Your Makeup Brushes: Care and Cleaning Tips

Did you know that over the space of about a month, your makeup brushes (blush brush, powder brush, eyeshadow or eyebrow brush) can be so full of oils, hair, dead skin, and, well, makeup that they aren't doing their job correctly? In fact, your dirty makeup brushes can be more than just an eyesore, they can leave an odor on your skin, lead to breakouts, and even give you an eye infection! Learn the proper care and maintenance of your makeup brushes, including cleaning tips, so you can have your makeup brushes and still have beautiful skin!

Every month, pick a day that you wash your makeup brushes. To wash makeup brushes, you simply need water and a mild soap, like baby shampoo. If you have sensitive skin, the best way to wash your makeup brushes is to use the same soap for your brushes that you use on your face (even if it's an acne-fighting soap) so your skin doesn't have a negative reaction to another soap product. Fill a bowl with warm water and add a tablespoon of your facial cleanser, baby shampoo, or even a liquid dish soap, and then swirl your brushes around in the soapy water for a few seconds. Rinse the brushes thoroughly, reshape them while they are wet, then place them on a towel to dry completely before using again.

To keep your makeup in tiptop shape, have at least 2 makeup brushes for each application of makeup you need it for: a dark color brush and a light color brush. This way, if you want to apply baby blue eyeshadow, you won't have deep purple streaks all across your eyelids because you used your light color brush. This is a great rule to follow especially for blush brushes or powder concealer brushes; you don't want to interfere with those types of shadings.

You know you need to throw out your makeup brush when it starts to flake bristles onto your skin or won't keep its shape. Depending on what you need the makeup brush for and the quality of the makeup brush to begin with, you may need to replace your makeup brush evey 3 months or so. Once it starts to lose its bristles, it will lose its ability to apply makeup effectively so it will need replaced. It's amazing what replacing a makeup brush can do for your skin. Also, if your makeup brush maintains a nasty odor no matter what you do to clean it, toss it- it may have mold or bacteria and you don't need that type of crud on your skin.

Never borrow another person's makeup brushes unless they have been washed and dried all the way through first. If a person has pink eye, a sty, a sinus infection, or a cold sore and you use their makeup brushes without washing them first, you can contract what they have. It's just like how you were taught as a kid never to drink out of the same cup- those germs love to spread. Use only your own makeup brushes, and if you don't have a makeup brush handy, try to make do with just your finger or a tissue.

Source:

friend who is a makeup artist