How do you clean your makeup brushes? Share!
I use Dr. Bronner’s unscented liquid soap for most of the time! I clean mine after every use except for a few brushes (the ones I use for setting/finishing powders and my brows I usually clean twice a week).
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I like to do this once a week, but it ends being every two weeks. Not my tutorial but I do the same thing. http://instagram.com/p/ssqHYGn9FH/
I’ve been using Dr. Bronner’s lately as well, only it’s the Peppermint one, in my case. (I want to try the Tea Tree one eventually.) I’ve also used baby shampoo in the past.
I also use Dr. Bronner’s liquid soap, but the peppermint one. I use it for EVERYTHING including shampoo haha.
I clean my eye & lip brushes after each use and my face brushes once a week.
i use clean, a solid brush shampoo with my Foreo Luna. the silicone bumps that on my Luna facilitates getting out the embedded pigments from denser brushes and leaves just the right amount of conditioning from the shampoo on my bristles. i got the idea after i saw all the Sigma Spa Glove advertisements.
I wash all applicators used on the eye and lip area after each use with a antibacterial liquid soap and all others every 2-5 uses, although i wipe them down more frequently.
I use Apivita’s Propolis soap and I clean them once a week.
I don’t use brushes often, but the tools I do use get washed after they get used. The exception is probably the brush I use to put eyeshadow in my brows…
With my hands. And baby shampoo.
Most of the time, I use Johnson’s baby shampoo. Sometimes, I use a lovely liquid soap from Cucina that has a mild pink grapefruit scent or I’ll use the same PUR Minerals facial cleanser that I use for my face. I only wash my brushes when they look like they need it. Some of the brushes I have from IT Cosmetics are so dense and take so long to dry that I try not to wash them more than is totally necessary, just so that I can use them….
I use baby shampoo:)
Use Dr.Bronner Castille soap bar… All the time. I have some spot cleaning stuff, but rarely ever use it.
I prefer the soap bar over the liquid form one, as is faster, less messy and just more efficient, I think.
Hand soap for powder products, make up remover then hand soap for cream products.
on a weekly basis I clean my brushes with rubbing alcohol, but at least once a month I used Dr Bronner’s peppermint soap
After trying different brush cleaners, I have found that Savon de Marseille (hard milled) works beautifully. There is no scent and leaves the brushes very soft. I love washing my brushes, I find it therapeutic, all that swirling I guess 🙂
Thanks for this tip.
Do you have advice on how to stop brushes getting smelly? As you must know, this happens even when you wash them regularly.
Thanks, Gina.
I would try adding some lemon or orange essential oil to whatever you wash them with, citrus essential oils are antibacterial. Gently squeeze as much water out of the bristles as you can with paper towels after washing them and lay them on dry paper towels to dry the rest of the way after that.
used MAC brush cleanser or baby shampoo in every weekend
i clean my brushes around once a week. i use warm water and put a dime sized amount of dawn soap on my hands, and just brush my palm under the water until the it runs clear. then i lay them out to dry on paper towels
I usually clean my brushes once a week using my Philosophy Purity cleanser or Beauty Blender solid soap. Sometimes I like to use my Elf studio brush spray to spot clean them in between washes
I keep some rubbing alcohol in an artists’ jar and some paper towels handy so that I can quickly clean and sanitize eye brushes (and lip brushes, when I use them) immediately after use. This isn’t good for natural bristles, so I’m moving toward high quality synthetic bristle brushes, especially for eyes, and also due to concerns about the animals whose hair is used in the brushes. I wipe face and cheek brushes thoroughly with a microfiber cloth immediately after use, use an alcohol-based spray on the synthetic ones if there’s pigment left on the brush, and wash them with a Dr. Bonner’s bar soap, baby shampoo, or Philosophy Purity Made Simple when they seem to need it — I guess I should have a schedule, but my work schedule has been so crazy for months that I just can’t keep up. When a brush gets really stained with pigment, I try to get it out with makeup remover — if that doesn’t work, I use a bit of Parian Spirit to remove it. I also use brush guards when I wash my brushes, to help them keep their shape. Right now they get dried flat, or pointing slightly downhill, but I would like to get a brush tree and dry them upside down. When I tried that in a cup some of the brush guards slipped — not a good result.
I clean my brushes with a little liquid soap (Softsoap Milk & Honey), but for the OCC Lip Tar brushes, I have to use Dawn Dishwashing Detergent soap to get the lip tar out. I clean my eye brushes after every use and other brushes (powder, blush, brow) twice a week. I’m going to check out Dr. Bronner’s.
I pour an inch of 91% rubbing alcohol in a little bowl. Then quickly swish brush and squeeze out excess alcohol. I lay them to dry on a paper towel. 91% alcohol evaporates very quickly. Most of my brushes are mid-level synthetics–have not yet noticed any harm done to them. I’m more likely to clean them this fast, easy way, as opposed to lots of soap and rinsing.
Mine only get cleaned about once a month. I can’t imagine cleaning them every time. I use Philosophy Purity.
What do wash them in, Christine? Ie, what’s the ratio of soap to water, and in what kind of vessel? Do you soak them and if so, for how long? Do you just lay them out flat to dry?
When I need information, like to consult an expert; you’re definitely THE makeup authority!
