Brushes are essential tools for applying makeup and what’s more important than a flawless face? Skin care is our everyday mission but we often forget to clean up our makeup kit, brushes included. The delicate, brush fibers are soil for bacteria, dust, dead skin cells and all those things can cause acne, redness and irritation.
Clean makeup brushes = Clean and beautiful face
Truth is, women rarely clean their brushes because they think that’s a long process. The good news is that you don’t need much time to clean your brushes and you don’t need to buy expensive cleaning products.
Here’s how you can clean your makeup brushes:
1. Shampoo
It’s best to use a baby shampoo but you can also use your ordinary shampoo. In a bowl, mix warm water with some shampoo and dip your brushes in. Gently clean your brushes using your fingers. Most women use this cleaning method because it’s the easiest.
2. Shampoo + Extra Virgin Olive Oil
In a bowl, mix the same amount of shampoo and extra virgin olive oil. Add some water in the mixture and dip your brushes. Swirl the brushes the mixture and gently massage them to clean them thoroughly. This method is the best for cleaning eyeliner brushes and lipstick brushes.
3. Dishwashing Detergent
Put a few drops of dishwashing detergent on a clean sponge. Use the sponge, in circular motions, to clean your brushes. After they’re clean, rinse them with lukewarm water. The dishwashing detergent is anti-bacterial and thoroughly removes oils and makeup residues.
4. White Vinegar + Dishwashing Detergent
In a glass of warm water, add 1 tbsp. dishwashing detergent and 1 tbsp. white vinegar. Dip your brushes into the mixture and leave them for a couple of minutes. Gently go through the brushes with your fingers and rinse them with lukewarm water.
How often you should clean your brushes?
Everything depends on how often you put makeup on. Concealer, foundation and lipstick brushes should be cleaned once a week. All other brushes should be cleaned twice a week, although some experts claim it’s ok to clean your brushes once a month.
Some Extra Tips
- Don’t wash your brushes with hot water and don’t use a blow drier to dry them. This way you’ll destroy the fibers.
- Clean the handles with a wet towel.
- Once your bush is cleaned, gently squeeze out the excess water. Smooth out the fibers with your fingers, to keep the form of the brush.
- Place your brushes on a dry towel or paper tissue and let them dry naturally. It takes 10-12 hours for your brushes to dry.