Makeup may come and go but brush cleaning is forever..... hmmmm

Yup my feelings exactly when its time to clean makeup brushes and if only Ryan Gosling looking so fine would do it.... haha

Let's talk about cleaning makeup brushes and tools.  How often do you clean your makeup brushes and tools?  I clean mine once a week.  I have noticed when I procrastinate my skin has a way of telling me it's not happy ☹

Dirty brushes harbor bacteria and transfer bacteria to your makeup products. Also, the bristles can be damaged by certain products if you leave on for too long. Before I share with you how I clean my brushes, let's talk about some general Dos and Don'ts:

Dos: 😊

• Clean synthetic brushes every other day and natural hair brushes weekly.
• To dry lay flat on a surface with the bristles hanging off the edge.
• Disinfect brushes using alcohol or vinegar solution.  The smell will dissipate when the brushes dry.
• Let brushes dry completely before using.
• In between weekly cleaning I wipe my brushes on baby wipes for quick clean up especially if it’s a multitasking brush or if I am switching colors.

Don’ts:  

• Don’t clean them using hot water or dry them with a blow dryer.  Extreme heat can damage the brush.
• Don’t lay on towel or cloth because it may not dry properly causing mildew and/or a bad smell.
• Don’t store them upright to dry as the water can get in the handle and cause damage or bacteria.
• Don’t soak them in water when cleaning, only get the bristles wet.
• Don't forget to wipe clean makeup bags as well.

There are a lot of gadgets, cleaning soaps and solutions available in the market today, but Baby Shampoo works great and cleans without damaging the brushes.

You will need

·         Baby shampoo

·         Almond or Olive oil to pre-clean (if you use liquid makeup)

·         Lukewarm water

·         A bowl or Jar 

Mix a little baby shampoo in lukewarm water in the bowl, jar or in the palm of your hand

Swirl the makeup brush only getting bristles wet.

Rinse with lukewarm water bristles side down. Make sure you don't get the rest of the brush wet.

Repeat if necessary

Using a dry washcloth gently wipe off excess water from the bristles

Reshape the brush and lay flat to dry

If you use liquid makeup and have trouble cleaning the brush, pour a little olive or almond oil on a paper towel and swirl the brush in it. Rinse using linked warm water abs follow the above steps to clean.

After cleaning or in between cleaning I like to disinfect my brushes.  There are 2 ways to disinfect them: alcohol or vinegar.  Sometimes I add a little vinegar to the soapy water while cleaning the brushes or after cleaning I take 1part vinegar and 2 parts water, swirl the brush bristles in the solution, run in under lukewarm water, wipe off excess water and reshape and let dry. Or I take some Isopropyl Alcohol in bowl or jar, swirl the brush bristles in it for a few seconds, wipe off the remaining alcohol, reshape and let dry. 

Don’t forget to clean the mascara want and your eyelash curlers 

****Tips – I keep some alcohol in a spray bottle to disinfect and sanitize my makeup.  I spray it over my powder and cream based makeup (enough to coat) the alcohol evaporates quickly without damaging makeup. 

Disinfect lipsticks by soaking it in alcohol for 15 minutes and air dry 20 minutes. Some say you can stick it in the freezer overnight but make sure its room temp before using it (I have to try this one)

Soak a cotton ball and you can clean the containers. I use Clorox wipes to clean my makeup bags and case.

P.S.: Broken powder makeup can also be fixed using alcohol****


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