Spring Clean Your Makeup Bag in 5 Easy Steps!

Springtime tis’ the season of change. As the flowers begin to bloom and the summer warmth starts rolling in, we are surrounded by signs of fresh beginnings. Take advantage of your urge to purge this season by following these 5 simple steps to clean your makeup bag.

1. Pour It All Out

Whether you keep your makeup in a bag or a bathroom drawer, pour everything out onto a towel. And we mean EVERYTHING. From items buried deep in your make up case or in back of that drawer, this is a great way to see everything you have and make way for the clean. 

2. Clean Makeup Bag/ Drawer

Take this opportunity while your makeup bag or drawer is emptied out to clean the space. Clean out all the makeup product that has spilled and disinfect the area. 
We recommend using a safe, non-toxic surface cleaner. White vinegar or rubbing alcohol are great alternatives to store-bought cleaners.

3. Toss Expired/ Unused Products

Go through your products one by one. When’s the last time you used that lipstick? Will you ever use the rest of that eye shadow you’ve kept around for 5 years? Toss out products you never use. Old makeup can harbor bacteria causing irritation later on. 

Check the expiration dates on things you wish to keep. Most makeup products print these dates on the bottom of the container. Your Oxygenetix bottles, for example, have the expiration date printed on the bottom as EXP-YYYY-MM-DD. So if your bottle reads EXP2022-05-08, your bottle would expire May 08, 2022. 

4. Clean Makeup Brushes

It is recommended to clean your makeup brushes weekly and your sponges after every use, but we understand this isn’t always the case! Take the time during your spring clean to clean and sanitize those brushes. Not only does cleaning makeup brushes regularly increase their longevity, but it also keeps your skin free of bacteria and contaminants that can cause breakouts. 

During our interview with makeup artist Rachel Bellew, she suggested cleaning makeup brushes with Castile soap. Use your hands or a silicone cleaning pad to scrub the soap into the brush, then rinse thoroughly. Hang brushes upside down so water doesn’t collect inside the handle. For the full interview and more cleaning tips read our article, Cleaning Your Makeup Brushes.

5. Organize the Makeup

Place your makeup back into the bag or drawer in an organized fashion. Keep similar products next to each other. For a more pleasing esthetic, place makeup of similar shapes and sizes by each other as well. Keep your makeup brushes separate from your products if you can, allowing them to breathe and keep their shape. 

Have a great time spring cleaning your makeup bag and let us know how it went!