Clean your brushes

Take a second and think about your makeup brushes. Are you caring for them like you should? When was the last time you cleaned them? 

Honesty time - I used to hardly ever clean my brushes. Gross right? I know, I was in college and busy and cleaning your brushes just takes a lot of time! But think about it for a second, you rub these brushes on your face everyday. Don't you think you should be taking care of them so they can take care of you?

In a perfect world I would use a daily cleaner to just kill bacteria after using each brush, but since I throw my makeup on in ten minutes every morning that isn't really in my timeline. I should start making time though, it would make my weekly deep cleaning a bit easier. 


So, why should you clean your makeup brushes? Well let me just tell you, they are disgusting! Daily use of these beauty tools result in makeup, oil, dirt and even bacteria getting stuck in the bristles. That is gross and really we can't help it. Constantly rubbing those bits of wear on your face can lead to clogged pores and breakouts - no one likes that. The makeup build up on the bristles also changes how your makeup applies to your face and the color payoff that you get. So by keeping your brushes clean you get better application and healthier skin, and most importantly you are taking care of something that you spent money on. About half of my brushes were decently expensive (Sephora Airbrush Collection), so by keeping them clean I am protecting my investment.

I am embarrassed at how gross these are right now.

How do you clean your brushes? I am so glad you asked, keep reading.

About once a month I do a really deep cleaning (alcohol and shampoo) and once every other week that month I will do a general cleaning (just shampoo). If there is a brush that I didn't use much then I will skip it, no need to over wash them and risk ruining the glue!

Here is my deep cleaning process - for the general cleaning version just take out the alcohol step.

You will need:
Brush or Baby Shampoo
Alcohol
A shallow bowl 
Water
A Towel or Cloth

1. Mix a little water with alcohol in a shallow bowl. Be careful not to pour too deep, you don't want the alcohol to reach the part of the brush where the bristles are attached. 
2. Swirl the brush's bristles gently in the alcohol solution to breakup the buildup on the bristles. Rinse the alcohol off immediately
3. Add a little shampoo and water to the palm of your hand and begin swirling the brush in your hand. Your heavy use brushes (foundation, concealer, powder) are pretty gross during this step.
4. Rinse shampoo out of brush and off hand and repeat until water runs clear.
5. Use a towel or cloth to get the majority of the moisture out of the brush by gently rubbing it back and forth. This will also show you if there is any leftover product stuck in the bristles that you missed. Reshape your brush and lay flat on a towel to dry. Repeat for each brush/tool.

I use this same process for my beauty blender and eyebrow brushes.

Tips:
Don't let the water run against the direction of the bristles toward the glue.
Don't let your brushes dry upside down (bristles in the air) in a container of some kind.
Don't overuse the alcohol - I only use it because I don't feel like my current shampoo breaks down my thicker products as well. Try just your shampoo first!
Avoid getting alcohol near the glue area of the brush.
Basically save the glue!


And there you have it - clean makeup brushes!

These will feel so good the next time I use them!

It may be time consuming but your face will thank you. Plus the feeling of clean brushes on your face is heavenly - I would compare it to the feeling of clean sheets against freshly shaved legs. You just can't beat it. Now I challenge you to take the time to clean your brushes this week. Do it once and you will see the benefits and do it forever.

Here are some good products to look at when thinking about brush cleaners:


xo,
KatiAnne

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