What’s the big deal – why do I have to clean makeup brushes? It’s a chore we’ve all been guilty of skipping from time to time, but it’s the best way to take care of your brushes (and your skin!) in the long term.
Did you know that dirty makeup brushes are a perfect breeding ground for bacteria-causing acne? Gross! If you’ve been dealing with acne lately, dirty makeup brushes could be the cause. Here’s how to clean makeup brushes properly for fluffy, soft brushes and clear skin.
Table of Contents
Items needed to Clean Your Brushes
First, you’ll need something to clean your makeup brushes with. Here’s a list of some of the best cleansers to use:
- Liquid Castile Soap – good for all kinds of brushes
- Dish Soap – best for synthetic brushes
- Baby Shampoo – best for natural brushes
- Goat’s Milk Bar Soap – good for all kinds of brushes
There are also all kinds of brush cleaning tools that you can buy or even make to help speed up cleaning your brushes, but the palm of your hand will be just fine. You really don’t need that much to get your brushes soft and clean!
Step By Step on How to Clean Makeup Brushes
Now let’s get down to business – how do I actually clean my brushes?
What you’ll need to clean your brushes are:
- Washing solution of your choice
- A small glass/bowl
- A hand towel
Directions:
- It’s best to do this at a sink so you can quickly and easily rinse your brushes.
- Mix some of the cleanser with a bit of water in your glass. It doesn’t need to be very full – an inch of water will do. This is what you’ll be dipping your brush into before sudsing it up.
- Wet the brush head by running it under cold water. It’s important that the water is cold and that you don’t get water all over the brush handle – this actually damages your brushes!
- Dip it into the glass with the cleanser/water mix.
- Take it out and begin to gently rub the brush in circles on your wet palm. It will then foam up and wash away any makeup from the brush.
- Rinse the brush and repeat for particularly stubborn makeup – it may take a few tries to get all the foundation out of your favorite buffer brush!
Whatever you do, you don’t want water to get past the top of the ferrule (the metal part attaching the actual brush to the handle), as water can affect the glue holding the brush together and this can make your brushes fall apart. It’s also super important to use cold water, as hot water can affect the glue too. If your brush handles are dirty, a quick once-over with a makeup remover wipe will do.
Tip to Keep your Logos Brand New on Brush Handles
Here’s a quick tip – to stop logos wearing off brush handles, a coat of clear nail polish will seal it and keep it looking nice and new.
After all your brushes are washed, lay them out to dry on a clean towel in a place that gets lots of air circulation. You can speed up this process a little bit by gently wringing out the excess water by carefully squeezing the brush heads between some tissue or towel. Don’t rub as this could damage the bristles – you just want to press the excess moisture out of the brush head. It’s important NOT to put them straight back into your brush jar before they’re fully dry! Again, this lets water into the brush and damages the glue holding it all together.
After a few hours, your brushes should all have dried fully. Enjoy your clean, fluffy brushes!
