Found Beads of Water on Your Lipstick? It's "Sweating" — Here's What That Means

Updated on June 16, 2019 at 6:35 PM

If you've ever left a lipstick in a drawer for a while or uncapped a new creamy tube of your favorite hue to see small beads of liquid sitting on the surface — there's a name for that. It's called lipstick "sweating," and it's actually more common than you think. It happens when the temperature changes around the lipstick, causing emollient ingredients to come to the surface, creating small beads of liquid. It often happens with the creamiest of formulas, which means even the most high-end products can suffer from it.

We reached out to cosmetic and skin care formulator Stephen Alain Ko to find out exactly how this happens and what it means for your makeup stash.

What Causes Lipstick Sweating?

"Some lipsticks contain oils, and sweating occurs when those oils come out of the mixture of the lipstick and collect on the surface," explained Ko. Another example of something similar is with chocolate. When you see dust on the surface of your chocolate bar, that's the food sweating.

Does It Mean Your Lipstick Has Gone Bad?

"Seeing sweating on your lipstick means that the composition of the lipstick has slightly changed," Ko said. "That may affect the performance of the lipstick." Fortunately, sweating doesn't make the product dangerous to use. If you'd still like to use the product, you can wipe away the oil with a tissue and (just to be safe) disinfect it with some rubbing alcohol.

How Can You Keep Your Lipsticks From Sweating?

Since the primary reason your lipstick is sweating is temperature changes, storing your products in a cool place (like the fridge) should help prevent it from happening.

Can't Tell if It's Sweating or Mold?

If you can't tell if your lipstick has sweat or mold, it's best to discontinue using it. "When it comes to issues like contamination and safety, it's always better to err on the side of caution," explained Ko. If you bought the lipstick like that, you can reach out to the company and see if they'll send you a new one.