How To Clean Your Makeup Brushes & Why It’s Important

At some point in your life you will invest in a makeup brush or two, perhaps even a full set.  Whatever your choice, these tools aren’t cheap and with right care and love they can last you a good number of years if not a lifetime.

Firstly, depending how you use your makeup brushes will determine on how often and what type of cleaning they require.

For example, if you are using a brush to apply your foundation daily, then you will want to ensure that you clean your makeup brush weekly, all other brushes can be cleaned every other week.

Why Do I Need To Clean My Makeup Brushes?

If we use our example above for the foundation brush, by cleaning them weekly will eliminate the build up of foundation, which can provide an uneven coverage as the bristles are no longer capable of doing their job, instead they are now glued together in one big blob which makes obtaining a flawless finish harder.

Also and this is the gross part, most of us leave our makeup brushes within in easy access, like on the bathroom benchtop and why wouldn’t you.  You use them everyday, makes perfect sense really.

But let me ask you this.  Do you clean your bathroom weekly?  Do you notice how much dirt and dust seems to make its way in their even if you don’t have a window and even more if you do?  

Imagine that all that dirt and dust that is floating around, lands on your brushes.  You then use those brushes, that have been collecting dust and dirt and smear that on your clean face.  

Congratulations, you have just introduced your skin to some impurities.  What’s more, is that you are more than likely brushing them in with each stroke.  Can you see why it’s important that we keep our brushes clean and sterilized?

Ok, so I have convinced you to clean your brushes.  That’s great! But, I hear you moan, I don’t have time to do this and it’s going to take forever, I’m busy.  So am I, which means I don’t have an extra five minutes in the morning to dab copious amounts of concealer on my face trying to hide some blemish or worse, a pimple that could of perhaps been avoided by cleaning my brushes.

So how often do you need to clean your brushes?  Well, as we are all busy here, I would suggest that you clean your foundation brush (if you use one) weekly, and the rest of your brushes every other week.  This will ensure that your brushes stay in tip top shape.

Here’s my quick and inexpensive tips to cleaning your makeup brushes and what I actually do myself.

Tip 1

Ensure that you don’t drown your brushes in water.

The aim here is to clean the bristles and by submerging them constantly will, over time weaken where the bristles are glued in to the brush.  This will leave you with bristles that fall out. Like hair, a few strands is ok, all at once, not good!

Tip 2 

Cleaning your brushes needn’t be an onerous or expensive task.  You can use a few simple household ingredients to get the job done.

So, with that said, let’s get to the action part.

A quick clean (for when I don’t have a lot of time but they need a refresh or, every second week)

• 1 cup water / 1 cup white vinegar in a bowl or container
• Dab the brushes in the solution (careful not to submerge) and swoosh around
• Gently using the tips of your fingers rub the bristles together and then swoosh again
• Run the brushes under clean water, ensuring that you give them a really good rinse
• Using a towel or paper towel, dab the excess water out of the tips of the brushes
• Using your fingers, remould the brush and lay flat to dry overnight, note that thicker brushes like kabuki brushes can take longer to dry

A deep clean (once a month and every week for foundation brushes) followed by sterilisation

• 1 cup water / 1 teaspoon dishwashing detergent
• Dab the brushes in the solution (careful not to submerge) and swoosh around
• Gently using the tips of your fingers rub the bristles together and then swoosh again
• Run the brushes under clean water, ensuring that you give them a really good rinse

To sterlise your brushes

• Mix up 1 cup water / 1 cup white vinegar in a bowl or container
• Dab the brushes in the solution (careful not to submerge) and swoosh around
• Gently using the tips of your fingers rub the bristles together and then swoosh again
• Run the brushes under clean water, ensuring that you give them a really good rinse
• Using a towel or paper towel, dab the excess water out of the tips of the brushes
• Using your fingers, remould the brush and lay flat to dry overnight

Note:  if you have only a few small brushes, then you will want to adjust the measurements above to either half or a quarter. Also, if you have a lot of brushes and your solution becomes quite cloudy, then don’t be afraid to make up some more clean solution to finish the job. 

There you have it, you don’t need expensive makeup brush cleaners, you just need what most of us have already in our houses, detergent, white vinegar, water and a little bit of time.

I hope that this post helps and encourages you to start cleaning your makeup brushes or shows you that there is a cheaper way to get the job done.

If you have another method or have tried this, please leave me some feedback in the comments section below and don’t forget to sign up for our bi-monthly newsletter, and like our Facebook page.