7 Tips for Cleaning Your Makeup Brushes ...

When you're looking at tips for cleaning your makeup brushes, pay attention to how much water you get on them. When you’re cleaning your makeup brushes, avoid submerging the entire brush in water. This can cause the glue holding the bristles together to weaken. Dampen your brushes by putting them under running water with the bristles pointing down, avoiding the metal part and handle.

Once you’ve dampened your brush bristles, it’s time to move onto the actual cleaning part. You don’t have to fork out for a fancy cleaning solution either. In most cases a mild shampoo or detergent will do the trick just fine. Apply a small amount of shampoo or detergent in the palm of your hand or in a shallow bowl. Swirl the brushes around and work up a lather. Squeeze the bristles with your fingers and rinse. Repeat this process until the water runs clear.

Once your brushes are clean, it’s time to squeeze out any excess water. This will not only prevent water getting trapped but also help speed up the drying process. Gently squeeze out excess water from your makeup brushes with a paper towel or hand towel. How much water is retained in each makeup brush will depend on the type and thickness of the brush. Be sure to reshape the brushes at this point to prevent the bristles from splaying.

Let your makeup brushes dry completely before using them again. You could wash them at night and let them dry overnight. If you do need a little bit of help to speed up the drying process, let them dry naturally for as long as possible and then use a hairdryer on a low heat setting to finish off the process.

Ideally you should dry your brushes flat. This will help them keep their shape as well as stopping them from getting waterlogged. Lay down a dry towel and place your dampened brushes on to dry. Avoid drying them standing up, as water can drip down into the bottom of the bristles and cause the glue that holds them together to break down over time.

With all the focus on cleaning and sterilising the brush part, it’s quite easy to forget the handles of your makeup brushes. We mentioned earlier that you should avoid getting water on your brush handles. Instead, pour rubbing alcohol onto a paper towel to rub over your brush handles. This will help clean and disinfect the handles.

Regularly cleaning your makeup brushes should be an important part of any beauty routine. Since most of us don’t have the time to clean our brushes after every single use, aim for once a week at least. Brushes that you use fairly often and around the eye area should be cleaned more frequently.

Keep your peace of mind by cleaning your makeup brushes regularly. It’s not only hygienic but will help keep them nice and soft and in good condition. What tips do you have for cleaning makeup brushes?