup tools protects your skin barrier while preventing recurrent viral outbreaks linked to sharing lipstick.