This is how you need to be cleaning your make-up brushes

The only task more daunting than washing your face at the end of the day to take off your makeup is cleaning your makeup brushes. It’s easy to go weeks/months/actual decades without washing them because, honestly, who has the time or patience?

But here’s the thing: Not only can unwashed brushes harbour bacteria, but the constant buildup can also wear on the bristles and ruin them over time. Breakouts and destroyed brushes? Hi, no thanks. But shoving all your brushes into a cup full of water and calling it a day, unfortunately, is not gonna cut it. So grab your makeup bag and follow the below advice on how to clean makeup brushes properly. I promise it won’t be that bad—or at least not as bad as taking off your makeup.

How often should you wash my make-up brushes?

How frequently you need to give your brush bristles a good scrub-down depends on how often you use them and what you use them for. Some experts suggest cleaning them a couple times a month, while the American Academy of Dermatology recommends washing them every seven to 10 days—either way, it’s likely way more often than you’re used to doing it. But don’t freak out—with a combination of easy tricks and genius products, even the laziest of lazies can easily wash their tools.

What should you clean your make-up brushes with?

The first step in washing your brushes is choosing a cleanser that won’t destroy them (aka no harsh detergents). Many brands sell products specifically designed for makeup brushes, but you can also use a mild soap, baby shampoo, or a gentle face cleanser.      

But wait! Soap isn’t the only thing you need. You’ll also need to round up a few supplies to help with the scrubbing and drying steps of the cleaning process. While your hand would work fine, you’ll find a cleansing mat or another textured surface helpful in removing stubborn makeup faster. The goal when drying your brushes is to prevent water from seeping into the glue at the base and loosening the bristles. When setting them out to dry, keep your brushes tilted with the bristles pointed downward (a drying rack can help with this) instead of throwing the bristles up in a cup to dry.

How to clean your make-up brushes        

Here’s what you don’t want to do: Fill up the sink and let the brushes soak, handles and all. Not only will the water warp the wood over time, but it’ll also seep into the base of the bristles and loosen the glue. Do you know how annoying it is when you’ve just perfected your foundation application, only to find a loose bristle embedded in your base makeup? If you soak your brushes, you’ll end up with a dozen loose bristles on your cheek.

You can maintain the integrity of your makeup brushes for years and years by cleaning their tools regularly but also very carefully. As demonstrated by a makeup artist in this YouTube video, pour a little bit of the soap onto either hand, a cleansing mat, or another surface, then lightly swirl the wet brush into the cleanser, rinsing and re-dipping until the bristles are totally clear.

If you don’t have a specially formulated brush cleanser, try beauty YouTuber Nicole Guerrero’s at-home recipe. Mix a little bit of olive oil with soap to condition your brushes and keep them from drying out or feeling straw-like. Just make sure to thoroughly rinse out the oil and soap before moving on to the next step.

If you find that your makeup is really caked on or stuck in the hard-to-reach center of the brush, don’t scrub at it; you’ll ruin the shape of the brush. Instead, try this YouTuber’s trick of using a comb to brush through the hairs for a deeper clean.

If you’ve noticed that all the wetting, scrubbing, and squeezing has altered the shape of your bristles, you’ll need to reshape them before setting them out to dry. Use the palm of your hand and your fingers to shape the wet brush hairs back to their original form, or try this clever little trick: Slide the ends through an inexpensive mesh protector, which allows for airflow while still preventing the bristles from drying all frayed, flared, and out of whack.

If you don’t have a drying rack, fold one edge of your towel a few times to create a slight slant, then lay the brushes flat on the towel with the handles up on top of the folded edge so that the water runs out and down, instead of in and up toward the glue. Give your brushes a few hours to dry, or let them sit overnight.

Once they’re completely dry, run the bristles over your hand to gently loosen the shape until your brushes look brand-spankin’ new.