Not sure about how to clean a makeup brush? No problem. Here are ways to clean makeup brushes to avoid acne breakouts, skin irritation, and bad makeup days. (Hurrah!)
As for makeup lovers, one of the top priorities apart from buying products that suit your skin should be keeping our makeup brushes clean and sanitized. Doing so can help prevent germs from dwelling in the bristles of your brushes or sponges.
How often do you need to clean makeup brushes?
No offense! But you’re not washing your makeup brushes often enough. Cleaning brushes is necessary to avoid disinfection after every use, every day, every week, or at the least every month. There are several ways to clean makeup brushes. You must know how to clean a makeup brush properly. (follow the easiest ways described below).
Some dermatologists recommend that if you give your makeup brushes a good scrub at least once every two weeks, it may prove enough to clean them. If there’s visible makeup buildup, you should be extra diligent about cleaning your makeup brushes or sponges, since they’re more vulnerable to bacteria.
Overall, there’s no perfect time period for this. Remember if you use brushes daily, then thoroughly clean them once a week. However, if you couldn’t do this, deep clean them at least every other week and treat them with the liquid formulas that come in spray bottles. Brush cleaners contain high alcoholic content which prevents the growth of bacteria and is great to get rid of pigment from makeup.
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How to clean your makeup brushes?
Makeup brushes assemble pollution, bacteria, dead skin cells, dust, sebum, and product buildup. All kinds of face brushes including eye-area brushes and those used for liquid makeup must be cleaned after every use as germs normally grow in moist environments.
Cleaning of makeup brushes takes less than a minute per tool. It has several benefits whether you have brushes with natural hair bristles, style sponges, a set of synthetics, or a collection of beauty blenders.
How to clean makeup brushes at home?
Cleaning your brushes increases their lifespan, and makes your applied makeup look more flawless. Follow the best ways below to clean makeup brushes. By now you’ll be wondering how to clean makeup brushes at home? cleaning makeup tools is not rocket science. Here’s how to clean a makeup brush in very six simple and easy ways:
1. Keep the bristles of the brushes under lukewarm water
Run the bristles of the brushes pointed right under the lukewarm water. You can also do this after rinsing. Do not use hot water, instead stick to lukewarm water. Hot water can destroy the bristles on your makeup brush over time, especially if you wash them often.
It will help prevent the water from running back and into the bristles of the brush to dissolve the glue holding the brushes together. For better results, move and separate the bristles for proper penetration into the center of the brush.
2. Rub the brushes against a silicone brush mat
Rub the soap into the bristles of the makeup brush to dissolve any leftover makeup. You can also use the palm of your hand or a silicone cleaning mat for this purpose. Simply swirl the bristles of the brush in a circular motion. Then, gently run the soap into the brush head. Keep doing this until the soap turns white, rather than the color of your eye shadows, foundation, and blush.
When you give the brushes a good rinse by running them under the tap, it gently squeezes the bristles. Repeat this step when you notice brushes are getting sleazy.
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3. Spritz with a makeup brush cleaner
Don’t you love doing double cleansing on your face? It’s almost similar. A makeup brush cleaner dissolves the oil-based makeup and skin impurities. Try doing a little pre-cleanse before washing your makeup brushes. Spritz instant brush cleaner or isopropyl alcohol onto the bristles. Make sure to gently wipe brushes onto a clean face towel or tissue paper to remove most of the product. All impurities will remove making your brushes neat and clean.
Also, you should try lightly cleaning and disinfecting your makeup brushes before applying makeup for the day. Another alternative is to use a little bit of baby oil.
4. Spritz the brushes with rubbing alcohol
If you clean makeup brushes every day, it will help keep them germ and bacteria-free. Spray a bit of rubbing alcohol onto the bristles of your brush right after you use any of your makeup brushes or sponges. Then wipe them gently on a clean cloth and leave the brush out to dry for a few minutes.
Rubbing alcohol not only makes your brushes shine but removes bacteria as well. You can find rubbing alcohol easily at most pharmacies or general stores. After using rubbing alcohol, you don’t need to be worried about germs on your makeup brushes. An alternative to alcohol is a makeup brush sterilizer. With the help of UV light, the brush sterilizer disinfects your brushes in minutes, making them 99.9% germ-free.
5. Wipe off excess makeup from brushes with a clean fabric
This is the fundamental step in the deep cleaning process of makeup brushes. Whenever you want deep cleaning of your makeup brushes, grab a paper towel or a clean hand towel to give your brush a good wipe down. Just swirl your makeup brush onto a paper towel a couple of times, all the excess makeup will remove quickly.
At first, you’ll be surprised to see how much makeup comes off with this quick once-over. Wiping off excess makeup with a clean fabric will really make your cleaning job easier.
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6. Wash brushes by using a gentle bar soap
To deep clean your makeup brushes, you can use gentle bar soap, makeup brush soap, antibacterial hand soap, and unscented or silicone-free baby shampoo. These soaps will help remove the built-up makeup and remove any bacteria present in the brushes.
Now that you have cleaned your makeup brushes using a block of gentle bar soap, just remember to repeat cleaning every week or once a month to keep your brushes bacteria-free and safe to use on your beautiful skin.
When should you change your makeup brushes?
As soon as you see your brushes not getting as squeaky clean as they used to be, it might be a perfect time to replace your brushes. Plus, notice when brushes start smelling or become severely discolored, it is time to change them.
After every three months, you should buy new brushes to replace the old ones. Do you check for shedding? Keep checking for it! As long as makeup brushes do not shed, you can keep them.
When it comes to the fluffier brushes that you are using for powder, you’ll notice they are ready for a cleaning depending on the product present in the bristles. Synthetic brushes you have been using for creams or liquids, you’ll see the brush shape getting a little wonky. You will also notice the bristles start clumping together. So, it’s better to replace such brushes with new ones. I hope this guide on how to clean a makeup brush will help you.
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