Make-up brushes are every make-up enthusiast’s bristly best friend. They improve application and blending of different products and colours, enabling that well-done, polished look we are all aiming for.
Used for eye make-up as well as for foundations and blushers, it is not unusual to use several different brushes in one makeup application session.
However, like anything else that comes in contact with our skin, make-up brushes need to be kept clean to remain hygienic.
Sebum and dead skin cells are breeding grounds for bacteria. Spreading them around your face could compromise your complexion causing break-outs and rashes, it can cause a fungal or even E. coli infection.
The American Academy of Dermatology recommends washing your brushes every 7 to 10 days.
The Best Ways To Clean Makeup Brushes
Luckily, cleaning brushes does not have to be very complicated or prolonged. With a few simple steps, and using our helpful hacks, you can keep your brushes fresh and clean! How are some of the best ways to clean your rmake-up brushes we could find!
The Manual (And Most Straightforward) Way To Cleanse Your Make-up Brushes
This is the most straightforward way to clean your brushes, that will virtually require no special implements or detergents – just everyday items you will likely already have in your house.
First step is to clean your brush with running water. However, forget about trying to separate the bristles with your fingers. The best cleaning technique to make sure all residue product is gone, is to use a sieve! Grab a sieve and place it under running water.
Grab your brush and also position it in the stream of water, and massage it against the sieve. Now watch as the sieve rubs the residue make-up off the brush! It’s pure magic, and very satisfying to watch.
Try to only submerge the tip of the brush, as putting the whole thing in the water will eventually dissolve the glue connecting the brush head to the handle.
Second step is similar to the first, however now we will be using a detergent – gentle shampoo, like baby shampoo will be best. Beware of using plain soap, as that might dry out the bristles.
Put a drop of shampoo in a bowl of lukewarm water and dip the tip of the brush in it. You can use the sieve again to lather it up gently.
Then, rinse the tips under running water again.
Continue dipping in soapy water and rinsing until the water runs completely clear from the brush. Now squeeze out excess water with a soft microfibre towel, or simply a paper towel. Easy!
Try This Simple Drying Makeup Brushes Hack
Lay your brushes flat to dry – if you put them upright the water dripping down the handle might dissolve the glue overtime. The dripping water might also mis-shape your brushes, so it is best to lay them flat with the bristles hanging off the edge of the counter.
You can vary and try out different products used in the first and second step. Dish soap (or castile soap) mixed with water and a few drops of olive oil can be used to soak off makeup residue.
Similarly, baking soda – fill a cup with water, taking care to only put enough water to cover the bristles of your brush. Then add a tablespoon full of baking soda. Mix together and leave your brushes in the solution for a few minutes to soak.
Then rinse and dry as per the instructions above. Rubbing alcohol can also be used – spray the bristles until they are saturated and wipe them on a paper towel. Repeat the process until the paper towel is clean after wiping the brush on it.
Finally oil, such as tea tree (good if you have oily, break-out prone skin), olive oil (easily accessible and cheap) or coconut oil can be used to shift makeup residue. Mix a few drops of oil in lukewarm water and soak your brushes, or apply directly to the bristles
Then add some soap to loosen the grease and rinse off under running water.
Using DIY (Yes, Home-made) Makeup Brush Cleaner
This way to clean your brushes is a little more involved as it requires you to make your own brush cleaner solution. However once that’s mixed up, your brushes will be clean with minimum effort, and minimal time commitment!
This is also the best way to clean your brushes in between uses, you would still need to clean them with water and detergent at regular intervals as described above, but not quite as often.
The beauty of making your own brush cleaner is that you have total control over the ingredients you use in the solution, so you can use the products you already have at home, and you can customise it to your skin’s needs.
You will need a small spray bottle, a funnel, and some common household ingredients to make your own makeup brush cleaner.
- Distilled water
- Alcohol or Witch hazel
- Fragrance oil
Start by filling the bottle with alcohol or witch hazel to about 70% capacity of the bottle. Top it up with water. Then add a few drops of fragrance oil – you can use whatever oil you like.
This step, apart from adding a pleasant smell and thus masking the odour of the alcohol will also work as a conditioner for the brush’s bristles. Give it all a shake and voila! Your own homemade makeup brush cleaner is ready.
Use it after applying your makeup by spraying the brush with the solution, then wiping it on a paper towel. This will take care of any bacteria festering on the bristles until it’s time to give your brush a proper clean with water and soap.
Washing Makeup Brushes In A Cleaner Machine
If concocting your own solutions is not your thing, there are of course products on the market that will take away any effort whatsoever and make cleaning your makeup brushes the most straightforward affair possible. These are makeup brush cleaner machines, and they are easily obtainable from amazon for example.
One such machine is Stylpro makeup brush cleaner which has over 70% of 5 star reviews on Amazon!
This battery-powered machine will clean AND dry your brushes in 30 seconds! It essentially does the same job as the manual cleaning process described above, however more speedily and efficiently.
Therefore if you need your brushes to be clean and dry straight away, or you just simply cannot put up with the rigmarole of cleaning and drying it yourself, Stylpro brush cleaner might be the product for you.
Simply fill the bowl with cleanser, attach your brush to the spinning device, spin to clean and spin again to dry. Some models even include a special attachment to double up as makeup sponge cleaners too.
After using this device, your makeup brushes WILL look brand new, so you must prepare yourself for the feeling of shame you are bound to feel that you have neglected them for so long.
This machine comes with some samples of the cleaning solution, but once you’ve that up you can either experiment with your own cleaning products, or simply purchase more of their branded cleanser solution.
If you do try and use your own products, we found that soap and water, even though effective, takes a long time to get the same results as the branded cleanser. Micellar water is also a good option, but again not as good as the branded stuff.
There are other brands of brush cleaner machines available and they all essentially do the same job. It is worth having a look at what is on offer, as they differ slightly in how they are powered (battery vs. usb port), size of brushes they can accommodate, and what type of makeup applicators can be cleaned – some will only do brushes, other might also clean sponges for instance.
Other Useful Accessories To Clean Your Makeup Brushes
Apart from the cleaner machine mentioned above, there are other accessories available that are useful in keeping your brushes clean and hygienic.
Trusty Makeup Cleaner Pad
A silicone cleaner pad – this pad will replace a sieve, as mentioned in the manual method above. These are great as the pad has areas of different rugged patterns to help clean a variety of brushes.
They are easy to use – just place it at the bottom of your sink, they have little sucker pads underneath so it will stick to the surface and remain in one place as you work with it. They’re easy to clean and dry, portable and unbreakable!
Makeup Brush And Sponge Cleaner
Color removal sponge – this is an excellent little item. It’s a soft scrubbing sponge in a box that we especially like for cleaning eye shadow makeup brushes. It allows you to easily switch colors and use the same brush to apply different colored eye shadows.
Especially great when you’re travelling as it will allow you to cut down on the number of brushes you need to pack.
The sponge is made with activated carbon, which removes excess loose powder and have excellent absorption. The white area of the sponge allows you to check if your brush is clean, and will remove any remaining powder.
Ready made shampoo/soap – if you don’t feel like mixing your own, this is a great alternative readily available to you.
Cleaner spray – as above, this will save you a bit of time and effort and will allow you to keep your brushes clean in-between the regular washes and will work as immediate makeup brush sanitizer.
Conclusion
As you can see, there are very many ways to clean makeup brushes at home to keep them fresh and hygienic.
Ultimately it all boils down to using water and detergent, the rest is just down to personal preference, your time and resources available which method you are going to use. What is clear however, there is really no excuse now not to give them a good refresh!
