Guide on How to Wash Your Makeup Brushes

Dirty makeup brushes are exactly that—dirty. They transfer old makeup, germs, and bacteria each time you use them. Want to avoid this? Give them a weekly bath and they will be good as new.

Things You Will Need

Baby shampoo or mild hand soap
Warm water
Small towel
Olive oil (optional)
A jar to let the brushes dry in (optional)
Brush cleaner (optional if not using soap/shampoo and oil)

1. Run the bristles of the brushes under warm water. If you have bamboo handled brushes, take caution not to get the bamboo wet.

2. Put a drop of baby shampoo on the bristles. Put a heavy drop on for blush, foundation, and kabuki brushes, and small drops for concealer, eyeliner, and other small brushes.

3. Rub in the shampoo, gently, until you have a bit of a lather forming. Depending on the make up. you’ve used, the lather may be a bit colourful. Create a nice lather, and make sure you get to almost every bristle. Try to avoid distorting the shape of the brush. Be careful not to get shampoo in the ferrule, or the metal part that holds the bristles and the handle together.

4. Rinse thoroughly. Rinse until there is no more visible lather, and keep rinsing. Get into the middle of the bristles, not just the outside.

5. Blot the brushes dry on a towel. Try not to change the natural shape of the bristles. It may seem fun to fan them out as far as possible, but that fun will end when you have a hole in your coverage.

6. Lay the brushes flat on a towel overnight. Rotate the brushes or flip them over after a few hours if you desire.

Tips:

• Wash your brushes, at most, weekly or biweekly.
• A mild hand soap or facial cleanser can be used instead of baby shampoo, although some hand soaps may irritate sensitive skin.
• When air drying the brushes, let them lay at a slight downward angle so that water will not pool where the bristles are gathered.
• Using conditioner on brushes with real hair will make them soft and keep the quality of the hair, but make sure to rinse thoroughly to avoid sticky brushes.
• Try adding a bit of olive oil so your brush bristles do not dry out, but be careful and only add the smallest drop so your brushes don’t stay oily.
• Wash the brushes in warm, not hot water. Hot water can loosen/dissolve the glue holding the bristles together, making them fall out.

Warnings:

• Be gentle while washing your brushes to avoid the bristles changing shape or some falling out.
• If you are washing a kabuki brush, do not soak the handle, as it may loosen the glue that holds the hairs in place.