'If the product comes directly into contact with your face – i.e. If you have taken any makeup out with you, you can wipe it down once you are home.' 'The outside packaging of makeup will protect it from contamination. She also advises looking at the packaging, makeup itself and the tools separately. 'I suspect you might not feel up to it anyway.'

If you suspect that you have COVID-19, it is best not to use your makeup.' Lena tells me. 'I would recommend that you only use your makeup at home and not take it out into public spaces during the pandemic. What precautions should we be taking with lipsticks, makeup palettes, makeup brushes and more?

She tells me that another earlier study on other types of coronavirus, similar to SARS-CoV-2, found that they survived for up to 9 days on plastic, 4 days on glass and paper and 8 hours on paper. The virus is also able to survive in the air for up to 3 hours.' The virus particles only survived for one day on cardboard. 'The materials it survived on for the longest period, 3 days, were plastic and stainless steel. 'The virus will not multiply outside the body, but it is able to survive on different materials for up to 3 days.' Lena tells me. How long does the coronavirus last on different surfaces? She also leads a research group finding engineering solutions to reduce the spread of infectious disease and improve environmental health - in other words, there are few people better placed to give you intel on your beauty stash spring clean. I quizzed Dr Lena Ciric, an expert in molecular biology and microbal communities at University College London for that very reason.

Yep, if like me, you're feeling sheepish about your palettes, beauty blenders and mascaras (things we once enjoyed with Corona-less abandon), you're not alone.īut don't go discarding or frantically dousing your beloved highlighters in Glen's vodka yet - there's a right way and wrong way to disinfect and clean your tools. With the COVID-19 pandemic spreading across the globe, it's normal to be anxious about the idea of everyday items harbouring the virus.

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