Don't Make This Common Makeup Storage Mistake

Figuring out the best system for how to store your makeup collection can be difficult. Do you want drawers or baskets? Should you organize by brand or by color? But when it comes to where to actually keep your beauty products, there's one makeup storage mistake to be sure not to make. And that's keeping everything in the bathroom. I know it seems like common sense to store your makeup, makeup brushes, and even perfume in the bathroom. That big mirror and flattering lighting make the bathroom an ideal spot to primp. But all of the other things you do in there make it a place your beauty products should avoid.

For one thing, all of that showering and bathing you do in your bathroom releases a lot of heat and humidity into the space. And that hotter and wetter air does nothing to help your products stay fresh. In fact, it can actually make them go bad faster, as it encourages mold and bacteria to grow and spread on your makeup and makeup brushes. Gross. Those higher temps in the bathroom will also make your perfume age more quickly, corrupting the smell. But the side effects from your shower aren't the only reasons to keep your beauty products out of the bathroom.

In addition to the bacteria that can form because of the humidity, there could also be bacteria lurking on your products from the toilet. Uh, what? Yeah, the toilet. If the lid is up when you flush the toilet, whether you feel it, see it, or not, some water from the bowl is sprayed into the air — water with fecal matter. If you keep your makeup brushes near the toilet, some of that spray is bound to land on them. And if your brushes are contaminated, that means the products you use with them, and your face, are probably coming in contact with fecal matter.

So if you really feel like you need to keep your beauty products in the bathroom, just make sure to not keep them on the sink counter, where they are most vulnerable. But even though storing your beauty products, say, in the back of a linen closet in the bathroom (where the humidity and toilet water won't reach as well) would be better than leaving everything out on the sink counter, it's still best to store your makeup collection entirely out of the bathroom. A darker, cooler environment (like a vanity or drawer system) is ideal.

Need some makeup storage and organization inspiration? Whether you want to upgrade your current situation, prefer something a little different, or enjoy a good DIY, there are plenty of cute and effective ways to store your beauty products so that you won't have to worry about the damaging effects of the bathroom. Your makeup and your face will thank you for it.

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