Hands up if you wash your make-up brushes as often as you think you should? Hands up if you rarely, if ever, clean them? (please don’t say never, though I know some people don’t). If my skin is playing up, the first thing I do is deep clean all of my brushes to get rid of any old make-up, grime and bacteria and avoid redistributing it over my face every day. I *aim* to do this every week but will more often spot clean my most used brushes and do a deep clean every couple of weeks.
I’m often asked how I do this and two finds have made this much easier: a silicone oven mitt (cheaper version of the Sigma brush mitt) and Dr Bronner’s Magic Soap. I use this super gentle, skin friendly soap for lots of things and have since picked up a couple of the bigger pump bottles, which make brush cleaning even easier. My favourite for this is the mint as it leaves them smelling super fresh.
I have a gazillion brushes and it takes me 10 mins to do them all, so there’s no excuse if you have a (much more sensible) few staples. Here’s how it goes…
It’s important to keep the brush pointing downwards at all times while wet, as excess water will loosen the glue that holds the bristles in place and you’ll lose some. You can also use a mild shampoo or washing up liquid… I like Dr Bronner’s as it’s so gentle yet cleans my brushes super fast, rinses out easily and doesn’t irritate my skin. I pop a tiny drop on the glove, swirl the brush in it and work up a lather, then rinse under warm running water. A few good shakes over the bath (and gentle squeeze with a towel if I need the brush to dry quickly) and that’s it.
Foundation, blush and bronze brushes often need a double shampoo to get them thoroughly clean - I gently squeeze and rotate the bristles in the mitt until they’re clean.
I always leave my brushes to dry flat on a towel, with the bristles at the edge or better still, pointing over the edge. Again, this is to avoid any water running down into the brush and loosening the glue (and bristles). It’s best not to use direct heat, such as a radiator, but I’ll often set mine at the edge of the bath next to the hot press, or on a shelf close to a radiator.
Clean make-up brushes are not only hygienic and bacteria-free, but also function better by helping you apply make-up more smoothly and efficiently. Think about it… if a brush is caked with dirt and grime, it really can’t do its job properly. You’ll be adding another layer of congealed make-up every time you use it - and swiping it all over your beautifully cleansed and prepped skin - it just doesn’t make sense.
I’ve been meaning to write this for so long and actually took these pics over a year ago… I know this because some of the brushes have since been swapped for new favourites! I may do a post on my most used/ essential brushes if that’s something you’d be interested in?
- Dr Bronners Magic Soap from £5.49 and silicone mitt from Amazon, £2.99
- For spot cleaning I use the Pro-Hygiene Collection Make-up Brush Cleaner £9.00
So go on - how often do you clean yours?
