I am crafting an easy to follow and inexpensive how to wash makeup brushes tutorial to teach you everything that you need to know to be a washing superstar. Makeup brushes breed bacteria and deposit it onto your face, which can result in blemishes. Also, proper cleaning extends the life of your brushes and enables them to continue to work at high performance. By the end of this how to wash makeup brushes tutorial you will know how to properly care for your brushes, what products that you need, and will come to understand that the process does not need to be expensive or a burden.
Supplies
- Brush cleaning soap
- Dirty makeup brushes, sponges, and tools
- Sink with running water
- Cleaning palette
- Paper towels or rag
- Drying rack
Scrubbing
I want to discuss tools that make washing faster and more effective. I prefer to use a silicone scrubbing tool, such as this palette from Real Techniques, but this one is rather pricy. Scrubbing tools are becoming very common in discount stores such TJMaxx and Ross.
They come in all shapes and sizes. Some suction to the bottom of your sink so that the water can beat down on them. Others slide over your fingers like a mitt.
I used to swirl dirty brushes in the palm of my hand before I bought this palette. However, I find that palettes provide a deeper clean and enable you to actually wash all of the soap out faster. I highly recommend that you purchase one.
Soap
The best brush cleaning soap is one with two-fold abilities. The soap should be able to cleanse the brush and also condition to keep the bristles soft, the same way that conditioner softens your hair. While out shopping, the soap options are endless.
My favorite and most economical soap is actually Dawn Platinum dish soap. It is my most trusted soap for all cleaning purposes, but it effectively cleans my brushes, sponges, and tools on the first try. This soap also leaves my brushes as soft as the day that I bought them. I get these mini bottles at Dollar Tree.
Of course, there are so many dedicated brush/sponge cleaning soaps out there. I have loved the offerings from EcoTools, elf Cosmetics, Real Techniques, and more.
Step-By-Step Tutorial
1. Wet The Brush
The first step on how to wash makeup brushes is incredibly obvious, but you need to wet your brush! From this point forward, as long as the brush is wet it must stay facing down. The reasoning here is that you do not want the water to work its way up the shaft of the brush into the glue that holds the bristles in place. This will ruin the brush. Simply wet the brush and you are ready to go.
Also note that water temperature is extremely important. You will want to use warm water. Cold water is not going to clean well, and hot water can be damaging to the bristles and the glue that holds them in place. Use your fingers and your best judgement for safe water temperature.
2. Apply Soap to the Palette
The Real Techniques palette is divided into three sections for small, medium, and large brushes. If your palette is like this, apply a dime-sized amount of soap to the correct area.
3. Add Splash of Water to Palette
Next for step three in how to wash makeup brushes, add a splash of water to the soap to give it something to work with. When I say a splash, I mean just a little bit! If you make the soap too watered down, it will not work well.
4. Swirl Brush on Palette
This is the fun part! Swirl your brush in circular motions over the palette and try to give the bristles a good scrub. The brush should foam up and start to look cleaner.
5. Rinse Brush
There is a two-part method to how I rinse the soap from my brushes. First, I put the brush and the cleaning palette under the running water and continue to scrub the soap out as the water beats down. After I rinse the brush by itself under the water until the water running out of the brush is no longer soapy. Rinsing on the palette first helps make it so much faster to get all of the soap out.
6. Squeeze Excess Water
Before it is time to allow your brushes to dry, you want to work the excess water out of the bristles. I use my fingers like a squeegee to do this. Be careful to not tug on the bristles as you work the water out. All I do is give the bristles a gentle squeeze as I work my fingers down the brush. At this point in time you may want to reshape the bristles a bit if it loos like the brush needs some assistance. Most brushes will return to their normal shape once dry, but a few brushes need further help. If your brush still looks dirty after following these steps, you will want to complete steps two through six again until the brush is fully clean.
7. Drying the Brushes
It is important to remember that your brushes are still wet and must not be placed upright. The safest way to dry them is by hanging them upside down, or laying them on their side to dry. The good news is that drying racks are becoming more common in stores and are not terribly expensive.
However, you do not need a rack at all. You can simply use a rag or paper towel and lay your brushes down. Be sure to allow them to fully dry before turning them upright and/or using them.
Wash Other Tools
While this is a how to wash your makeup brushes tutorial, this is a great time to accomplish washing your other tools! From eyelash curlers to beauty spatulas, a little bit of Dawn and warm water will clean them all.
Sponges need cleaned daily after each use. I use a plain bar of body soap, such as Dove, daily. There are plenty of solid makeup brush/sponge cleansers on the market that work as well. For deeper cleaning, this is where the Dawn Platinum or liquid of your choice comes in.
Wet the sponge with warm water, then lather on the soap. Use your fingers to work the soap into the sponge. Then, rinse it under the warm water. Use your fingers to squeeze the soap and the makeup out. Keep doing this until the water runs clear. Be careful to not dig your nails into the sponge to prolong its life.
I have a detailed tutorial on how to wash makeup puffs that makes a great companion to this guide.
Brushes should be washed roughly once per week. I like to wash my brushes on the weekend because I typically do not apply makeup at that time. This allows my brushes plenty of time to fully dry before their next use.
Shop The Supplies
On the daily basis I give my brushes a quick clean by a spray brush cleaner The handy spray disinfects and removes excess color so that you can use your brushes day after day without color transfer. Simply spray your brush a few times and wipe the bristles over a rag or paper towel. Until next time, continue to let your true beauty shine.
