How to Clean your Makeup Brushes

Posted on Apr 3 2013 - 10:02am by poonam

How to Clean your Makeup Brushes

Makeup brushes are an investment and only regular cleansing and washing will give them a long and happy life. :). I have already told you about the importance and reasons to clean you makeup brushes regularly Here. Today I will be sharing my Idea of cleaning makeup brushes.

how-to-clean-your-makeup-brushes

Products Required:-

  1. Dirty Makeup Brushes ๐Ÿ˜›
  2. Mild Shampoo/Foaming Cleanser
  3. Hair Conditioner
  4. Towel / Tissue
  5. Almond Oil or Olive Oil
  6. Cotton swab
  7. Bowl to dip brushes
  8. Water. (Hihi)

Steps for Cleaning Makeup Brushes:-

1) First of all pick up all of your brush and put them aside before starting with the process otherwise you will be missing one or two every time. Gather all the required items for cleaning and heads towards washroom.

How-To-Clean-Makeup-Brushes-Step1

2) For Eye Liner and Cream Makeup brushes like Eye Liner and Cream Eye Shadow brushes wipe off the excess makeup deposit with oil before washing them.

  • Pour some oil on cotton and wipe the brush till it starts releasing the product.

How-To-Clean-Makeup-Brushes-Step2

3) Use a mild soap/shampoo (or the one which arenโ€™t using thinking to dispose it off.. ) I use FabIdia Avocado Shampoo (Review Here) because it aggravated my dandruff ๐Ÿ™ . Pour a small amount onto your palms, wet the brush bristles with water and start swirling it softly on your palms over the shampoo. Within few seconds the makeup build up on the brush will start dissolving and you can see the shampoo on your palms changing to a colorful liquid.

How-To-Clean-Makeup-Brushes-Step3

  • Do not rub the brush hard as it may permanently damage the shape and quality of the brush. Be gentle!!
How-To-Clean-Makeup-Brushes-Do's-Dont's
  • Once the shampoo is contaminated completely rinse the brush under running water and again pour the shampoo and repeat the same process. Do it till the shampoo doesnโ€™t change any more color or dissolves makeup and the brush comes completely clean.ย  Rinse the brush thoroughly under running water.
  • Repeat Step 2) and Step 3) for all your brushes. Your brushes will come clean with in 2-3 times.

4) I believe those few seconds werenโ€™t enough to get rid of all the makeup traces on the bristles so give them a final dip. Fill the bowl half with normal water, add 2-3 dollops of shampoo, mix to get a good lather and now drown brushes under this soapy water for the final bath and get rid of all the impurities. Leave them untouched for an hour. The water changes its color and you thought they were clean enough.. anyways!!!

  • Now again rinse them under a running water and remove any traces of shampoo from bristles.
How-To-Clean-Makeup-Brushes-Step4

5) Brush bristles are like hair where shampoo leave them a bit dry and they may turn slightly scratchy and rough. So time to give them some nourishment and get back those soft smooth bristles. There are two ways to condition makeup brushes – Either load the bristles with conditioner for intense conditioning or dip them into water & pour some conditioner in the liquid.

How-To-Clean-Makeup-Brushes-Step5

  • For 1st way leave them straight for few minutes

How-To-Clean-Makeup-Brushes-Step6

  • For 2nd way – Wash the container you dipped in brushes and fill it with fresh water. Add 2-3 dollos of conditioner and mix it well. Dip you brushes and leave for another 10-15 min, before taking them out for a final rinse.

This conditioning will help brushes retain their softness.

6) Then rinse them under running water with slight massage shaping them back with fingers.ย Swirl them over a clean towel to get rid of excess water and try to set them back into shape. Spread them over a clean tissue or a towel and leave them dry overnight.

How-To-Clean-Makeup-Brushes-Cleaned-Brushes

Now, you have absolutely clean brushes in your possession with soft, velvety bristles.

Points to Remember –

  • For more frequent used brushes sanitize them mid-of the week also to prevent any eye reactions.
  • Eye liner brushes should be first cleansed with oil
  • Keep brushes a little slanted while cleaning & rinsing so that their shape doesnโ€™t get disturbed.
  • Make sure the bristle are not flared while drying and they are kept in their original shape
  • Let them dry thoroughly before using

I rub my brushes against a wet tissue post-application every time and wash them on weekly basis. Clean brushes gives a brand new feeling when you will use them next (all clean and fresh ) which will motivate you to wash them regularly. Also, regular washing will keep brushes in a good condition for long.

Donโ€™t wait anymore and start cleaning up you makeup brushes from now on, your brushes are dying of makeup build up and needs a bath desperately.!!

8 Comments so far. Feel free to join this conversation.

  1. SwarnaliApril 3, 2013 at 7:11 PM - Reply

    wow this is very helpful poo ๐Ÿ™‚ thanks for sharing

    • poonamApril 3, 2013 at 7:34 PM - Reply

      Glad you find it useful dear.. ๐Ÿ™‚

  2. shilpiApril 3, 2013 at 9:26 PM - Reply

    this is gonna take time..but would surely do it ASAP ๐Ÿ™‚

    • poonamApril 3, 2013 at 11:24 PM - Reply

      Hehehe.. ๐Ÿ˜€ ๐Ÿ˜€ .. Once you start cleaning your brushes, there is no looking back… !!

  3. PoorvaApril 3, 2013 at 10:50 PM - Reply

    i do exactly sameeee steps ๐Ÿ˜› except maybe the 4th one when i get lazy ๐Ÿ˜€

    • poonamApril 4, 2013 at 1:52 AM - Reply

      Thats so good to hear that you wash your brushes regularly.. ๐Ÿ™‚

  4. MeghaApril 3, 2013 at 10:51 PM - Reply

    loved the post poonam. im gonna try this out!

    • poonamApril 4, 2013 at 1:48 AM - Reply

      Thanks Megha.. do give this a shot.. u will be happy to see your uber soft makeup brushes.. as good as new ones.. ๐Ÿ™‚

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