Why should you clean your make-up brushes?
If you forget to clean your make-up brushes and sponges or just be lazy from time to time like all of us, you are in the right place for some skincare-routine lessons! Gals, it’s time to clean properly and regularly our make-up brushes as we are talking about the most important part of us, our face! Why? Because dirty makeup brushes can really ruin our skin! How? It’s simple! If you don’t wash your tools enough, you are just spreading dirt and germs from your face, into your makeup, and back to your face again, ending up to clog up your pores, irritate your skin as well as aggravate acne. You could even get a staph infection as makeup brushes can accumulate dirt oil, dead skin cells, including fungus, e Coli, staphylococcus, streptococcus, and other viruses. Keep in mind that microbes multiply in wet environments, like your gel liners and cream blushes. Thus, try to not leave moisture on them, because moisture will further contaminate them, perpetuating the cycle of bacteria. The worst-case scenario is herpes and pink eye; Needless to say, avoid sharing cosmetics including lip, and eye brushes. Instead, keep them clean and to yourself! In case you are not afraid of skin infections, remember that your make up will look muddy because, think, if they’re already caked up with yesterday’s makeup, how can they apply today’s properly? So if you don’t want to work harder smoothing out your makeup for an extra 20 minutes and spending double products, give your brushes a bath now:
How to wash them:
- Use warm water; Take a little soap in your palm of your clean hand and gently massage the tips of the bristles in your palm. We suggest you use your hair shampoo so as to keep your brushes soft and supple like your hair and not to feel like you’re scraping your face when you apply your makeup. Alternatively, you may use hand or face shampoo.
- Attention! While you are cleaning your brush in your hand palm, hold it vertically. There is no need to wash it all, just the part that touches your face. In this way, you don’t let water to penetrate into the base of the brush, cause if it happens, the hairs may fall down, due to dampness retention, and the wooden part will start to inflate.
- When you clean them, re-form the brush head back into its original shape with a clean towel.
How to dry them:
The best way is to hang your brushes upside down, to avoid the risk of water pooling near the glue. If you don’t have the special brush holders that allow you to insert each brush in its own howl upside down, the so-called “brush tree” there is a way to create your own: Hang your brushes in a hanger and tie them using your hair ties. In this way, your make-up tools don’t rest on a damp surface and thus you make sure that air circulates around each side. Obviously, it helps the bristles not to acquire bacteria as well as dry faster. Never let your brushes dry on a towel! If you do so, make sure that bristles don’t touch the towel.
How often should you clean them?
Clean your brushes every time you use them. When we say every time, we mean EVERY TIME! Legendary makeup artist Bobbi Brown says, the cleaner the brushes are the better for your face. Most dermatologists suggest cleaning your tools, especially foundation and concealer brushes, once a week at least! Ok, face powder is not a big problem, but liquid products and creams should be strictly removed from brushes as there is a high risk for a source of microbes. Remember, brushes that touch eyes and lips must be washed immediately. Frequent cleansings can extend the life of your beauty tools, keeping your face safe and clean at the same time. At the end of the day, brushes cost money so don’t throw your money down the drain.
Helpful Tips:
- Brushes that touch other faces must be strictly disinfected after EACH use, especially in case of acne.
- Avoid using alcohol as a sanitizer, because it destroys animal hairs and doesn’t disinfect synthetic fibers enough.
- Synthetic bristles or not, hair conditioner is here for you if you want your beauty tools be smooth like velvet when they “kiss” your precious face.
- Choose to clean the wooden part of the brush with antibacterial tissues, instead of water.
- If you are not at home you can use baby wipes in combination with some special cleaning liquid products that you can find in beauty stores.
We are waiting for your smart tips on the comments below ♥
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