It’s one of the biggest struggles any makeup wearer will tell you about. Washing your makeup brushes is a chore we all dread doing, but with the stats out there saying that a very high percentage of makeup brushes and tools contain bacteria, it’s, unfortunately, a job we just have to suck up and get done.
That leaves the question, how often should we be doing it? There are two teams out there – Team ‘every use’ and Team ‘whenever I feel like it’. Whichever camp you associate yourself with is none of our business, but what we will tell you is that there’s a happy medium between both of those.
To touch on the facts, our makeup brushes are home to tonnes of leftover makeup, dirt, and oil and so it’s essential that we keep them clean to avoid upsetting our skin. Dirty brushes can result in skin conditions such as acne and rashes. To avoid irritating your skin, keeping them clean is essential. Plus it’s important to keep them in good shape as it helps the brushes to last longer too.
So how often should we be cleaning them? According to many makeup experts, we should be both cleaning and washing our tools pretty regularly. Yes, cleaning and washing are two separate things.
Cleaning generally involves giving them a quick wipe down with a wet wipe or applying a spray cleaning solution onto them. It’s recommended we do this at least once a week, of if you want to keep your brushes in tip-top shape you can do this quickly after every use.
Giving your brushes a good wash is the important part. This involves warm water and a gel makeup cleanser or gentle shampoo. It’s recommended that this is done around once a month, adjusting slightly depending on how much or little you use your brushes.
Now you’re armed with all the information you need, if you’re looking for a How-To on giving your brushes the best wash of their lives, check out our post here.