How to clean your makeup brushes the right way

We use our makeup brushes and sponges almost every day to apply our foundation and concealer, to contour and do some cute eyeshadow looks. If only we clean our brushes as much as we use them.

Our makeup brushes hold so many dirt and bacteria when they are dirty which can sometimes cause us to break out. Cleaning your makeup brushes regularly will not only keep your skin away from bacteria but your makeup looks so good when you apply it with clean brushes.

In today’s post, I will be talking about my favorite ways to clean my makeup brushes using affordable products and things you already have at home. Let’s get into it

Disclaimer: some of the links in this post are affiliate links meaning I will earn a small commission if you purchase through my links at no extra cost to you. This helps me to keep this site up and supports me.

Cleaning makeup brushes with dish soap and white vinegar

This is one of my favorite ways ever and it is the quickest. White vinegar is very good for disinfecting your brushes while the dish soap is there to get all the products out of the bristles. Get a bowl, add some hot water, a tablespoon spoon of white vinegar and dish soap, and then soak in your brushes and sponges.

Immediately after dipping them, I saw that the color of the water changed instantly. The brushes were already getting cleaned. After a few minutes, take them out and rub the bristles gently to lather and get them super clean and then rinse. I thought my brushes will be smelling awful because of the vinegar but immediately they dried, there was no smell and the bristles were very soft.

Cleaning makeup brushes with extra virgin olive oil and dish soap

This is another way that works amazingly. The olive oil will help to break down the product buildups while moisturizing the bristles and that dish soap will help to make them clean. I always use anti-bacterial dish soap to help with the bacteria’s so if you have that type, it’s a plus.

Add a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil into a bowl, dish soap, and some water into a container and lather. Dip your brushes inside and gently rub the bristles to make sure the soap and oil penetrate well inside and rinse well once they are clean. After they dry, you will notice you’re brushes are very soft and sparkling clean.

Using black soap

I have spoken about black soap here on how it helped me to clear my acne in just a week so you can tell I love it. I use black soap every week during my skincare routine because I love to switch between my cleansers and black soap. You need to buy some if you don’t have it already. This one from shea moisture is a great one to start with.

shea moisture African black soap | ulta.com

 

All you need to do is to get your bar soap, move your dirty brushes around it in circular motions and massage the bristles to get the products in there and rinse after a few minutes. It’s that easy.

Some people don’t like rubbing the bristles against their palms and I understand as it can be ticklish. If you’re that kind of person, your best bet will be investing in a makeup washing mat. It has different bumpy patterns on it which you can swirl your brushes on to get them clean. Let me tell you something, they work, they save you a lot of time and they are worth every single penny. The one I always recommend is the E.L.F cosmetics makeup brush cleaning glove. It makes cleaning brushes very fun and it is just 10 bucks! If you don’t get one today, you’re missing out.

E.L.F cosmetics makeup brush cleaning glove | ulta.com

Important things to remember

I know how hard it can be to find time in your tight schedule for washing makeup brushes but this is as important as any other task.

Just by simply washing your makeup brushes, you can save a lot of money that you might need to spend to buy products that will cure your breakouts or even book an appointment with a dermatologist if you keep using dirty brushes.

Washing your brushes regularly also helps to prolong your brushes quality and the more you clean them, the more the bristles get softer and the easier I can blend in products.

While washing, be sure to keep the base of the brush head (where it connects to the handle) away from soap and water. The bristles are glued to the base, and water and detergent can cause the glue to disintegrate and the bristles to come loose and shed.

Make sure you dry your Brushes the right way to avoid them losing shape by allowing the bristles to dry hanging off the edge of a counter.

Get rid of brushes when you notice that they have started shed or loose shape. As for beauty sponges, I will recommend replacing them every 2-3 months. Here is the complete list of expiration dates for makeup products so make sure to check it out.

That brings us to the end of this great post. I hope you’re now motivated to go and clean your makeup brushes.

How do you clean your makeup brushes? What’s your secret cleaning agent? Let me know in the comments section below.