Maintaining clean makeup brushes is crucial for flawless makeup application and skin health. Dirty brushes can harbor bacteria, leading to breakouts and skin irritation, and they can also hinder the performance of your favorite makeup products. Fortunately, cleaning your makeup brushes is a straightforward process, and even better, you can learn from the best in the business. Top makeup artists, who rely on pristine tools for their work on countless faces, have shared their go-to methods for keeping brushes in top condition. This guide compiles expert-approved techniques for How To Clean Makeup Brushes effectively, ensuring your tools are hygienic and ready for every application.
Why Cleaning Your Makeup Brushes Matters
Before diving into the how, let’s quickly touch upon the why. Regularly cleaning your makeup brushes offers a multitude of benefits:
- Hygiene and Skin Health: Makeup brushes accumulate product buildup, dead skin cells, oil, and bacteria. Using dirty brushes can transfer these impurities back onto your skin, potentially causing acne breakouts, irritation, and even infections. Clean brushes help maintain healthy, clear skin.
- Improved Makeup Application: Product buildup on bristles can stiffen them and alter their shape, making it difficult to achieve a smooth, even makeup application. Clean brushes allow for better blending, color payoff, and overall control, ensuring your makeup looks its best.
- Brush Longevity: Makeup residue can damage brush fibers over time, causing them to become brittle, shed, and lose their shape. Regular cleaning helps preserve the integrity of your brushes, extending their lifespan and saving you money in the long run.
Expert-Approved Methods for Cleaning Makeup Brushes
Professional makeup artists prioritize clean tools, and their methods are both effective and practical. Here’s a breakdown of cleaning techniques inspired by industry experts:
Soap and Water Cleansing: The Classic Approach
Several makeup artists favor soap and water as a reliable cleaning solution, particularly for regular maintenance.
- Tom Pecheux recommends using organic soap, such as Savon De Marseille Olive Oil Soap. He rubs brushes directly onto a bar of soap after each use. For a deeper clean, he allows brushes to air dry or uses gentle heat for quicker drying, ensuring they dry standing up to maintain their shape.
- Lottie also shampoos brushes with unscented Savon de Marseille Bar Soap and lays them flat to dry overnight. For stubborn products like grease paints or glitter, she uses dish soap on synthetic brushes.
- Mario Dedivanovic starts by wetting brushes thoroughly and rubbing them on antibacterial soap. He follows up with a gentle shampoo like Johnson’s Baby Shampoo, sometimes adding a few drops of tea tree oil for its antiseptic and fragrance benefits. Brushes are then rinsed, gently squeezed, and laid on a towel to dry.
This method is ideal for daily or regular cleaning, effectively removing most makeup residue and bacteria.
Specialized Brush Cleansers: Quick and Convenient
For faster cleaning or when water isn’t ideal, specialized brush cleansers and tools are excellent options.
- Beau Nelson prefers Beautyblender Solid Blendercleanser for natural hair brushes due to its portability. He occasionally conditions natural brushes with hair conditioner. For synthetic brushes, he uses dish soap like Dawn to cut through oils and silicones. Nelson also highly recommends the Sigma Beauty Spa Brush Cleaning Glove for a more thorough clean when combined with a cleanser.
- Gucci Westman favors Éminence Organics Natural Brush Cleanser and Organic Lavender Brush Cleanser from Afterglow Cosmetics. For deep cleaning, she uses Rahua Shampoo. She dips brushes into cleanser, washes them, and lets them dry on a towel. In a rush, she uses brush sprays to quickly sanitize and dry brushes.
- Hung Vanngo uses liquid brush cleanser in a bowl, dipping and swirling each brush, leaving foundation and concealer brushes for last. He uses tissues to absorb excess liquid and lays brushes flat to dry. For heavy pigments or lip brushes, he utilizes The Masters’ Brush Cleaner and Preserver, a powerful cleaner designed for painter’s brushes, to strip oils and pigments effectively.
Specialized cleansers are great for quick cleaning between makeup applications or for travel. Cleaning gloves or mats can enhance the process by providing textured surfaces to agitate bristles and remove stubborn buildup.
Spirit-Based Solutions: For Deep Cleaning and Disinfecting
For a waterless and deeply disinfecting clean, spirit-based solutions are recommended by some professionals.
