You’ve spent a lot to have great beauty tools that will give you reliable and lasting results. But are you decreasing the lifespan or usefulness of your tools by storing them wrong? Or, even worse, are you putting yourself in an unsafe position by creating a health or hygiene hazard?

You put a lot of thought into the ingredients and the quality of your beauty tools when you buy them. Now it’s time to put effort and thought into storing them properly.

Exposure to moisture, sunlight, and different temperatures can not only degrade the product but can expose you to bacteria. The following tips will keep you healthy and make the most of your beauty tools.

How to store beauty tools

Serums, moisturizers and eye creams. These products go directly on your skin, sometimes daily. It’s their ingredients that make them powerful, and it’s their ingredients that make them vulnerable.

Anything with vitamin C and retinol needs to stay in a cool, dry place that does not have exposure to sunlight. Typically, a medicine cabinet or even the refrigerator is optimal.

Even more important, these products need to be sealed. Leaving a jar open is just inviting bacteria to have a little party that they will then transfer to your face the next time you use it.

Makeup brushes and sponges. Dry and clean is the key here. When you let dirt, mold, and bacteria build up on your makeup brushes and sponges, you’re just asking for infections, breakouts, clogged pores, and dermatitis.

These tools should never sit in a wet environment, leave them out in the open so they can air dry. Most of them should be cleaned weekly, some will benefit from daily cleanings.

Hair tools and brushes. Your hair brushes should be cleaned daily. Hair holds bacteria very well, so any that are left on your brushes transfer back to your head when you next style it. Pulling out old hairs prevents this.

All electrical hair appliances should be stored far away from water. Avoid storing by the cord to prevent weakening it. You’ll find that many hairdryers and some hair irons have rubberized loops for hanging.

You may want to consider this in the future when selecting the perfect hair dryer for your hair type.

Liquid makeup. If it’s too hot, your makeup can separate and become greasy. If it’s too cold, the liquids can freeze and break down. In addition to being temperature sensitive, liquid makeup should not be exposed to the air when it’s not in use.

To keep your liquid makeup in tip-top condition, make sure you always cover it after use, then store it somewhere out of the sun where the temperature is the same as in the rest of your home.

Powder makeup. This is a little easier to store and protect than other makeup. Again, keeping it covered when not in use is important, as is keeping it dry.

Nail polish. Heat and sunlight can be the downfall of your favorite nail shade. But this is easy enough to remedy by tucking nail polish into a closet, cupboard, or drawer. That is, as long as you remember to screw the cap on tightly.

Storing beauty tools in the bathroom

A quick note on storing beauty tools in the bathroom. Many people like to do all of their ablutions in the bathroom, from showering to hairstyling to makeup. Which is fine, but not all of your beauty tools should live in your bathroom.

If you have any products that are heat or moisture sensitive, then the bathroom is not the best place for them to reside. Bathrooms are moist places rife with bacteria and sometimes mold.

Consider storing your products in your bedroom instead, then just bring them into the bathroom when you need them. You may want to try a Hair La Vie Journey Box for convenient accessories.

Final thoughts

Your beauty tools and products do a lot to keep you looking and feeling your best. Your favorite tools probably were an investment, but they can quickly be a waste of money if they’re not stored and treated properly.

Use these tips to help prolong the life of your beauty investments and to protect yourself from unwittingly transferring bacteria or mold to your skin and hair. Most items need to be kept out of sunlight and cleaned regularly. But there are some specific issues to attend to.

Some of your products will have storage instructions on the label or the box. While the tips above are useful, they’re no substitute for specific instructions that are geared to a unique product. Always follow the manufacturer’s guidelines to make the most of your beauty tools.