How To Properly Clean Your Makeup Brushes

Cleaning your makeup brushes at times may seem like a daunting task but keeping them free from bacteria is extremely important and something that shouldn’t be overlooked. Regular cleaning helps your makeup brushes lifespan and also gets rid of all the bacteria hiding in between each of the brush hairs.

So how do you go about cleaning your brushes? As a professional makeup artist, I've found that nothing beats an good old-fashioned deep cleanse once a week—but you do have options. Ahead, a simple list of all the ways you can give your makeup brushes a thorough cleaning. You might find that you actually enjoy the process, after all!

Step 1

Start by saturating your bristles in lukewarm water, using your fingers to spread them out. Avoid getting water on the part of the brush where the bristles meet the handle – known as the ferrule – because water will dissolve the glue overtime and cause the bristles to shed.

Step 2

Next, apply a pump of cleansing gel of your choice to the brush. Spread the bristles to remove any clogged-up makeup. You can even try swirling the brush in the palm of your hand to get the soap to suds up, before dipping your brush back into the water.

Step 3

Rinse the brush under lukewarm running water, then wipe back and forth across a clean hand towel or paper towel to get rid of every bit of makeup. Reshape the brush as you go by pressing the bristles between your fingers until it is back to its original shape. Once the brush is near dry store upright so the brush has a chance to dry from all angles. This helps the brush go back to its true form.

Step 4

Give your brushes roughly 24 hours to completely dry before using your products again.

There are also many other ways to clean your brushes:

Using an anti-bacterial spray, this can provide a 'quick fix' between applications where you do not have time to deep clean your brushes. Spray the solution onto the bristles and wipe back and forth across a clean tissue until there are no traces of residue makeup left. Or you can use makeup brush wipes, for on the go purposes. Pop some makeup brush wipes in your purse and when in need, simply run the brush across the wipe in a circular motion until clean.

We hope this step by step guide on how to clean your makeup brushes helped. Thank you for tuning into the BLONDESODA soda blog.

Happy brush cleaning! 💗 xo