I’m a little OCD. I have to wash my makeup brushes a lot. I’ve gotten the point where I HAVE to wash my brushes after 3 applications – if I don’t, I can just feel the previous build-up and I can’t stand it. I never realized how important it was to wash my makeup brushes until I really started getting into makeup. I typically wash my brushes once a week, depending on how often I put makeup on.
It’s really important to get out the old makeup and bacteria from your brushes. After all, you want your skin to be as clean and fresh as possible, right? You take the time to cleanse and tone and moisturize your skin – but what about using makeup brushes that have product build-up in them and then applying that to your face? GERM CITY. No. Just take a half hour out of your life and wash your brushes. Trust me. It will change your life (and your feelings about your brushes). If you have decent brushes and you’re starting to feel like your makeup isn’t applying as well, just wash your brushes. You’ll change your mind.
Here’s my brush washing routine – if you have a different routine or some tips, please feel free to share!
- I grab all of my brushes and line them up on my counter. I do this before I start washing so I don’t accidentally leave any behind. Make sure to include your tweezers & eyelash curlers!
- I take a large hand towel, fold it in half, then roll up the long side about 2/3 of the way up. This creates an elevated surface on which you can dry your brushes.
- I separate my brush guards by size, so I know exactly how many brush guards in each size.
- I set out 2 large mugs – I place my brushes (that I use brush guards on) upside down in the mugs to dry.
- I take a small bowl, fill it with lukewarm water, and add a few drops of tea tree oil in it. The tea tree oil helps kill bacteria, plus it smells fantastic! *some people don’t like tea tree oil, make sure to test it out before you use it on all of your brushes!
- Then I run water from my sink. I like to use lukewarm water – you don’t want anything too hot or too cold, both can possibly ruin your brushes. Plus you don’t want to damage your hands!
- I use Dr. Bronner’s (liquid) Castille Soap. Right now I have the almond scent, it smells so good! So I pour a small amount of soap in the palm of my hand, soak the brush head under the running water, then swirl it in the soap. Then rinse the brush head under the water. I squeeze the brush head while I’m doing this – once the water runs clear, you’re good to go! Sometimes I have to wash my brush a few times to get all of the product out of it.
- After I wash my brushes, I dip the brush into the bowl of water with tea tree oil and swirl it around, then lightly rinse the brush head again, then squeeze out the excess water from the bristles.
- If I use a brush guard, I slide it over the handle of the brush and over the brush head. NEVER try to push the brush guard over the brush head first – this will severely damage the bristles. Always start over the handle first! Then I store the brush upside down in a mug.
- If I don’t use a brush guard (I only have one set, so I have MANY more brushes than brush guards), I lay the brush on the folded up towel, with the handle on the elevated end and the brush head on the lower end. This allows the water to drain towards the brush head and not the handle. If you store the brush opposite (brush head elevated), water will drain into the brush handle and ruin it. You pay a lot of money for good brushes, take care of them properly! They should last you a long long time 🙂
- I let my brushes dry for at least 24 hours, just to make sure they’re 100% dry by the next time I use them. You can use a hair dryer on the low heat setting & low pressure setting if you need to quickly dry your brushes, but I’ve never done this.
xo,
SAJ
La Maeve Fae 