I am so guilty of letting my makeup brushes go quite a long time without a proper cleaning, but “new year, new me” right? Today I’m going to break down how I clean my brushes and also some tips and tricks to properly care for your brushes! Spoiler alert, my whole routine costs less than $10!
What You Need
All I use is two items to get my brushes squeaky clean and sanitized: Dr. Bronner’s 18-in-1 Castille Soap and a BrushEgg!
I have very sensitive skin, so a natural soap like Dr. Bronner’s is ideal, and it does a wonderful job of cleaning my brushes, even the ones saturated with foundation or thick concealer. It lathers wonderfully, but if your brush is particularly dirty, it may take a couple rinses before it suds up. I find that I have to scrub and rinse the brushes I use with cream products a couple of times before it begins to foam up. Dr. Bronner’s is very affordable, and can be found both online and in drugstores! A 8 oz. bottle (which will last you FOREVER, a little goes a long way) sells for around $6.
The BrushEgg is a convenient rubber scrubbing surface that can really help deep clean your brushes. Many companies have these BrushEggs, and they sell anywhere from $5-15, but I will let you in on a little secret… I bought mine for ONE DOLLAR from eBay! It shipped from Hong Kong, so it did take about 20 days to arrive, but I am a sucker for a good bargain and this one was too good to pass up! They are available in several colors. I personally got the mint green! Here is the exact listing I used!
Get Cleaning!
I dampen my brushes first with warm water and then use a drop or two of soap per brush. I swirl the brush around the textured surface of the BrushEgg until it begins to lather up. Rinse the brush and repeat gently swirling on the BrushEgg until your brush is completely clean. Rinse with warm water and allow to dry. Voila! Brushes as good as new!
Tips for Brush Care to Extend Their Life
- Try to only get the bristles wet. Water can loosen the adhesive holding your brushes together and can cause them to fall apart!
- If your brush does separate from the handle, a drop or two of super glue or another strong adhesive will bind them! Just make sure you don’t get any on the bristles.
- Don’t scrub too hard! It can cause the brush to lose its shape and some of the bristles to come loose.
- If your brush starts to lose its shape, you can restructure it by using a no-crease hair tie. Don’t tie it too tight, as this will have the opposite effect. Loop it around the bristles after you wash the brush, while it is still damp. In about 20-30 minutes, take off the hair tie and the brush should be back to its original shape! For eye brushes, those tiny plastic hair bands work great!
Byte of Beauty 