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Sanitary Skincare Swaps to Try From Sephora

14 Genius Skincare Swaps That Are 10 Times More Sanitary Than Your Fingers, All at Sephora

Mar 20 2020

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Germs are everywhere and, no matter how good you are at always washing your hands and keeping your home's surfaces clean, you may still worry about lurking dangers you may have missed. Like, even if you're getting better about not touching your face midday without realising it, you may be ready to step up that effort to not touching your face period, or at least touching it way less.

Don't worry, we're in this together, and we thought through some easy tweaks you can make to your skincare routine that will make the process way more sanitary. Whether that's washing your face with a cleansing device versus your fingers or utilising that spatula that comes with your moisturiser, there are plenty of options out there.

Check out the genius product swaps you can pick up at Sephora ahead — and see just how easy it is to complete a full skincare routine without your hands having any direct contact with your face.

Image Source: Getty / Image Source

Tip 1: Use a Tool to Wash Your Face

If you apply your cleanser directly onto an already wet cleansing tool, then your hands don't touch your face. Picking something like this Foreo Luna Mini 2 ($159) means you also get an extra scrub, thanks to its pulsating bristles. (Oh, and it has an average 4.6-star rating from other shoppers, and nearly 57,000 loves, too.) There's also a newer Foreo Luna Mini 3 ($209), which takes that regular t-sonic cleansing and adds in a 30-second "glow boost" setting to keep dullness at bay. No matter which one you choose, the silicone material is easy to clean in between uses (with just warm water and a gentle soap), so your hands only need to clean it off and splash water on your face when you're done.

Image Source: sephora.com
Foreo Luna Mini 2
$159
from sephora.com
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Foreo Luna Mini 3
$209
from sephora.com
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Alternatively, for something that's not electronic, there's the Sephora Collection Precision Pore Cleansing Pad ($9), which is also a silicone pad with tiny pore-cleaning, exfoliating bristles, but this one you power all on your own.

Image Source: sephora.com
Sephora Collection Precision Pore Cleansing Pad
$9
from sephora.com
Buy Now

This Sephora Collection Dynamic Duo On The Go ($12) is twice as nice because it has both a silicone pad (to deeply cleanse pores) and also a side with nylon plush bristles to gently remove trapped oil and bacteria from your face. Of course, just remember to keep this brush (and any makeup brushes) clean between uses, too.

Image Source: sephora.com
Sephora Collection Dynamic Duo On The Go
$12
from sephora.com
Buy Now

Tip 2: Apply Your Face Masks With a Brush

Speaking of brushes, you can also apply your face masks with a brush and work it in that way. This Sephora Collection Cleanse and Treat Skincare Brush Set ($52) not only includes a brush just for cleansers, but you're set for applying face masks, moisturisers, and treatments to targeted spots, too.

Image Source: sephora.com
Sephora Collection Cleanse and Treat Skincare Brush Set
$52
from sephora.com
Buy Now

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There are also tools that can do double-duty with just one item like this Sephora Collection Face Mask Applicator ($12). The little end can scoop out your favourite face mask, while the larger spatula side can smooth out the face mask and its reverse side has little silicone bristles to help work it in (and then get it off) when it's all done. And, for those times between masks, that small spatula can also help you hygienically scoop out your favourite moisturiser without dipping your fingers into a jar (and then touching your face).

Image Source: sephora.com
Sephora Collection Face Mask Applicator
$12
from sephora.com
Buy Now

Tip 3: Utilise the Spatula That Comes With Moisturiser

Picking a cream that already includes a spatula is also an option. This Boscia Chia Seed Moisture Cream ($50) is a rich cream that deeply hydrates dry skin, thanks to Swiss glacial water that improves skin's moisture balance and its fatty-acid-rich chia seed oil that helps prevent moisture loss in the future. (Just make sure to clean the scoop and not cross-contaminate the cream between uses.)

