When was the last time you cleaned your makeup brushes? Did you know that your makeup brush is an ideal breeding ground for germs? It’s dark (in your makeup bag) and moist (especially your foundation brush) and it’s just the perfect place for a bacteria party.

It’s ideal to wash foundation/lip brushes every week and your blush/eye brushes every other week. If you decide to use your makeup brushes on someone else, make sure to wash it before and after. You don’t want to spread warts and germs, right?

Here’s my step by step guide on how to keep your makeup brushes santizied and preserve their quality as well.

What you need:
1. Towel/paper towel
2. Small bowl
3. Baby shampoo (or any other gentle shampoo)
4. 99% Alcohol

Steps:
1.In a small bowl, put 1 part baby shampoo and 3 parts water. Dip only the hairs of the makeup brush. Never dip until the ferrule (the metal band that holds the hairs and the handle) because that’s where all of the adhesive that keeps the brush together is. Getting it wet too often can cause the glue to wear off and eventually cause the brush to fall apart.

2. Swirl the brush around your palm to wash off all the makeup residue. Don’t be too rough because the hair can easily fall out. But don’t worry if some do, that’s normal especially when your brush is still new.

3. With your brush facing down, run the hairs under tap water and gently squeeze the hairs to see if the water runs clear. If you still see color in the water, repeat the first step.

4. Lay them flat on a towel/paper towel to let them dry and arrange the hairs if necessary. Never wring the hairs or let them dry standing in a cup. You want to avoid getting water/soap inside the ferrule at all costs. Depending on the material of the hairs and how dense it is, drying time will vary. The denser it is, the longer it will take.

5. This part isn’t necessary but I just like to make sure that everything is sanitized: When they are already dry, before storing them, spray 99% alcohol on both sides of the brush. Also, you also need to clean the bag where you store it. What’s the point of washing them if you’re going to return them to a dirty container right?

What I used:

Johnson’s Baby Shampoo smells good and it’s tried and tested to be gentle.

Nigel Beauty Emporium 99% Alcohol can be bought in Pure Beauty in Serendra, BGC. You can find 99% alcohol in professional makeup supply stores and over the internet. I’ve tried searching for this in pharmacies but they don’t have it. It’s amazing and I use it on so many things that I need to sanitize. You just need to transfer it to a spray bottle. Also, this stuff is strong so avoid getting it on your skin because this can easily dry it out.

Do you have a different way of cleaning your brushes? What products do you use? Tell us!

xx
Samantha