HOW TO DEEP CLEAN YOUR MAKEUP BRUSHES
Everything (Well, almost everything) needs cleaning at some point. Your body, the utensils you use, your clothes, pets and even your makeup brushes! You’re probably thinking, especially if you are a makeup beginner, what do I use to clean the makeup brushes? How do I clean them? Do I use soap? Why do I need to clean them? How often do I need to clean them? Can’t I just wipe off the makeup from the brushes? Relax. We will answer most of your questions with this article.
Why do I need to clean my makeup brushes?
- Over time, brushes accumulate bacteria. The more you cleanse them, the less acne-causing bacteria you are spreading on your skin.
- Brushes also accumulate dead skin cells and oil, which can clog your pores and lead to dull or broken out skin.
- Regular cleaning keeps bristles soft, and that means they are less irritating to the skin.
- Clean brushes apply makeup better. Clean bristles will assure a smoother application.
- Brushes that are cleaned well last longer.
How often do I need to clean my makeup brushes?
It is recommended that you clean your makeup brushes at least once a week. For makeup professionals the recommended cleaning is after use on each client. No one wants to use a foundation brush that still has some foundation from another client. Maybe the shades don’t even match so it would just ruin the whole look.
We should however also be careful not to clean our makeup brushes too frequently as it may eventually damage the bristles or cause them to wear out faster than they should have.
What do I use to clean the makeup brushes?
Cleansers of course! The type of cleanser all comes down to one’s preference and skin type. Some of them include vinegar/apple cider vinegar, shampoo/baby shampoo, extra virgin olive oil and dish washing soap which most of the time are readily available at home.
There are also ready-made cleansers which you can purchase if you don’t mind spending extra coins. We will cover the pros and cons of each of the mentioned and others in a later blog post.
Apart from cleansers, there are also cleaning tools that you could use to even make the process easier and faster like our silicone brush cleaners. They provide texture to help remove makeup from the bristles.
So how do you clean your makeup brushes?
The simple routine below is the answer you’ve been looking for!
- You first want to wet your brush bristles. Using lukewarm water is the most recommended as it helps to break down the makeup product so its easier to come off the bristles. You should also be keen to hold your brushes facing down so as to avoid water from interfering with the base of the bristles that is held together by glue.
- Next you apply a cleanser. You can choose any cleanser of your preference from the ones mentioned earlier. Be careful to choose one that is gentle and comfortable on your skin and bristles.
- Apply a small amount of the cleanser on the palm of your hands and gently massage the bristles on the palm of your hands. This where the brush cleaner comes in handy if you have one. You simply rub the bristles on the different textures of the brush cleaners depending on the size of the brush and bristles. Pay more attention to the top of the bristles to avoid interfering with the glue at the base of the bristles.
- Rinse the bristles thoroughly. Again, remember to hold your brush facing downwards so as not to tamper with the glue holding the bristles together.
- If still not content or the water is stained with the color of the makeup products, repeat step 3 and 4.
- Squeeze out excess moisture with a clean towel. Handle the bristles with care as they are sometimes fragile.
- Reform to shape with your hands gently.
- Dry off of a counter. Do not towel dry because this encourages the growth of mildew. Towels absorb moisture and that leads to the growth of bacteria and mold while the brushes are drying. Also, the air circulation is not 100 percent.
- Pay more attention to top of bristles to avoid messing up the glue
With those very simple steps, clean your makeup brushes at the comfort of your home without much struggle!