Cleaning makeup brushes may seem like a tedious task and is often an oversight in our skincare and beauty routines. How dirty can they be? Think again! I don’t want to get too indulgent into the biology of bacteria. However, throughly cleaning your makeup brushes should be done often. Dirt, dead skin cells, oil and makeup can make up for some nasty residue that lives on/in your brushes. Everyone has a different opinion about how often to deep clean brushes. Some say twice a month, once a month etc. My recommendation is to thoroughly clean your brushes once a week, and if you can’t muster that then do it every other week. I also recommend using a brush spray to use throughout the week and between cleanings. The cleaner your brushes are the better they’ll perform and less chances you’ll have of getting breakouts and blemishes caused by using dirty ol’ brushes.
Step 1: Place your brushes into a bowl and pour a couple tablespoons of olive oil into the bowl.
The brushes will absorb a lot of the oil which is a good thing! Remember what I always say about oil; Oil attracts oil so it will pull all the oil, dirt, and makeup out of your brushes for a deep clean.
Step 2: Quickly rinse the oil soaked brushes over warm running water, use your finger tips to push out all the oil and residue.
Step 4: In a separate bowl, pour a capful of tea tree oil (antibacterial), approx. 2 tablespoons witch hazel (astringent) and 2 tablespoons baby soap or shampoo, pour hot/warm water into the bowl to get the bubbles to suds up. Then put your oil rinsed brushes into the warm soapy water mixture. Let them sit for a couple minutes.
Step 5: Take the brushes out and rinse one final time in warm running water. Add additional baby soap in the rinse if the brush still seems really dirty or oily.
Step 6: Use a clean towel or washcloth and lightly swirl your makeup brush to shake out excess water and dry. Then place the newly clean and damp brush onto a dry towel to dry flat. You’re finished!
