8 Tips For Cleaning Makeup Brushes

8 Tips For Cleaning Makeup Brushes. Your brushes are the backbone of your beauty kit. You need to make sure that your brushes are clean and bacteria free before using them.. Cleaning your brushes the wrong way can ruin the bristles. The following tips will help you clean your brushes and your skin will thank you.

1. Clean Foundation Brushes Weekly

Any brushes being used with liquid or cream products, such as foundation, concealer and highlighter, should be washed every few weeks as these formulations build up more rapidly. This is an upper limit; if you are a heavy user, weekly cleans are preferable.

2. Wash Powder Based Brushes Monthly

Brushes being used with powder formulas, such as eyeshadow and bronzer, only need to be washed once a month. By doing so, you’re insuring yourself against damage to the bristles and chaotic colour convergence.

3. Best Brush Hygiene

Bacteria and fungi prefer wet to dry conditions, so foundation brushes may accumulate micro-organisms quicker than dry powder brushes,’ explains Stefanie. Treat brushes you use to apply liquid textures to an extra wash or wipe.

4. Hand Wash

The washing machine is not an acceptable shortcut. The heat of the machine will breakdown the glue that holds the brush to the handle. But if time is short, an in-shower wash will suffice. Hand wash brushes with an anti-bacterial soap or silicone-free baby shampoo in lukewarm water.

5. Use A Gentle Cleanser For Natural Hair Brushes

A regular shampoo like baby shampoo is a popular choice. Mixed with warm water use it to cleanse the bristles of oil, powder and wax without leaving them stripped and dry. The aim of brush cleaning is to banish bacteria, not bristles, so it pays to perfect your method.

6. Size Matters

Brushes are best cleaned in the palm of your hand. To wash a large brush, massage the bristles with the head of the brush facing downwards, and for smaller brushes place a small amount of cleanser into the cup of your hand and gently swirl, ensuring not to bend the base of the bristles. Be sure to rinse until the water runs clear.

7. Dry Your Brushes Pointing Downwards

Once rinsed, gently flick the water out, wrap in kitchen roll and lightly squeeze. To increase the lifespan of your brushes, you also need to keep the ferrule (the piece of metal at the base of the brush) dry at all times. To avoid water seeping into the brushes while drying, lay them on a towel with one end rolled up, lifting the handles and leaving the bristles pointing downwards.

8. Replace When Necessary

As soon as you notice your brushes aren’t getting as squeaky clean as they once were, it might be time to replace them. As a general rule, every three months you should be buying a few new brushes to replace the old ones. It’s also important to check for shedding. As long as your brushes aren’t shedding, smell, or are severely discolored they can last a lifetime.