The Importance of Cleaning Your Makeup Brushes

Make up brushes are an everyday essential for our beauty routine. Once we’ve invested in purchasing good brushes it’s important to properly care for them to ensure a longer brush life and also prevent build up.  Each type of brush has a different recommendation for the frequency of cleaning.

Oil, dirt, makeup residue, and even bacteria get caught on the bristles of the brushes. Not only is that gross, but it also prevents your makeup from being applied as flawless as possible. And let’s be honest…isn’t that our ultimate goal?  We are only as good as our tools so making sure they are clear of debris is key!

The cleaning is a fairly quick and easy routine. Make sure you choose a time to clean them when they can have enough drying time before their next use.

Instructions for Wet Wash: 

#1 Run the bristles under lukewarm water. If the water is too warm it could melt or loosen the adhesive that holds the bristles in place. Try to get as little of the handle wet as possible and DO NOT SOAK your brushes.

#2 Put a drop of baby shampoo in the palm of your hand and gently work up a lather. Rinse and repeat as necessary until water and foam run clear.

#3 Gently press out any excess water in the bristles while reshaping the brush as you go.

#4 Lay your brushes flat on a clean, dry towel. Make sure not to stand them upright because this will cause water to collect in the handle causing breakdown of the glue and possibly not fully drying. Standing the wet brushes up on their bristles will damage and deform the shape of the head.

A few things to remember*

#1 Don’t ignore the brush handle completely. Germs and bacteria can build up there also. A quick wipe down with an anti-bacteria wet wipe is easy enough and will keep your hands and face clear.

#2 Once they are completely dry, it is important to store your brushes upright to maintain their head shape. A pencil container or tumbler works perfectly for this job. Plus they look pretty sitting on your bathroom counter. Show them off! 🙂

#3 If you end up using your brush/makeup tools on a friend or family member make sure you clean those brushes/tools before and after that makeup application! Having our own germs on our brushes is one thing, but when you introduce someone elses bacteria things can get messy.

#4 For a faster clean use an alcohol based brush cleanser like Glo Minerals Brush Cleaner. Perfect for pros our beauty girls on the go. It will sanitize and clean your brush but dry quickly. Spritz the brush down so that it is damp, then wipe the bristles against a clean, soft towel. Repeat until you see no residue of makeup on the towel.

Written by Hannah Frase