Woman Files Lawsuit Against Sephora’s Lipstick Samples That Gave Her A Disease

Sephora has got to be one of the biggest cosmetics stores in the world with over 300 brands and even has a brand of its own. They have branches all over the world and was founded back in 1969 in France. They are known to offer different beauty products such as makeup, skincare, nails, fragrance, body, and even haircare from leading brands from brands like Anastasia Beverly Hills, NARS Cosmetics, Urban Decay, Yves Saint Laurent, Too Faced, Make Up For Ever and more. Sephora is indeed the go-to shop when it comes to anything beauty, it has definitely made quite a name and it is definitely a trusted store in the cosmetics industry. However, a woman in the U.S. experienced something different that she actually needed to sue the French cosmetics chain, keep reading to find out more.

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#Regram @FreshBeauty ・・・ Holidays at Fresh mean it’s #NationalCookieDay every day. Today we’re celebrating with sweet treats that are lip-licking delicious—Sugar Lip cookies inspired by our Sugar Tinted Lip Treatments, available at @Sephora. Cookies by @jennycookies

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DISEASE CAUSING LIPSTICK TESTER

It was reported a few weeks ago that a woman went to Sephora and tried some of their lipsticks using the testers, of course, however, she apparently got more than the lipstick itself. The woman claimed to have caught herpes from the lipstick tester at the famous cosmetics chain. This unnamed woman from California is suing Sephora for it but unfortunately, neither parties have made a comment about the matter nor released an official statement. No one definitely wants to leave a beauty outlet with a disease, so people are now wondering if this is actually a real thing or is it really possible, and of course, how it can be prevented.

IS IT POSSIBLE?

It may actually sound ridiculous but according to microbiologists, this is actually a major possibility and it could really happen. What is worse is that herpes is not the only disease you could get from lipstick testers. This virus is known to spread by skin-to-skin contact such as kissing and of course intercourse, however, it may actually be transmitted in things like towels, glasses, utensils, and of course, in this case, lipsticks. Unfortunately, according to recent statistics, there is an estimate of 67% of people who are actually affected by this disease, what is worse is that the first few signs are actually not that visible so some people may not realize that they actually have it already, which is why doctors refer to this as a hidden enemy. It is said to be living in facial tissues and it could definitely spread and shed. Experts also said that it doesn’t necessarily show up as a blister and it can stay hidden for months.

According to Dr. Nava Greenfield of Schweiger Dermatology Group in New York City, she was actually pretty surprised when she heard the news of a woman suing Sephora because of getting herpes on lipstick. Greenfield said that it was the first time she actually heard of it happening but at the same time it is definitely not impossible. It is indeed unusual but not impossible. She also mentioned how the infected product that a person may use could spread into the mucosal membranes which are a part of the human body including the eyelids as well as the mouth, which are the parts that could easily be infected compared to other parts.

TESTING MAKEUP SAFELY

Almost every makeup enthusiast know exactly how fun it is to play with testers at a cosmetics store, simply because it gives them an opportunity to be able to try which are the pens that may be suitable for them without actually buying them and finding the need to return it. Beauty lovers consider cosmetics stores as their very own playground where they could literally spend their entire day testing products. Then again, when the news of the herpes lipstick incident, people are being more cautious as to how they will exactly treat testers this time around. Which is why some experts gave out some reminders when it comes to using testers for makeup.

According to experts, mascara and liquid liners are on the top of the list when it comes to having the highest risk of contamination. This is because it has to be dipped into the container again after being used by someone else and there is just no way for it to be cleaned, which is why it is not ideal to use testers on these two makeup products. When it comes to the products that aren’t most likely to be contaminated. The powder products are the way to go. This is because it is absolutely dry and bacteria are most likely to grow in a moist environment.

Lastly, lip creams and lipsticks are ideal to be tried on to the arm or the back of the hand, since bacteria could also grow on it especially if it has been used by different people tons of times, hence what happened with the Sephora-herpes incident.