I have a little glass jar where I mix a little water and soap (but I don’t really have a ratio, maybe a 1/2 inch of water with a glob of soap). I usually just dip the brush in very quickly, and then I swirl the brush gently in the palm of my hand, rinse, and I’ll either lay them over a towel or over the edge of the sink (brush head over the edge, so it can get air on both sides).
Thanks! **small voice** I don’t clean mine nearly enough. I know what I’m doing this afternoon, lol. 😉
I spot clean every use and deep clean with either the Beauty Blender solid bar or, recently, the Sephora solid bar. I love those solid bar things, they work so well.
I use the MAC or Clinique brush cleanser a couple of times per week and wash them thoroughly once a month with baby shampoo.
I use the same brand in solid form lavender scented once a week on all my brushes. I spot clean them with the sephora daily brush cleaner spray if I used a super pigmented eye shadow.
water and baby shamboo
Wetting the brushes and then using Ivory Soap (bar) works better than anything else I’ve used.
I clean them after use with either e.l.f. or Coastal Scents brush cleaner sprays. I shampoo them ever 1-2 weeks with e.l.f. brush shampoo, or Johnson’s Baby Shampoo. I use my fingers and wash them under warm running water. I towel blot dry, shape with my fingers, and set on paper towels. I let them air dry with the bristles hanging over the edge of a shelf or counter, so it dries thouroughly and in the proper shape.
I use baby shampoo first to get rid of the product and then brush cleaner (to sterilize also) and for brushes with oil-based products (lip brushes and foundation brushes) I use oil to get rid of the product, then baby shampoo and then brush cleaner. I try do to clean my brushes once every 2 weeks and in the mean time I use make up wipes to keep them clean.
I use the MAC brush cleaner and hang them upside down in a thing I bought just for this purpose. Never wash your brushes down to the point where your brush connects with the metal
bit – I learned that about six months ago.
I use a spray after every use and once a week, -sometimes 2 i am afraid-. I thorough clean with either soap, or shampoo or even washing up cleaner; I condition quickly with a tad of olive oil in spray.. rinse very well ,dry and another quick flick of antibacterial spray ( i think the one i have now is estee lauder, got it at excellent price in ebay)
I clean my brushes at least every two weeks (usually one) with Dr. Bronners lavender – and in between that I use MAC brushcleaner to spot clean.
Baby shampoo! I use the store brand, no need to get fancy.
Beauty Blender Solid around once a week!
I generally use a shampoo for cleaning my brushes. I do this generally on a weekly basis, but with my eyeshadow brushes it is after every second or so use.
I spot clean daily using the Sephora cleanser then I do an all out cleaning every Sunday using whatever brush cleanser I have on hand.r
Sephora Dry Clean: Solid Brush Cleanser. I bought this for travel even though I like Baby shampoo and olive oil (with the oil only for natural hair) but I bought the solid brush soap for travel after an SA sold me on it. Works wonderfully for all my brushes–it conditions well as it cleans and my brushes dry back in preferred shape. The silicone bumpy sponge that goes with it is nice too. I no longer need to wear gloves as I wash my brushes–it doesn’t dry out my hands either. If this keeps up, I’m just going to stick to this one.
I use Cinema Secrets brush cleaner every time I use a brush. And if a brush needs an extra-deep cleansing, I use Clean Apothecary’s Goat’s Milk brush cleanser.
I wash everything on Sundays using the ELF brush shampoo. I use Philosophy Purity Made Simple for my face, hadn’t really thought about using it for my brushes, but after reading that so many other people are using it with good results that may be my next product. It makes sense, I love how clean it gets my face, and I have even noticed that it doesn’t leave makeup stains on the face clothes I use to remove my makeup. The cleansing oil I was using left eye makeup on the clothes, and even bleach wasn’t removing it all, so now I have a whole pile of stained clothes that I have thrown in the rag bag. When I realized that the Purity not only removes it from my face but also from the face clothes, I was convinced!
Anti-bacterial soap…so I don’t break out.
Baby Shampoo..
Just a bar of ordinary soap does the job very well. One with some glycerine in it helps to keep them soft. Or I use a three-part mixture of antibacterial handwash, olive oil and baby shampoo. This really shifts the muck and leaves your brushes beautifully soft. I wash them once a week and use the spray brush cleaner in between applications or just wipe with make-up remover wipes.
MAC’s brush cleaner twice a week and a shampoo every week (for face brushes) and every two weeks (for eye brushes).
I use Masters Brush Cleaner to clean my makeup brushes. Sold at Michaels and Wal Mart. I forgot who put me on to this but it was a godsend…I’ve been using this cleaner for YEARS and it really helps to preserve your brush hair. Never had a breakout as a result.
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Alvin-G103-Masters-Brush-Cleaner-24-Oz/25096682
hi~ i’m curious about this product but was unable to find an ingredient list for them. do they list their ingredients on the product? if it’s not too long, would you mind letting me know what is in it? thanks!
I clean brushes with Bobbi Brown spary after each use with cream textures and powder brushes once a month with solid beutyblender soap.
I use the daily cleanser spray from sephora every couple of days and the beauty blender solid for deep cleaning brushes and sponges weekly (week and half when I’m super lazy).