How to Clean Makeup Brushes

Do not clean makeup brushes infrequently, or increasing risk of getting bacteria, mucus and dead cells directly onto skin. This will ruin your skin tone.

Makeup brushes play a vital role in creating the perfect look. After all, they can help you apply concealer, blush, and lipstick, like that’s no big deal. So it’s easy to think that your makeup brushes will appear every time, whether you wash them or not.

Of course, you don’t know exactly how to wash your brush, and when you start putting it on, no one will tell you how often to wash it. So, if you use a lot, if not very few, brushes, here are the ways you need to know to keep them clean.

How should you clean your makeup brushes?

“The purpose of cleaning the brush is to be careful, but thorough,” Yves J. Rodney, MD, a dermatologist and founding director of Eternal Dermatology Aesthetics in Fulton, Maryland, told Health. All you need, she says, is some warm water and some unscented soap or baby shampoo. Dr Rodney said: “A lot of cosmetic brands are now selling brush cleaners, so you can buy them online.”

Once you have your supplies, here’s how to clean your makeup brushes:

• Rinse the bristles off in the sink at a downward angle.
• Dip the bristles in your preferred cleanser.
• Rotate the brush on your hands to create foam and clean the bristles with your fingers and hands. Dr Rodney said: “If there is some serious dirt, you can add a few drops of olive oil to help remove the dirt.” “This oil also helps prevent your brush from drying out for long periods of time.”
• Rinse off the soap.
• Squeeze out excess moisture with a clean paper towel.
• Let your brush dry with the bristles facing down (if the bristles are up, the water will flow down and mess up the glue that sticks together). You can use a drying rack or hook to secure the brush. Or place the brush and bristles flat on the edge of the sink so they drip dry.

Why do you even need to clean makeup brushes?

“Makeup brushes preserve dirt, dead skin, grease and bacteria on the skin, as well as environmental pollutants in the air,” dr. Rodney said. Basically, there’s a lot of sticky stuff hanging from your brush, waiting to be smeared on your face.

Dr Rodney said: “One of the biggest dangers of repeated use of dirty brushes is that it can cause clogged pores.” Over time, she says, these substances, oils and dirt can transfer to your skin. Dr. Rodney explains, “This means you’ll get more pimples, which can lead to skin scarring and discoloration.”

When you don’t clean the brush, some problems also occur at the cellular level. Joshua Zeikner, MD, director of cosmetics and clinical research at mount Sinai Icahn School of Medicine, told Health: “If not cleaned properly, makeup brushes can be contaminated with microorganisms.” “Brushing your face with a dirty, contaminated brush not only irritates the skin, it can also lead to infection.” What kind of infection? According to the American Society of Dermatology (AAD), what you see may be an infection caused by fungi, E. coli, or staphylococcus.

This doesn’t mean that if you don’t pay attention to the hygiene of the brush, you will automatically get infected, but it does happen. Dr Zeckner said: “If the skin barrier is broken, it increases the risk of infection because it makes it easier for bacteria to penetrate into the skin.”

If dirt, dead skin, acne, and potential infections aren’t enough to motivate you to clean your makeup brush, consider this: “Dirty brushes can also affect the use of makeup itself.” Too much makeup on the brush can lead to powdery, uneven application and uneven makeup on your skin. Dr. Rodney said.

All of your makeup brushes should be cleaned regularly, but Dr. Zeckner says cleaning brushes that are used for liquid makeup should be prioritized (after all, bacteria love moisture).

How often do you need to clean your makeup brushes?

AAD specifically recommends washing the brush every 7 to 10 days to get rid of any harmful bacteria, but Dr Rodney says it’s not a bad idea to wash twice a week if you use it every day. “Not only does this reduce the chance of bacteria and dead skin transferring to the face, the brush also works better,” she says.

What about if you shared your makeup brushes with someone else?

While you may not deliberately share your makeup brush with others, it happens. Maybe one of your friends needs makeup touches before going out, or maybe your sister wants you to make her an eyeshadow.

Still, keep in mind that the AAD specifically states that you shouldn’t share your brush with anyone – mostly because there’s a risk of infection.

So try to keep the brush to yourself. But if you happen to have someone use your brush, Dr. Zeckner says, you’ll definitely want to wash it afterwards.

Is it OK to use makeup brushes that have been sitting around for a while?

Do you know the brushes that have been useless because your lower half of your face has been obscured by a mask in public for more than a year? Technically, you can use them again, but you really want to clean them up completely first.

Dr. Rodney said, “With proper care, you can use a brush that hasn’t been used in a while.” “However, if the brush has not been cleaned for a while and it is difficult to clean when it accumulates, you should consider buying a new brush.”

Basically, at a certain point, it’s time to just call it and invest in a new pair of brushes.

When should I buy new makeup brushes?

Dr Zeckner says it’s time to replace your brush if it seems to be breaking down or cracking, or if you can’t seem to completely remove the dirt from it.

But it’s not always as obvious as your brush falling apart. Dr. Rodney offers a few other signs it’s time to let them go:

• The brush feels harsh on your face.
• The brush smells a little off, even after you clean it. This is a sign of bacteria.
• The brush loses its natural shape.
• The brush isn’t performing as well as it once did.

In any case, you don’t need to buy new brushes very often. “If properly cared for, the brush can be used for many years,” says Dr. Zeckner.