If you find yourself wondering how to clean your makeup brushes and how often you should be doing it, this helpful guide tell you everything you need to know.
Cleaning your makeup brushes regularly is essential. Brushes can become clogged with makeup, dust, dirt, and bacteria which can lead to a range of skin conditions like acne, blackheads and general irritation.
Using clean brushes not only helps to reduce these conditions, but it can also make your makeup application smoother, helping you achieve a flawless look every time. And if you're looking after your tools they will last for longer, saving you money over time as you will not be replacing your tools as often.
So how should you clean them? And how often?
HOW TO CLEAN MAKEUP BRUSHES
Cleaning your makeup brushes is a simple and straight-forward process, so there is no excuse to put it off. I'm going to let you in on my step-by-step guides, two ways to clean your brushes.
A quick clean using a makeup brush cleanser
Step One: Spritz the brush cleanser generously onto a towel or paper towel, or directly onto the brush bristles. If you are spraying directly onto the bristles take care to avoid spraying the ferrule (the metal part that holds the bristles to the handle), and always do this with the bristles pointing downward.
Step Two: Swirl the brush bristles onto the towel. You will see that the dirt and makeup will start to break up.
Step Three: You may find with more stubborn products, or brushes that have been sat uncleaned for a while, that you need to repeat the process. Having no luck? Maybe it's time for a deep clean, which you should be doing weekly.
Step Four: Some brush cleansers such as the Ryatt Cosmetics Makeup Brush Cleaner are quick-drying which means you will be able to go ahead and use your favourite brush straight away once dry.
A deeper clean
Ok, it's time for a deep clean. Whether it's your weekly clean or you have neglected your tools and decided to show them some love.
Step One: Rinse the bristles using lukewarm water. This is going to help remove some of that excess makeup build-up. Take care not to get the handle wet as any glue that holds your brush together can become loose over time.
Step Two: Grab yourself a brush soap, like the Ryatt Cosmetics Brush & Sponge Soap, and swirl your brush into the soap creating a lather.
Step Three: Rinse the brush head under running water and gently squeeze off the suds until the water runs clear. If the water doesn't run clean, repeat the process.
Step Four: Squeeze out any excess water from the bristles. You could use some paper towel by gently pressing the brush to release any excess water.
Step Five: Unlike a makeup brush cleanser, your deep clean will take a little longer to dry. Lay your makeup brushes flat on a clean towel overnight. Never leave your brushes upright to dry. If you do you run the risk of water running into the handle where the glue holds everything together.
Step Six: Bonus step. After cleaning and drying your brushes, grab yourself a makeup brush cleanser and spray the bristles to sanitise.
HOW OFTEN SHOULD YOU CLEAN YOUR MAKEUP BRUSHES?
You can never clean your makeup brushes too much. I would always recommend cleaning your brushes after every single use, but that's probably not realistic for a lot of us. So I'm going to break it down to what I would recommend as a minimum.
- Liquid products such as your foundations and concealers, should be cleaned daily. Liquid products are a breeding ground for bacteria so these should be done every time you use them.
- Powder products give you a little more breathing space as bacteria growth isn't as fast as what it is with liquid products. Cleaning these brushes one or two times per week should suffice, but do not do it less than this.
If you are someone who doesn't use your makeup brushes often, you should still be taking care of them and in turn, taking care of your skin. If your brush is contaminated and you leave it for a few days, a week, a month, bacteria is going to grow.
IS IT TIME TO REPLACE MY BRUSHES?
Whilst thorough cleaning can help prolong the life of your brushes, there will come a time when it's time to say goodbye. If your brush is beginning to shed, fray, or lose their shape, it's time for an upgrade. When your brushes aren't at their best, it's going to make it more difficult to achieve that flawless result.
Let me know in the comments the last time you cleaned your brushes.
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