Happy Monday!
Today’s post is all about keeping your skin clean by keeping your makeup brushes clean! The jury is still out on how often you need to clean your brushes, some say every day while others say once a week is fine. I find once a week is fine for me, and it only takes a few minutes! Bacteria from your makeup and skin can build up on your brushes and cause breakouts which is no bueno.
You can buy brush sanitizing spray and brush shampoos from Sephora, but if you like to do things a bit more DIY this tutorial is a great way to make your own at home!
Step 1:
Measure out the ingredients:
- 1 tbsp of alcohol
- 1 tbsp of baby shampoo (or any shampoo)
- 1 cup of water
- paper towel
Step 2
Mix all ingredients in a bowl until bubbles form.
Step 3
Dip the brush in the solution and then swirl the brush in the palm of your hand to mix it into the bristles fully.
Step 4:
Rise brush thoroughly, while always keeping the brush facing down. If water gets inside the brush it can ruin the bristles and can cause fallout. Squeeze out any excess water with your fingers.
Step 5:
Dry of brushes on a paper towel to absorb any left over moisture
Step 6:
Lay brushes flat and leave to dry over night!
How do you clean your makeup brushes? How often?
Natalie Heather says
Awesome post! I use olive oil to clean my brushes, but I’m really not sure how good that is to do… I think I’ll drop by the pharmacy to get these ingredients. Seem a lot… cleaner…
Megan Joy says
I have heard a lot of people use oil to grab the product out of the bristles, so I think it’s totally fine! I find the alcohol just sanitizes the brushes nicely.
Beyond Blush says
Awesome post! Do you find that the alcohol dries out your bristles at all? I just use baby shampoo on mine to get them clean. I need to do that tonight!
Megan Joy says
I haven’t noticed it drying them out, but maybe it’s because the shampoo softens and smooths them at the same time? Baby shampoo is great for this kind of thing
COLLEEN says
Thanks for this info & so reasonable compared to the cleaner that is specific for makeup brushes -
Megan Joy says
Thanks
It’s affordable and you know exactly whats going into it which is always good.
Julie says
Nice! I add a couple drops of tea tree oil to mine for conditioning and the antiseptic properties!
Megan Joy says
Great idea! I am getting really into essential oils lately and I am totally going to try that!
Madeline says
Great DIY! Ive found that Dr. Bronners soap is much better than alcohol and/or shampoo. It really breaks down long wearing makeup like cream products and foundation. You can check out my post here if you want more info:
xx
classicallycontemporary.blogspot.ca/2013/10/how-to-clean-makeup-brushes.html?m=0
Megan Joy says
Thanks Madeline! There are so many different ways to cleans makeup brushes, I’m sure the Dr. Bronners soap works really well!
Kim says
Love this post! Seriously! Just yesterday I wondering how to clean my brushes properly!! I’m going to clean them right now!!!
Megan Joy says
Yay let me know what you think!
Elaine A (TOBeautyReviews) says
I used to use the solid cleanser from beauty blender which worked great BUT it ran out so quickly! Plus it was expensive. I actually found that just using a bar of Dove soap is working well! It has moisturizer in it too so my brushes stay soft. I haven’t noticed any build up and they still feel great to use. I’ve just found it a quicker way for me than using liquid shampoo or soap.
Megan Joy says
Very cool. I’ve seen a few people using solid bars of soap to clean their brushes and saying they really like it! It’s a one step process which is always great!
Steph says
I need to clean mine way more than I actually do, especially now I’m using a BB cream with the RT sponge. Great tips! I usually just use baby shampoo and water, but I’m going to start adding alcohol to sanitize them.
Megan Joy says
I didn’t do it at all for a long time, it just never occurred to me that I needed to clean them! Some people say to clean them daily but I just can’t commit to that lol
Jayne says
I’m still using my Beauty Blender cleaner, but after I’m done that Ms. Kalyn says that she uses the Fruits and Passion Cucina hand soap to clean her brushes! Although there is something much cheaper about the DIY method! I also use brush guards to keep the bristles in shape and you can stand your brushes up so no water runs back into the ferrule.
Megan Joy says
Brush guards you say? That is genius! Where would one find such a thing?
Carly says
I clean my brushes every Sunday and I’ve found that it has had a significant effect on my skin! I use a bit of baby shampoo and lie the brushes flat hanging over the edge to dry. Great post, I’m crazy about my skin so I always make sure my brushes are clean
Megan Joy says
I do the same! It’s now become part of my weekly schedule. Baby shampoo is kind of amazing eh?