This ‘TODAY’ Show Clip Reveals the Nasty Bacteria Hiding in Makeup Samples

Last month, one California woman announced a lawsuit against Sephora, claiming one of its lipstick testers gave her herpes. And despite the fact that the retail brand was called out for negligence (i.e., not warning customers of the health risks that come with sampling products), it simply offered a “no comment” and follow-up statement highlighting its commitment to “health and safety.”

MORE: Sephora Hit With Lawsuit After Woman Claims She Contracted Herpes From Tester

It’s no secret that germs are pretty much everywhere, but we admittedly found ourselves questioning whether you could actually contract a lifelong disease from a measly makeup sample. Well, according to the Rossen Reports team at “TODAY,” the answer is an undisputed yes.

This week, they went undercover at Sephora, Ulta and Macy’s to collect and test product samples for germs and other nasty bacteria.  Spoiler alert: the results will make you squirm. Inside, hidden cameras captured customers (with blurred out faces, of course) applying sample products to their lip and face as if they hadn’t been used by dozens of other people.

“People use it. Then you use it. Then other people use it. It’s like communal makeup.” Well said, Jeff Rossen and reason enough to not do it.

If that weren’t enough to gross you out, brace yourself for the lab results. All three stores came back with some samples that had harmful bacteria, including E. coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae (bacteria normally found in the intestinal tract) and Staph.

And yes, herpes can hide in plain sight, too. “It’s absolutely possible. You can catch the herpes simplex virus from an inanimate object, such as lipstick,” said Dr. Whitney Bowe, a consulting dermatologist. “In fact, that virus can survive on the surface of a lipstick tube for up to a week.” Well, that’s not comforting.

MORE: Viral Photo Shows $1300-Worth of Destroyed Makeup at Sephora

So, is there a safe way to test products without making yourself sick? Bowe says to swatch on the side of your hand and stay far away from the eyes and lip. Watch the full report above and consider yourselves warned.