Isolation and Identification of Microorganisms from Makeup Eye-Shadow From university students in Baghdad
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24126/jobrc.2026.20.2.931Keywords:
Eye-shadow brushes, cosmetic contamination, Staphylococcus lentus, Candida albicans, Antimicrobial susceptibilityAbstract
Background: Cosmetic products and their applicators can serve as reservoirs for microorganisms that may pose potential health risks, particularly when makeup brushes are shared among users. Repeated use without proper cleaning may facilitate the transmission of pathogenic microorganisms and increase the risk of skin and ocular infections. This study aimed to isolate and identify microbial contaminants associated with eye-shadow makeup brushes used by university students in Baghdad and to determine the antimicrobial susceptibility patterns of the recovered bacterial isolates. Methods: Fifty eye-shadow makeup brush samples were collected from university students, makeup artists who shared cosmetic brushes, and individuals who used personal makeup brushes. Samples were cultured on nutrient agar, blood agar, and Sabouraud dextrose agar for the isolation of bacteria and fungi. Bacterial identification was confirmed using 16S rRNA gene polymerase chain reaction (PCR) followed by sequence analysis. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed using the disk diffusion method against a panel of commonly used antibiotics. Results: Two principal microorganisms were isolated from the examined samples: Staphylococcus lentus (64%) and Candida albicans (36%). The bacterial isolates exhibited resistance to erythromycin, ampiclox, rifampicin, amoxicillin, streptomycin, norfloxacin, and chloramphenicol, while remaining susceptible to ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin, and gentamicin. Conclusions: Eye-shadow makeup brushes frequently harbor potentially pathogenic microorganisms capable of contributing to skin and ocular infections. Sharing cosmetic brushes may facilitate microbial transmission and represents a potential public health concern. Regular cleaning of cosmetic applicators and avoidance of sharing personal makeup tools are recommended to reduce the risk of contamination and infection. Keywords: Eye-shadow brushes; cosmetic contamination; Staphylococcus lentus; Candida albicans; antimicrobial susceptibility
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
Categories
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Aleaa A. Jameel , Amenah R. Abdullah , Hayder H. Ismail
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the creative commons Attribution (CC BY) 4.0 license which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium or format, and to alter, transform, or build upon the material, including for commercial use, providing the original author is credited.
