DIY: Makeup Brush Cleaning

Cleaning your makeup brushes is very important! Not only does your makeup apply much nicer with clean tools, but it helps prevent breakouts & gets rid of bacteria that can grow inside of your brushes over time. I've used many different methods over the years, bought brush cleaner, made my own, but I find this DIY method is the easiest & fastest, plus you probably have everything you need laying around your house. Cleaning them is fairly easy, although can be time consuming depending on how many brushes you need to clean, but I have a few tips to help the process go along a little faster & more efficiently. 

WHAT YOU'LL NEED
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Dish Soap (I use Dawn)
- Dirty Makeup Brushes
- 2 Styrofoam Plates
- A Hand Towel
- Makeup Cleaning Glove or Mat (optional)

First, I like to take a Styrofoam plate & put a mixture of 1/2 dish soap, 1/2 extra virgin olive oil, it's okay if they mix, but I let them be to begin with. Next, taking each brush individually, I twirl it in the middle of the soap & oil, letting it evenly coat all the hairs. Once you get it coated, place it on your 2nd plate, making sure the hairs are pointed at an angle down, and let it sit while you repeat that same process for each brush. Depending on the amount of brushes you need to clean, you may need more or less soap & oil. Usually, even if I have clean brushes, I'll clean them all at once just to make sure they're all sanitized.

After you finish all of that, it's time to take it to the sink. Make sure your water is warm, you don't want it to be too hot or too cold. If you have a glove or mat specifically for cleaning makeup brushes, this is the time you'd pull that out, if you don't have one, no worries, you'll just need to use your hands. I use the Original Sigma Spa Brush Cleaning Glove, which is a two-sided glove with different ridges and bumps to thoroughly clean your brushes.

Take the brushes, one at a time, that have been sitting in the cleansing mixture & run them under the warm water. They should start to get sudsy, twirl it on your glove/mat or in the palm of your hand, letting all of the makeup wash away. Depending on what you use your brushes for, you should see foundation or eyeshadows, etc. running out of the brush. Continue to rinse & twirl them until the water runs clear and there are no more signs of soap or residue.

Once the brush is clean, squeeze any excess water out of the hairs. This will ensure that the brush dries quicker. Make sure that you always keep the hairs of the brush pointed down. You don't want them to wash or dry with the hairs pointed up because water will get into the feral of the brushes & over time dissolve the glue holding the brushes together.

Now, get the hand towel and lay it out on the counter. You'll want to fold the towel a couple of times creating a higher level. The handles of the brushes will rest on this end & the hairs will lay on the flat end. This will prevent any water to damage your brushes while they dry. Repeat this process until you're done with all of your brushes.

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Let them sit overnight & they should be ready to use the next day. You will have clean, soft makeup brushes that are ready to be used and you'll notice how nice & easily your makeup applies. 

The amount of time between cleanings really depends on how often you do your makeup, but to get the best results it'll be with clean brushes. I'd recommend doing them at least weekly. I also recommend spot cleaning your brushes when you use them, in between washing them, just by wiping them off on a clean makeup wipe or towel.  

Now you have clean makeup brushes & you're ready to play!! Enjoy :D 

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How often do you normally clean your makeup brushes? Have you tried this method?