- Brigitte Reiss-Andersen avoids water, noting it can damage brushes. She prefers spirit solutions from brands like Japonesque, Ben Nye, and Cinema Secrets for their effective cleaning and disinfecting properties. She pours the solution into a cup, dips the brush, swirls it to dissolve dirt, squeezes gently on a paper towel, and allows it to air dry. The alcohol in these solutions disinfects and evaporates quickly, leaving brushes clean and dry in about 30 minutes.
Spirit-based cleaners are excellent for disinfecting brushes, particularly for professional use or when dealing with potentially contaminated brushes. They also dry very quickly.
Step-by-Step Guide: How to Clean Your Makeup Brushes
Based on the expert techniques, here’s a general step-by-step guide to effectively clean your makeup brushes:
- Gather Your Supplies: Choose your cleaning solution (soap, brush cleanser, or spirit solution), water (if using soap or cleanser), a cleaning mat or glove (optional but helpful), and a clean towel or paper towel for drying.
- Wet the Bristles (If Using Soap or Cleanser): Hold your brush downwards under lukewarm running water, wetting only the bristles. Avoid getting water on the ferrule (the metal part connecting bristles to the handle) as this can loosen the glue over time.
- Apply Cleaning Solution:
- Soap Bar: Swirl the wet brush head directly onto a bar of soap.
- Liquid Soap or Cleanser: Dispense a small amount of soap or cleanser into your palm or a cleaning mat. Swirl the brush in the solution, gently massaging the bristles to release makeup buildup.
- Spirit Solution: Pour a small amount of spirit solution into a disposable cup. Dip the brush bristles into the solution.
- Cleanse the Bristles: Gently massage and swirl the brush bristles in your palm or on a cleaning mat/glove to work the cleanser through and remove makeup residue. You’ll see makeup being released from the brush.
- Rinse Thoroughly (If Using Soap or Cleanser): Rinse the bristles under running water until the water runs clear and no soap or cleanser remains. Again, keep the brush head downwards to prevent water from getting into the ferrule. For spirit solutions, no rinsing is needed.
- Gently Squeeze Out Excess Water (If Applicable): Gently squeeze the brush head with your fingers or a clean towel to remove excess water. Reshape the bristles to their original form. For spirit solutions, simply squeeze out excess solution.
- Dry Your Brushes: Lay your brushes flat on a clean towel or hang them upside down using a brush drying rack. Allow them to air dry completely. Avoid using a hairdryer on high heat, which can damage bristles (unless using a cool setting or as a quick drying method like Tom Pecheux in a rush). Ensure brushes dry in a well-ventilated area.
Choosing the Right Cleaning Method and Frequency
The best cleaning method and frequency depend on your brush type, usage, and personal preference:
- Brush Type:
- Natural Hair Brushes: These are often more delicate and may benefit from gentler cleansers like specialized brush cleansers or mild soap. Conditioning occasionally can help maintain their softness.
- Synthetic Brushes: These are generally more resilient and can handle stronger cleansers like dish soap or spirit solutions, especially for removing oil-based or stubborn products.
- Frequency:
- Daily Brushes (Foundation, Concealer): Ideally, clean these every 1-2 days, as they accumulate liquid products and bacteria more quickly.
- Powder Brushes (Blush, Eyeshadow): Clean 1-2 times per week, or more frequently if you use them with different colors often or experience breakouts.
- Lip Brushes and Brushes Used with Cream Products: Clean after each use to prevent product buildup and color mixing.
- Product Type: If you frequently use heavily pigmented, waterproof, or oil-based products, you may need to clean your brushes more often and use stronger cleansers to effectively remove residue.
Conclusion: Clean Brushes for Beautiful Makeup
Cleaning your makeup brushes is an essential step in any beauty routine. By adopting these expert-inspired techniques, you can ensure your brushes are hygienic, perform optimally, and last longer. Whether you prefer a simple soap and water cleanse, a quick brush cleanser spray, or a deep-cleaning spirit solution, incorporating regular brush cleaning into your routine will contribute to healthier skin and flawless makeup looks every time. Make clean brushes a non-negotiable part of your beauty ritual and enjoy the benefits of pristine tools.
