Even though we all know that dirty makeup brushes can lead to breakouts, very few of us can say that we wash our face tools as often as we should. If makeup brushes aren’t regularly cleaned, bacteria and fungus can grow on the brushes. Clean brushes are absolutely essential for skin health, and a weekly deep clean is recommended. Makeup sponges are one of the most difficult tools to clean; they should be replaced every three months and cleaned frequently. Here’s a breakdown of how to clean your makeup tools according to the pros.
- Warm Up, Not Cool Down: Make the water not too hot and not too cold. A temperature right in the middle will melt away the makeup and ensure that the glue holding the brush together doesn’t melt.
- Focus on the Ends: Moisten just the end of the bristles under the water and keep the handle and base dry so your brushes don’t fall apart.
- Activate Soap Suds: Drop a little cleanser into your palm, a silicone brush cleaning pad, or even a cup. Just make sure you have suds!
- Swirl, Don’t Smash: Gentle circles are the name of the game. For stubborn gunk, a textured silicone brush cleaning pad or soap bar cleans the brush without wrecking the bristles.
- Clear Water, Clean Brush: Keep rinsing until the water runs crystal clear, squeezing from base to tip to make sure all the grime is gone.
- Dry, Dry, Dry: Reshape those bristles, then set your brush on a slanted towel to dry.
Source: Glamour