Cleaning Your Makeup Brushes Is As Important As Taking A Bath, But Are You Doing It Right?

Most of us use at least one makeup tool on our faces daily, be it a makeup brush or a beauty sponge. We highlight, apply foundation, compact, concealer, blush, eyeshadow and sometimes even a bronzer. While some of us may have different tools for each makeup product, the rest of us have only one tool that we use for everything. Either way, it’s only fitting if we wash our brushes regularly.

But how often do you clean your makeup tools?!

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If you thought that washing your brushes once a month is sufficient, I’m afraid to break the bad news to you- your skin probably hates you. A dirty makeup brush is probably the root cause of your acne and other skin woes.

According to dermatologists and makeup experts, we should wash our makeup tools at least once a week.

(If you used a makeup brush today that you haven’t cleaned in a few weeks, all the dust and bacteria are probably having a party on your skin right now.)

How Often Should We Clean Our Makeup Brushes?

Because makeup tools soak in some of the products we use on our face, they turn into a magnet for bacteria. Leave them lying around your dresser and chances are, they will also get dusty and mouldy. Not just that, every time you use them with a makeup product, you’re transferring bacteria from the tool onto your makeup too! Be honest, how long have you been swirling around that dirty brush into your powder compact?

You should clean makeup brushes once a week and your beauty sponge – it needs to be cleaned every time you use it.

How To Clean Your Makeup Brushes?

Wondering how to clean your makeup brushes? Well, the easiest way you can clean your makeup brushes is by soaking them in soap and warm water. Here’s what you need to do:

#DIYMakeupBrushCleanser

1 bowl warm water
1/2 tsp dish soap or 1tsp shampoo
2 drops Vitamin E oil/Coconut oil/baby oil

Combine the ingredients together in lukewarm water and soak your makeup brushes into this mix for a few minutes. You should see most of the gunk from your brushes get cleaned out.

In a separate bowl, mix dish soap, oil and add some water to dilute the mixture. Take a drop of this on the palm of your hands (or a brush cleansing mat) and swirl your brushes until they’re squeaky clean. The baby oil here helps keep the bristles on your makeup brushes soft. Rinse under water and squeeze the excess water out. Dry your makeup brushes flat on a towel or suspend them on a brush holder with the bristles facing down. Easy breezy, right?

Frequent cleaning not only keeps your tools squeaky clean, but it also helps keep your skin clean as well as improves the longevity of your tools. It improves the life of the brush bristles as well as the application process. Makeup artist Ashleigh Ciucci says, “Brush hairs and sponges are porous, so they hold onto oils, debris, and bacteria so if your brushes are dirty, your application will be spotty and blending will be difficult.”