‘How To’ Wash and Care For your MAKEUP BRUSHES

I may be somewhat of a germaphobe! So, making sure I regularly wash my eye and face makeup brushes is essential to ensuring they are free of build-up and germs. Brushes tend to collect oil, makeup residue, dust, skin cells and bacteria. Washing them regularly will reduce breakouts and free them of all of this build-up.

I usually wash mine in the kitchen sink, because there is more counter space to spread out on in the kitchen, but sometimes I will wash them in the bathroom sink.

Before you begin washing your makeup brushes, here is what you will need to assemble at your sink of choice:

your makeup brushes, of course!
brush wash, or, I use an antibacterial liquid dish soap (you could alternatively use gentle face soap or antibacterial hand soap)
towel

*optional – silicone brush cleaning surface/pad with suction cups on the back, or ‘egg’, with raised surface textures (you can find these online or at discount department stores – either way, they are not very expensive and I find them particularly helpful)
*optional – bowl for soapy water or rinsing water

How to:

I start by rinsing the tips of each small bunch of brushes that I am going to wash in warm tap water. Depending on what type of hair fibers your brushes are made of, warm water is the gentlest. Make sure that any time you have the brush tips wet, you are holding the brushes with the ends down/handles up – so that they get the least amount of water in the ferrule (where the brush hairs are attached to the handle). If water gets into this part of the brush it has the potential to grow bacteria (which we are trying to avoid).

2. Next, I either squeeze a small amount of soap (a few drops usually is enough for each grouping of brushes) on the washing pad or in the palm of my hand. From there, after dipping the brush ends in the soap, I gently massage the soap into the brush ends with my fingers or gently rub the brush ends on the textured surface of the washing pad. At this point you will generally see particles of makeup colors coming out of each brush.

3. Rinse each brush, again holding the brush hairs down, until all soap residue is gone. Then, I VERY gently squeeze the end of each brush over the sink to get excess water out.

4. To finish, lay them each on the towel to dry. I try to make sure they are laying side by side (not on top of each other), so that they will dry quickest. Another way to do this is lay them with the brush tips just over on the edge of the counter, so that they get the most air circulation.