I see you. Putting on your makeup with a months worth of product on them bristles. What would your Auntie say? You were raised better, lol.
Makeup brushes are porous. Meaning they have a lot of tiny little spaces in their strands that trap your dead skin, dirt, oil, and dust. These substances mixed with the oils in makeup are a recipe for acne breakouts, premature aging, and skin infections.
Dermatologists recommend wiping your brushes clean with a makeup wipe daily and doing a deep cleansing shampoo every 7 – 10 days.
Seems harmless but not taking 5 mins out of your day to clean your makeup brushes truly does more harm than good. Below are my favorite products and techniques to ensure great daily brush cleaning for optimal performance and sanitation.
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On the DAILY
For daily cleansing, I like to use a micellar water on a washcloth. My favorite micellar water for this is the “Biore charcoal micellar water.” I grab mine from Walmart or Amazon, but I have also seen this product at a discounted price at BigLots stores (if there is one near you). I place mine in a .99 cent spray bottle and after my makeup application I simply spray the wash cloth and swirl my brush around on the cloth until all makeup is gone. I do not spray the brush directly as this can lead to shedding since liquid can reach down to the handle and loosen the glue holding the brush hairs together.
An alternative to the washcloth is a moistened makeup removing wipe. I like the “Neutrogena makeup removing towelettes” for this alternative as I am breakout prone and other wipes tend to break me out, however, this particular brand and formula do not. Same process, just swirl on wipe until all makeup residue is clear. You can find these as a double pack at Ulta. I usually keep one pack at my vanity and the other in my car. After any event or night out, I use the pack in my car to remove my makeup while I drive home to ensure a clean face prior to facial cleansing AND if I am just too tired to even wash my face (doesn’t happen often but hey .. you never know) I don’t have to wake up with remorse of not removing my makeup the night before.
Another GREAT daily cleanser is the “Sephora refresh daily brush spray” this spray is great at removing tough makeup off brushes such as heavy foundation or eyebrow pomade and waterproof eyeliner. There is citrus oil in the formula aiding with product breakdown. I like this as an alternative to the micellar water on the washcloth, however, because of the citrus oil in the formula I would recommend you use a paper towel as the oil can stain the washcloth as well as pull any color or die from the washcloth on to your brushes. This option is great, however, I will be honest. It can be costly as the bottle is not that large for $15. So I only use this product on my makeup clients and keep it in my client kit. For my own personal daily use … I stick with the micellar water.
Also, try to keep a small spray bottle filled with at least 70% alcohol near by. Give a light spritz of it over your brushes and makeup when you’re done to get rid of any lingering bacteria. As stated … a LIGHT spritz only. You don’t want to dry out your makeup or your brushes. Ain’t nobody got time or money to be buying new ones. However, sanitation is everything.
Weekly/Monthly – Deep Cleaning
Deep brush cleansing should be done weekly only if you use your brushes daily. If you’re a weekend only or event only type of makeup gal then you can stretch it out to a monthly deep cleanse. You don’t want to over wash your brushes. Over washing can cause the hairs to shed and even lead to the ferrel (the handle part) to become loose. Great brushes can be costly. No one wants to throw their money down the drain. So be cautious with this step but also understand it is a MUST. Daily cleaning just does not remove all that needs to be removed. Think of it as washing your hair. Daily brush cleansing is the equivalent of a dry shampoo. It does the job for the day and helps with oil build up … but it is just NOT the same as a real shampoo wash. This is what you’re doing for your brushes.
I use my brushes daily, but I also have A LOT of makeup brushes, lol. I usually buy the same brushes twice, so I can just switch them out when they are dirty and in need of a shampoo. Because of this, I can do a deep cleanse bi-weekly.
For my deep cleanses, I love a solid brush cleanser. My favorite are the Morphe or Beauty Blender cleansing balms. Both are available on ulta.com. They last a while and give a great cleanse as well as both smell divine. Morphe discontinued my favorite scent (cherry almond) but the Eucalyptus Mint is a good second. I love these solid cleansers because they leave no residue and condition the brush hairs as well. Great cleansing without over drying is hard to come by. So I usually pick up 2 of these products at a time.
Surprisingly, another GREAT and cost-effective alternative to the solid “balm” cleansers is good old fashioned antibacterial dish soap. They break down the oils in makeup, sanitize, and condition (just like they moisturize your hands while washing). My favorite is the “Palmolive Antibacterial Citrus Scent”. It’s clean, it’s effective, and it costs around $1-$2 depending on the size you get. How can you go wrong?
When using my dish soap, I place room temp water in a bowl and add my soap. I stand in front of my bathroom sink to use the running water from the faucet for my rinse. I dip the brush hairs half way (do not dip them to the ferrel or handle part) and then swirl the brush in my hand for about a minute or two. The soap will sud up and get in between the hairs releasing all built up makeup. I then run water from the faucet and rinse the soap off, wiping on a clean washcloth to determine if the brush is clean or if it needs another wash (usually foundation brushes/sponges do). Once no residue is shown, I gently press out any excess water from the brush with a clean paper towel and lay flat to dry. NEVER place a wet brush upright, like in a makeup cup to dry. Again water will seep down into the handle and loosen the brushes glue. Shedding will happen and BOOM there goes your money.
These are my favorite makeup brush cleaning tips and tricks. Hope now you can understand the importance of keeping your brushes clean and how it will affect your skin. For any questions or product recommendations feel free to message me on Instagram @soapteaandmascara.
Til next time ..
XOXO,
Crissi Ro 💜️
Soap, Tea & Mascara 