How to Clean Your Makeup Brushes Without Ruining Them

You may never think of this, but your makeup brushes need to be cleaned! Can you imagine how many germs and bacteria are living in those little bristles? Yuck! This is especially important because your makeup brushes touch your face; so if you don’t clean them, then you can break out and get bad skin infections. Here are just a few ways you can clean your makeup brushes without ruining them.

Olive Oil and Dish Soap

A super cleaning solution that is cheap and easy to make is a mixture of olive oil and dish soap. Mix the two together and swirl them until there’s a small soapy buildup. Then, drip your brush into the mixture and gently work it into the folds of the bristles. This is a natural solution that pulls out the makeup and breaks down any buildup.

Baby Shampoo

Another option is to use baby shampoo and a little bit of water. There’s not an exact science to how much to use, so just add shampoo until there’s a nice lathery mixture. From there, just like the dish soap and olive oil, work the cleaner into the bristles of your brush. A great thing about this idea is that the shampoo leaves your brush smelling great once you’ve finished!

Cold Water

Whichever cleaner you used above, the next steps are all identical. Once you’ve finished cleaning the brush, run it under a light stream of cold water. Make sure that it’s cold water! Hot or warm water is going to loosen the glue that holds the bristles in place and the brush will be ruined. Repeat cleaning and rinsing until the water runs clear.

Pat Dry

With the makeup completely cleaned out of your brush, now it’s time to pay dry the brush gently. Use a paper towel and make sure you don’t rub or pull on the brush when drying it. This will ruin the bristles and make your brush useless. Lightly pat it dry until excess water has been soaked up.

Mold Back into Shape

After pat drying, mold the brush head back to its normal shape. It’s probably going to be a bit fanned out or flat looking, so gently push the bristles back in place so it looks normal.

Let dry overnight

Set the brush (or brushes) onto a towel and let them dry overnight. Don’t user a blow dryer or direct sunlight, as this can melt the glue holding the bristles together and ruin your brush. Some people suggest setting your brush with the bristle part facing down, but if the brush is still wet then this is going to damage the bristles. It’s best just to lay them down flat and let them naturally dry for a few hours. The next day, your brushes will be dry, clean, and ready to use!