Image Source: sephora.com
Boscia Chia Seed Moisture Cream
$50
from sephora.com
Buy Now

Several Tatcha moisturisers come with a little, telltale golden spoon on top, like this Tatcha The Water Cream ($89), which releases a burst of calming nutrients upon contact with your skin, or this Tatcha Luminous Dewy Skin Night Concentrate ($142), which improves its tone while you're asleep.

Image Source: sephora.com
Tatcha The Water Cream
$89
from sephora.com
Buy Now
Tatcha Luminous Dewy Skin Night Concentrate
$142
from sephora.com
Buy Now

Tip 4: Spray pn Your Skin Care

Or, you could skip the spatula and fingers altogether and swap in a spray moisturiser instead, like this Amorepacific Moisture Bound Skin Energy Hydration Mist ($46). Its hydrating complex of botanical extracts protects your face against environmental stressors and there's also bamboo sap inside to relieve dryness and offer long-term moisture at the same time.

Image Source: sephora.com
Amorepacific Moisture Bound Skin Energy Hydration Mist
$46
from sephora.com
Buy Now

Tip 5: Remove Makeup With Face Wipes

If you're wearing waterproof makeup that won't come off easily with simple soap and water, you likely already use a special makeup remover to get that off (with your favourite cotton pads). These Clinique Take The Day Off Micellar Cleansing Towelettes For Face and Eyes ($21) are even easier as you don't need water (and can stash them by your couch for tearjerkers, or pop them in a bag in the future).

Image Source: sephora.com
Clinique Take The Day Off Micellar Cleansing Towelettes For Face and Eyes
$21
from sephora.com
Buy Now

Other makeup removal wipes add a second job to that cleansing task, like these Primera Makeup-Removing Cleansing Cloths ($26), which pack in skin-softening olive oil and soothing aloe vera, and are totally clean products safe for your skin.

Image Source: sephora.com
Primera Makeup-Removing Cleansing Cloths
$26
from sephora.com
Buy Now

There's also a whole range of bestselling Sephora Collection Cleansing and Exfoliating Wipes ($4-$10), each infused with a different active ingredient to address a specific skin concern like bamboo (for mattifying) and charcoal (for detoxifying). These Sephora wipes have more than 3,000 reviews and 213,000 loves from other shoppers, so you'll be in good company.

Image Source: sephora.com
Sephora Collection Cleansing and Exfoliating Wipes
$4
from sephora.com
Buy Now

Tip 6: Apply Toner With Cotton Pads

Cotton pads are great for applying toner, but you can also use it to spread on your favourite moisturiser (that may not have its own little scoop) with this versatile Shiseido Facial Cotton ($11). These pads can actually be used with any liquid skincare item, from makeup removers to toners, and other Sephora shoppers love them because they're supersoft and durable, and they don't soak up as much of the product so you use/waste less, too.

Image Source: sephora.com
Shiseido Facial Cotton
$11
from sephora.com
Buy Now

Tip 7: Try Treatment Pads

Presoaked wipes also come in handy for face treatments. For example, this Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Alpha Beta Extra Strength Daily Peel ($23-$198) includes both AHAs and BHAs, and has earned an average 4.6-star rating with more than 5,000 reviews. The two-step process packs in a whole range of exfoliating acids in the first pad (including glycolic, salicylic, lactic, and mandelic), and a second pad features things like skin-protecting and brightening retinol and vitamin C, too.

Image Source: sephora.com
Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Alpha Beta Extra Strength Daily Peel
$23
from sephora.com
Buy Now

It's also possible to search for the specific ingredient you want, or problem you'd like to solve, and find that in pad form. For example, these Naturally Serious Get Even Cold-Pressed Peel Pads ($38) offer antioxidant protection with only natural ingredients like pomegranate, goji berry, and tea, and also leaving skin radiant thanks to edelweiss and imperatoria.

Image Source: sephora.com
Naturally Serious Get Even Cold-Pressed Peel Pads
$38
from sephora.com
Buy Now

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