For some unknown reason cleaning makeup brushes is one of those jobs that I try and avoid at all costs. It’s way too easy to go for weeks without turning your attention to cleaning the things that apply your face of the day, everyday.
But here’s the thing - unwashed, dirty brushes make a great home for bacteria, which can lead to breakout, plus a buildup of product can ruin the bristles over time and make the application process way more difficult.
Breakouts and broken brushes - I’ll pass thank you.
The thing is, running the brushes under the tap isn’t quite going to cut it when it comes to fixing the whole breakouts and broken bristles thing. Stick with me though, I promise it’s not that bad - these tips will help save your skin and your brushes and there is minimal effort involved, I promise.
How frequently you wash your brushes depends on how much and what you use them for. I personally think washing them every week, to every two weeks, is best.
Tools at the Ready
When it comes to choosing your soap the key thing is to pick a gentle one that won't destroy your brushes. There are lots of specific makeup brush cleaners out there, but you can use any baby shampoo, mild soap or a gentle face cleanser that you have to hand.
Aside from soap, you need a couple of extra things. Although your hands work perfectly well, I find a cleansing mat really helpful when it comes to getting rid of any stubborn makeup that’s refusing to budge. I have this one, which is great.
Grab yourself a towel and you are ready to go.
The key thing to remember, before you start is - we want to keep water away from the glue at the base of the bristles. If water gets into the glue, it can loosen the bristles (which are held by the glue), which leads to bristles malting all over your face when you next apply your foundation, which is not a good look.
Keeping water away from the brush handles will help prevent any problems with glue and bristles, plus if your brushes have wooden handles, they won’t get warped over time.
Start by adding a blob of shampoo, soap, your cleanser of choice, into the palm of your hand, before gently swirling the wet bristles into the cleanser, rinsing and re-swirling until any traces of makeup have gone.
It’s tempting to scrub brushes in an effort to remove makeup that is hard to reach, but this just ruins the brush shape. The cleansing mat comes into its own here (just don’t press too hard), helping to get rid of stubborn makeup, minus any reshaping issues!
Use your hand to squeeze any excess water out of the bristles and to reshape, if you notice your cleaning efforts have altered the shape in any way. I find that gently flicking the water out of the bristles helps, before reshaping with your hand.
Next, you’ll want to leave them to dry - fold one edge of a towel to create a slight slant, before laying your brushes flat on the towel, with the handles on the top the folded edge - so the water runs down - away from the glue, at the base to the bristles.
Leave them to dry for a few hours - I tend to wash mine in the evening and leave them overnight, so they are ready to go in the morning!
Voila - sparkly clean brushes, with minimal effort - not as bad as you thought right?
What are your top tips for cleaning your makeup brushes?
xoxo
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