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Makeup Tutorial - How to Clean Your Brushes

Authored by critty.Pinkpurple_thumb
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I am a stickler for clean brushes.  Nothing grosses me out more than dirty brushes.  Ok, things probably do, but when it comes to makeup and hygiene, there are no excuses!  Clean your brushes!

This is my routine for my personal brushes, obviously brushes used on clients would be cleaned between each person, disinfected with 99% alcohol (available in the first aid section) and shampooed every night.

As I mention about 43 zillion times in the video below, you MUST clean any brushes that have been used to apply any liquid or cream product after each use.  Powders are inert and are too dry to grow bacteria, but the little germies love wet, moist areas so clean your foundation, concealer, cream shadow and liner brushes after each use.  You can clean them in Cinema Secrets Brush Cleaner (my personal fave), or use a wipe.  Sephora sells these makeup brush wipes , but I just use plain old unscented baby wipes for mine.  And yes, you get props for using biodegradable ones like Seventh Generation .  I just rub them back and forth a long the wipe to get the product out. 

To get powder out of my brushes in between shampooings, I just rub them gently on a tissue. 

OK grab all of your brushes, some shampoo, a cup and a big towel.

Fold the towel in half and roll one end so you have something to prop your brushes up with (check out the video).

Add some shampoo to your cup and some warm water.

Start with your biggest brushes (natural hair), and swirl them around in the cup, making sure they get lots suds, rub them on the palm of your hand until they foam up.  Put them in the sink so they "marinate" in the shampoo.  Ha!  It gives the shampoo time to work through the brush and break down all of the dirt and makeup in it. 

Do this will all of your natural hair brushes, or brushes that have been used in powder products and then start on the synthetic brushes, or brushes used in cream or liquids.  Why do them in two stages?  Well even though you have been wiping your brushes on a wipe every day, it still gets a build up of products, and lots of product will come out and color the water. 

Once all your brushes are shampooed, take them out of the sink and put them on a small towel or face cloth (not the rolled one).  Slowly rinse a few brushes at a time making sure to get out all of the shampoo.  Shape them and lay them on the towel - see video.  Do this for all of the brushes and let them dry.  Bigger brushes can take up to 24 hours, smaller ones will dry much faster.  

Here is the video:




How do you clean your brushes?

Comments


Does any shampoo work or do you need special cleaning shampoos? Nice video!
Posted on Fri May 02 17:11:06 UTC 2008 by Natalia

Any shampoo will work. Some people use baby shampoo, I use whatever I am using at the time. Sometimes if I am feeling especially nice to my brushes I will condition them, usually once or twice a year :)
Posted on Fri May 02 18:04:35 UTC 2008 by critty

Hey Critty just a quick question, how do you keep the number on the MAC brushes? You can barely see "MAC 217" on my brush anymore. :(
Posted on Fri May 02 19:28:57 UTC 2008 by skylerevers

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