Woman Sues Sephora After Claiming She Contracted Herpes Sampling Lipstick
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – A lot of women like to try on makeup before they buy it, but one woman says she contracted herpes after sampling lipstick at national chain Sephora. Doctors say it's unlikely, but it can happen. Sharing makeup comes with the potential for sharing germs.
Sephora's business plan is to get people into the store to sample makeup then buy the products, but a California woman sued Sephora claiming she contracted oral herpes after trying on their lipstick at a store on Hollywood Boulevard.
"Herpes can live for several hours outside of the body but it's rare to get it from things like lipstick. It's more common to pick it up from skin to skin contact," said dermatologist Dr. Gene Rubinstein.
The lawsuit alleges that the company should have known the risk of offering samples that have been used by other customers.
Doctors say even though oral herpes is very prevalent, the Sephora case is pretty uncommon.
"I try on a couple of them and sometimes you don't always remember to clean everything so you just kind of hope that you're not going to break out overnight," said one woman.
Sephora released a statement after the lawsuit was initially filed, saying, "The health and safety of our clients is our foremost priority, we take our product hygiene very seriously and we are dedicated to following best practices in our stores."
The lawsuit claims that a 2005 study tracked public makeup testers for two years and found they carry staph, strep and even e. Coli bacteria.
"So definitely, the applicators are key. The disposable applicators are the way to go," said Dr. Rubinstein.
If those applicators aren't available, wiping the makeup with alcohol can also guard against germs in terms of the lawsuit.
It's not known how much money the woman received from the company.
