Many cosmetic stores add “testers” for their products. These testers are for people who want to try out the products in the store. It helps people in deciding whether they want to buy the product. Testers let people see if a product is their shade, how something feels on their skin, if the product is worth it, etc.
Sometimes products online look different from real life. In photos and videos products can look more pigmented, it can seem larger, and it can look like a different color, so testers are a good option for those who are more cautious in what they buy.
Testers in cosmetic stores is a good marketing strategy, but is it the cleanest way of doing it?
As soon as you walk into a cosmetic store like Sephora, you’ll come to notice the testers displayed. They’re right in front of or next to the actual products that are being sold. It doesn’t take much examination to see the dirtiness of the tester. The scratched up container, the broken wand, the leftover dried out product covering the display stand and containers, and so much more that you can see that disgusts you.
This is only the stuff that you can see with the naked eye. Imagine what it looks like under a microscope.
Sephora testers have been swabbed and tested many times to see how sanitary the testers really are. Each time, the results were not great to say the least.
There are precautions taken by the store to keep the testers clean and sanitary. They have new mini sponges people can use, spoolies, cotton pads, lip wands, etc. This prevents people from having to use the same tools in the product (such as the same mascara wand.) People don’t have to use something that has already touched another person’s face.
Though these precautions help keep everything cleaner, not everyone is aware of these tools. There are also people who just don’t want to use these tools in general. Thus contaminating the tester.
Contaminated testers are rich with bacteria, viruses, and various pathogens from multiple users. It can higher the risk of skin infections, skin irritations, and other possible reactions.
Testers are also inaccurate to the formula of the item. Because people put their fingers all over the tester, it can create what’s called “hard pan.” Hard pan is that hardened film on the top of the product that makes it difficult to pick up any pigment. This is caused by oil and moisture that touches the product, however some can be more prone to hard pan than others. While the Dior blush may not be that pigmented, the hard pan on the testers aren’t helping with that.
Testers aren’t as good as they seem to be. They are unsanitary, and overall unsafe to use. Stores need to get rid of them or moderate the use better. This can be done by not letting people use testers independently. Instead, they should ask workers for permission, so the workers can bring the testers to them. It can be a hussle, and a lot of work to do, but it is better than letting people use disgusting testers that other people have already used.
