This is an archived article and the information in the story may be outdated. Please check the time stamp on the story to see when it was updated last.
If you've ever tried any of those samples at Sephora, you need to read this ASAP. A woman is now suing Sephora after she allegedly contracted oral herpes from one of the store's lipstick testers. OMG.
[Photos: Shutterstock]
The California resident says she sampled one of the "common use" tubes in October 2015 and contracted the infection. According to TMZ, she was diagnosed with cold sores by experts and had never experienced them before her visit.
The woman is claiming that Sephora failed to warn customers of the risk of getting herpes or other diseases by using the samples. She's also dragging the store for not having better sanitation standards when it comes to cleaning samples after each use.
In response, Sephora said in a statement: "While it is our policy to not comment on Litigation, the health and safety of our clients is our foremost priority. We take product hygiene very seriously and we are dedicated to following best practices in our stores."
According to dermatologists, this case is not all that surprising.
"It is possible to contract the herpes virus from sharing makeup and other skin care products," Dr. Rachel Nazarian told Elle.com. "When considering a place like Sephora with thousands of customers using and sharing products, all it takes is one infected person with one cold sore to transmit the virus to somebody else."
To prevent against any infections, experts recommend removing the top of a lipstick or wiping it down with rubbing alcohol. But of course, the most foolproof option is to skip the samples altogether!