How to Clean Your Makeup Brushes Like a Pro

With the hustle and bustle of everyday life, cleaning makeup brushes is often a chore we set aside. But did you know by cleaning your brushes more often, you can greatly increase their longevity? It can also aid in preventing breakouts and skin irritations!

We spoke with makeup artist Rachel Bellew for some professional brush cleaning tips and techniques that we can all use at home.

WHY?

Rachel explained, “It is important to clean your makeup brushes to prevent the spread of diseases or infections. We all carry bacteria on our faces and it can be spread by using dirty brushes and sponges. Dirty brushes are unsanitary to use on your face or your clients’. Cold sores, conjunctivitis, and staph are only a few of the infections that can be spread through sharing dirty brushes.”

If you are acne prone or have sensitive skin, it is especially important to keep your brushes in tip-top shape! The bacteria from breakouts can travel to other areas of your skin, causing even more pimples. 

“Also, cleaning your brushes regularly will make them last longer, as makeup build-up makes them deteriorate faster.” Which means fewer trips to the beauty supply and more money in your wallet!

HOW OFTEN?

“You should be cleaning your own personal makeup brushes once a week and beauty sponges ideally after every use. Spraying 99% alcohol onto your brushes in between washes can also keep away and kill bad bacteria. Your personal makeup brushes can last years if properly taken care of, but beauty sponges should be replaced every 3-6 months because they are constantly wet and have a higher chance of growing bacteria deep inside the sponge.”

If you are using disposable sponges it is recommended to throw them away after every use, but those more expensive sponges can be cleaned.

WHAT TO USE

“For all my brushes I like to use Castile soap for cleansing. If the brush is used for cream or liquid products, I will rub a drop of olive oil through the bristles to break up the product, then cleanse with the Castile soap to remove the oil. For beauty sponges, I prefer using moisturizing bar soap. The soap doesn’t get trapped in the center of the sponge and massaging the sponge into the soap helps loosen up the product.”

METHODS FOR CLEANING

“You can massage the soap into the brush with your hands, or use a silicone brush cleaning pad with the Castile soap, rinsing thoroughly. For the beauty sponge, I massage the sponge into a bar of soap. Scrubbing the sponge with something like the silicone brush cleaning pad will break apart the sponge faster, so always be gentle and only use the bar of soap. Afterward, microwave your fully wet sponges for 1-2 minutes to kill any leftover bacteria that may be in the center of the sponge.”

HOW TO DRY

“Lay your brushes flat or hanging upside down until they are completely dry. This will help maintain the shape of the brush hairs, as well as keep water from running down and getting stuck inside the handle. Water in the handle can create mold or mess with the integrity of the glue.”

One way to dry your brushes upside down is to fold the end of a towel over and lay the handle of the brush on the fold, so the brush is at an angle with the bristles pointed down. 

“Beauty sponges take much longer to dry so I always keep them in an open air container to keep any moisture from getting trapped inside.”

We hope these helpful tips assist you in your skincare endeavors! Let us know how they work for you.

About Rachel Bellew

I love making people feel beautiful and I am passionate about my art. I have worked with various companies such as NBC, Buzzfeed, NYLON Magazine, and more while specializing in Bridal Makeup. I share my beauty and makeup tips on my Instagram @rachmua and a range of my work can be found on my website at www.rachelbellew.com