There are some things that we take for granted. And there is knowledge that we think is common, but that is not always the case. I was talking to a friend of mine the other day and I found out that she didn’t know that you can clean your makeup brushes. I used to think that everyone knew that, because it’s something that I do regularly. I was wrong. So, I decided to write this post for all of you, my friends, that don’t know how to clean your makeup brushes (or that you should clean your makeup brushes).
Cleaning your makeup brushes is essential, in order not only to achieve better results in your makeup, but also in order to prevent bacteria from developing on your brushes. You certainly don’t want that.
Take one brush at a time. Hold it with the bristles facing downwards. Run the bristles under lukewarm running water, but be very careful as not to wet the base of the bristles, that is the point where they are glued to the handle. Do not use hot water. Hot water can irreversibly destroy the bristles.
Then put a small amount of a mild shampoo into your palm (I use baby shampoo). Dip the bristles of your brush into the shampoo in your palm and swirl around gently. Rinse off with lukewarm running water. If your brush is very dirty, repeat the process. Always be careful not to wet the base of the bristles or the handle.
Take a towel and fold it gently around the bristles and squeeze the excess water out. Remove the towel and reshape the bristles by fanning them out gently with your fingers. Lay the brush flat to dry. It’s better to lay the handle of the brush at the edge of a table or a counter and let the bristles stick out over the edge, so that they can get enough air to dry quickly and naturally. If you lay them on a towel, the towel will become damp and the bristles won’t dry quickly enough, so they may lose their shape or, even worse, they may form mildew.
Do not put your brush upright when drying, because the water will run down into the handle and your brush will be destroyed. Also, do not use a hairdryer or any other heat source in order to dry your brush. This will also destroy your brush.
Let your brush dry well naturally in a well ventilated room. Your bathroom may not be the ideal place, if there is too much dampness in it.
Once your brush has dried well, you can store it upright or lay it down on its side.
You should clean your makeup brushes regularly. You can use this process for either your synthetic or your natural-hair brushes.