We all know that we should clean our makeup brushes.
It extends the life of your brushes (which can save you a lot of money), but it is also good for you skin. Think about it, do you really want to keep wiping bacteria and dead skin cells on you face? Ewwww!
How often should you clean brushes?
Once a week is the rule of thumb, unless you have acne prone skin and then you should wash them daily. I usually wash my brushes in the evening and let them dry over night. I really try to do it when I know I won't be using them the next day, but that isn't always possible.
There are tons of different products on the market for cleaning your brushes, but I can't recommend any because I don't bother with them. I use my kids' shampoo, the same shampoo I use for lice prevention. The shampoo contains tea tree oil. Tea tree oil in know for its effectiveness against bacteria, viruses, fungal infections, scabies, and lice. It has even been shown to be effective in the treatment of acne. Sounds perfect for makeup brushes don't you think?
If you would like to see the recipe I use to make the shampoo go here.
In my PCL (Pre-Child Life) I just used regular old baby shampoo to wash my makeup brushes. It works fine, I just like the addition of the tea tree oil.
The Method
1. Fill a bowl with about a tablespoon of shampoo and warm water.
2. One by one, swirl your brushes in the water. Kind of like you are painting the bottom of the bowl. This will work anything in the bristles out. (I like to work from largest brush to smallest. This way I can pull them out in the same order I put them in. I know I'm crazy. I also toss my sharpeners, tweezers, etc. in at the end.)
3. Allow the brushes to soak in the bowl as you add each new brush. If you haven't washed your brushes in a while, and your water becomes
full of product, you should start over at step 1 part way through.
4. Rinse the brushes one by one in cold running water. (As I pull the brushes out of the bowl I wash the handle with some of the water/shampoo in the bowl.)
5. Wipe the brushes on a paper towel, to remove excess water. Make sure to dry the handles and any metal on the brushes. Take care not to pull on the bristles!
6. Reshape the brush bristles with your fingers.
7. To dry the brushes, I keep an empty aluminum foil/saran wrap box in the bathroom, and drape a paper towel over it. Then I lay the brushes across the box allowing the bristles to hang off the edge.
8. Once the brushes are completely dry, I put them away. I store them in a plastic box, laying flat. I also wash out the box the same time I wash the brushes.
Years ago when I began washing my brushes weekly, I thought of it as a pain in my butt. Now I just think of it as part of my regular hygiene routine and it is far less annoying.
How often do you do it?
How often do you do it?
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