How to: Clean Your Makeup Brushes

So now that you know what types of foundation brushes to use, it’s time to learn the proper way to take care of them! It may sound self explanatory, but there’s actually many important things to keep in mind when cleaning your makeup brushes. Not knowing the correct way to wash and dry brushes could potentially ruin them after just a few weeks of improper cleaning. Luckily, I’ve created a simple step by step guide to keeping bacteria from building up in your brushes, as well as how to keep those essential tools clean! 

Whenever you use your makeup brushes, makeup, oils, and bacteria  build up in the bristles and can lead to breakouts and clogged pores. Brushes should ideally be cleaned on a regular basis because they will last much longer and do a much better job of blending in makeup when they are properly taken care of. Makeup brushes can also be expensive, so taking care of them is important in extending their product life span.

The first step in ensuring your makeup brushes stay clean is to cleanse them on a daily basis with a daily brush cleaner. I like MAC’s makeup brush cleanser but Sephora also carries a great makeup brush spritzer. The brush cleansers remove the majority of makeup that got on the brush following usage. This type of brush cleaning is great because they dry within minutes so you can use them again shortly after.

Makeup brushes should also be deep cleaned once a week. I like to do this step on Sundays because I have more time and don’t normally put on any makeup on this day so the brushes have lots of time to dry. If you do think you’ll be using your brushes on the day of the deep cleaning, make sure to do it after you’ve applied your makeup because drying time takes several hours.

Below is what you’ll need to deep clean your makeup brushes:

• A small bowl
• Baby shampoo or organic shampoo
• Your sink
• A hand towel/Paper Towels/Lint free cloth

Instructions:

1. First rinse your brushes under warm water to remove any excess makeup on the bristles.
2. Then fill the small bowl with warm water and a tablespoon of baby shampoo.
3. One by one, dip your brushes into the soapy water and swirl the bristles at the bottom of the bowl to remove residue/makeup. You can also swirl the brush on your palm after dipping it in the water to create more soap suds.
4. Rinse your brushes under cold water to remove soap and any extra makeup or dirt.
5. (IMPORTANT): Reshape your brush bristles with a cloth to mold them back into their original shape. This is important because if you don’t, they will dry with the bristles going in every direction, and you could ruin the overall shape of the brush.
6. To dry your brushes, set out a and towel or cloth and if you can, put a cylinder shaped object in the middle of the towel in order to create a see-saw or miniature hill. It sounds silly but it’s important that you dry your brushes on a downward angle so the water does not seep into the actual brush from the bristles. Water will break down the glue that holds everything together over time, so try your best to keep water out of that area. You can lay the brushes flat if needed, but definitely do not dry them in a upward position because the glue will dissolve over time and your brushes could fall apart.

Now that you know how to properly take care of your makeup brushes, it’s time to go give them a deep cleaning if you already haven’t!

How do you wash your brushes? If you have any great home remedies, please let me know in the comments below! 🙂