How to Clean Your Makeup Brushes the Right Way
Makeup brushes are a must-have for cosmetic kits. You will never be able to properly apply and blend makeup on your face without them. Despite their high importance, many women tend to forget that these tools also require maintenance.
This neglect is also fairly common in the pro cheer community. It’s because most dancers are too busy with their audition prep, fitness routines, and main career that the thought of washing makeup brushes doesn’t cross their minds.
So why do you really need to clean your makeup brushes? How often do you need to sanitize them? Are there certain types of brushes that require more cleaning than others? How are you supposed to take care of these tools? Read on to find out the answers to these questions.
Taking Proper Care of Your Beauty Tools (Why It's a Must)
When you don’t clean your makeup brushes, there will eventually be a buildup of dead skin cells, dust, oil, cosmetic ingredients, and dirt on the bristles. Bacteria can then take residence in these buildups. Talk about disgusting.
By the time you use your cosmetic tools, the bacteria have multiplied and grown so much that one makeup application session could cause blemishes, breakouts, skin irritation, acne, and the worst skin problems of all - rosacea and psoriasis.
How Often Should You Wash Your Makeup Brushes?
A good rule of thumb suggests that you must clean your makeup brushes once a week. This is already a maximum. Even if you don’t use makeup often, moisture can happen inside your makeup kit where bacteria can grow. For makeup brushes that are left on vanity drawers, they can also accumulate dust and dirt that can house a lot of dangerous microbes.
Do Some Makeup Brushes Need More Cleaning Than Others?
Bacteria thrive in wet environments. This means that makeup brushes that are often used with creamy cosmetics are more prone to accumulating microorganisms than brushes used for powder makeup.
Examples of makeup brushes you should clean more often (thrice a week to after every use) are foundation, concealer, mascara, fine point eyeliner, lip, duo fiber, and smudger brushes. Blusher, eye shadow, fan powder, and other brushes not used for liquid cosmetics can be washed once a week.
How to Clean Your Makeup Brushes: A Step-by-Step Process
1. Wash
Wet your brushes with lukewarm water. Lather them using antibacterial soap or silicone-free baby shampoo. Gently rub the bristles with your fingers until the greasy texture is gone.
2. Swirl
Wash the lather away with lukewarm water until the brushes and bristles are sparkly clean.
3. Repeat
Repeat processes #1 and #2 if you can find residue on the bristles.
4. Dry
Squeeze the water out of the bristles using a dry towel. Wipe the water off the handle, ferrule, and heel so that the wood won’t rot and the glue in the ferrule won’t be removed. Lay all your brushes in a row above the dry towel and leave them be for an hour. Brushes dry quickly when left in an air-conditioned room or near a windy area like a window or doorway.
If you don’t always have the time to clean your makeup brushes, have 2 pairs for your vanity dresser and cosmetic go-bag. This way, you can have a clean spare brush set to use for applying makeup in a two-week duration.
Need more makeup tips? Read these!
- Get Inspired With These Makeup Application Tips From Top Makeup Artists
- How to Choose the Right Makeup for Your Skin Type
- How to Get Rid of Acne Scars Naturally and With Makeup
- Beauty Essentials Every Aspiring and Current Pro Cheerleader Should Have in Her Bag
- 6 Foundations That Are More Than Just Makeup
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