The Quickest And Easiest Ways To Clean Your Makeup Brushes

For most of us, washing our makeup brushes is such a mundane task that somehow miraculously falls to the end of our to-do lists. But let me tell you why how you clean your makeup brushes is so important. When you apply makeup to your face using a brush, you are picking up bacteria from your face, which is transferred onto your brushes and left to fester there after you put them down.

Then the next time you use them, you are spreading more bacteria onto your skin, which, after repeated use, will cause you to break out. So it is extremely important that you deep clean all of your makeup brushes at least once a week. But cleaning your brushes doesn’t make to be a lengthy and laborious task. If you are looking for the best way to get your brushes clean, look no further. Here is the best way to deep clean your makeup brushes that will leave your weary brushes looking squeaky clean and brand spanking new.

Wet.

The first step in deep cleaning your makeup brushes is to wet them. It is best to wet the bristles with lukewarm water as hot water will damage the bristles, which you definitely don’t want if you have spent £150 on a Bobbi Brown Classic Brush Collection. Make sure the bristles are pointed downward into the direction of the water because if the water drains from the top of the bristles down to the shaft, this can ruin the glue that holds the brush together.

Apply Product.

The next step in the brush cleaning process is to apply your brush cleaning product. Now, for this step, there is a variety of products that are super easy to use. If you want something quick that you will probably have in your bathroom cabinet, you can use an alcohol and chemical-free hand wash, baby shampoo or a gentle shampoo. Alternatively if you want a more specialised product there are a variety of brush cleaners on the market, but make sure you pick one up that is alcohol free because alcohol will dry out the brush hairs and cause them to break. If you regularly use cream-based makeup products such as cream bronzers or blushers, it is best to use an oil before you use a cleansing product. This will help to remove the cream-based product, as the oil will loosen the product while also conditioning the fibres, leaving them soft without using harmful ingredients. The best products for this are baby oils, such as Johnson’s Baby Oil, which is super affordable and can be purchased from most drugstores or supermarkets. If you are cleaning makeup sponges such as the Real Techniques Complexion Rescue Sponge, a hard cleanser such as the Beauty Blender Blender Cleanser Solid will be your best friend.

Swirl.

The next step is to swirl your brush to make sure the product is evenly dispersed and to ensure that your brush is cleaned as well as possible in the end. To deep clean your brushes it is best to use a tool to allow a bit of friction and something for the bristles to rub against. For this, there is a huge variety of different tools to help you out, for example you can use a simple kitchen sieve which works really well or an exfoliating mitt. If you want to go a little more profesh, you can get actual brush cleaning gloves such as the Real Techniques Cleansing Glove, which work amazingly. Or, if you want to save your coins, you can even use the palm of your hand, it works just as well!

Rinse.

After swirling your brushes on your swirler of choice, you need to rinse your brushes. Rinse them under lukewarm running water while still swirling your brush on your selected tool until the water runs clear and the brush is completely clean.

Dry.

The final step in the process of how you clean your makeup brushes is to leave your brushes to dry naturally. Though you may be tempted to, it is important not to use a hairdryer as the heat can damage the bristles. You want to leave your brushes to dry with the bristles facing downwards otherwise the water will drain into the shaft which will cause it to rust or rot. If the bristles are facing upwards the water can also trickle down into the glue that holds the bristles and handle together, which ruins the glue and will ruin your brushes. So one of the best ways to dry your brushes is to purchase a makeup brush drying rack, which is designed to hold your brushes upside down. Alternatively you can lay your brushes on a towel on a flat surface with an edge with the bristles hanging over the edge so that the air can circulate around the bristles.

There you have it, the best way to deep clean your makeup brushes to make sure that they stay as clean as a whistle. How do you usually clean your makeup brushes? Let us know in the comments below!

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