How To Deep Clean Your Makeup Brushes
You could have the most rigorous, carefully perfected multi-step skincare routine but if you’re not cleaning your makeup brushes regularly– you are setting yourself up to fail.
Oils from your skin, mixed with makeup residue and dead skin cells collect in your brushes, making them the perfect breeding ground for all kinds of gross bacteria.
Not only is it just a bit grim, but the buildup of gunk on your brushes also clogs your pores and irritates your skin, which can lead to rashes and breakouts.
As we all have a little more time at home, it’s the perfect time to get into a makeup brush wash routine. Here are top tips!
- Wash
Run each brush under lukewarm water and try to massage out some of the makeup. Then, dip each brush individually in a bowl of gentle antibacterial soap or a baby shampoo and work up a good lather. Nikki Makeup swears by Fairy liquid!
We also love a balm in a tin! Like this one from Spectrum brushes.
- Give That Brush A Swirl
The best method to reach all of the bristles is to swirl your soapy brush around, either on the palm of your hand or on a washing matt like this one.
- Rinse and Repeat
Wash the brush under running water again; and repeat step 1 and 2 until the water runs clear.
- Dry
Gently squeeze the excess water out of your brushes and lay them out flat to dry on a towel, or above a radiator. Don’t stack them up or let the water drain up into the handle as that can rot the wood and loosen the glue.
So, now that we’ve got the deep cleaning technique down– how often should you be washing your brushes? Well, it varies. Brushes that you use with liquid products such as foundation will need to be cleaned more frequently– a couple of times a week ideally– as bacterial nasties love a damp brush. You should try to wash brushes that touch your eyes more frequently too.
Other brushes that you use for dry products like powder or blusher can last a week or so between washes. But please, if using your brushes on anyone else, wash them immediately after each use!
We know it’s another chore to add to your list, but trust us, your skin will thank you for it.