HOW TO WASH YOUR MAKEUP BRUSHES

Hello all,

So my last post was all about the 411 with brushes, so I deemed it only necessary to talk about keeping those brushes clean and healthy. 

For me, washing brushes is essential but some may think it's a waste of time and they just can't be bothered! Which I totally understand but your brushes should be treated like children, and who wants their children to be dirty and carrying bacteria?! 

Washing your brushes at least once a fortnight, (a deep clean) especially brushes that you use for foundation as the bacteria will build up faster on them and transfer to your face when you use them, which can cause breakouts and all those things you don't want your skin like. However washing them also gets all the product off them so your blending can be perf and helps to maintain your brushes.

There are a few different ways you can wash your brushes, but my personal favourite is a good old deep clean. (the kind you do every couple of weeks) 

First of all the soap. I like to use baby shampoo because it's gentler than an ordinary shampoo and conditioner and it's cheaper! It makes your brushes smell amazing and feel so soft. It's also really cleansing and gets all the product out of your brushes. 

To really get deep into my brushes I use this Makeup revolution Pro Cleanse Brush Tool which makes it so much easier to really get your brushes clean because the texture means it gets in all parts of the bristles. (This ones only £4.99 and it's amazing) It just fits on your fingers and voila! Super easy to use. 

First things first - I put a good load of baby shampoo in a little bowl, as it stops me from getting too much on the brushes and gets just the right amount. Also it saves the product. I also fill a cup with water to dip the brushes into to dampen them. 

The hardest things in my opinion to wash are sponges. I first start off by wetting it like you usually would to use it and then dip it into the shampoo, making sure that it's fully coated.

Then squeeze the soap into the sponge until you can tell it's all in the sponge and the foundation will start to come out as you squeeze it. 

To get more out, I like to rub it on the back of the tool as its smooth and won't damage the surface of the sponge. This also gets the soap all in the sponge. Once the sponge surface looks clean and the water runs clear when you squeeze the sponge, run it under the water again to get all the soap out. 

The sponge may look slightly deformed but don't worry, it's just how the soap leaves it. It will go back to shape when it's dry. 

Brushes

For all brushes, the most important thing to remember is not to get water in the metal part of the brush, as shown in the picture. You don't want to get anything in the top or bottom of this part as thats where the glue is holding the bristles together and in shape, meaning if water gets in them, the glue will disintegrate and your brush will fall apart - so be very careful!

example using a real techniques buffing brush

When washing your brushes, you want to first of all damped the brush, by running it under lukewarm water and then dipping it into the soap. 

Then you want to swirl the brush on the cleansing tool so the soap bubbles up. You want to keep doing this and adding more soap until the water and bubbles run clear. A good way to check that your brush is fully clean is to get a little bit of soap on it, and if it bubbles up quickly then it's clean! 

You then want to squeeze the water out the brush to make it dry faster and fully ensure that all he soap is out. 

Finally you want to stand your brush at an angle so all the water drains off it. I like to put it near the window as well so it dries faster. You could also lye it off the edge of a counter like a lot of people do but i just prefer this way as I find it helps to keep the shape better. 

Another great way to wash your brushes is to use your hands! They're the best tools we were blessed with so why not use them?! Just do exactly the same thing as you would with a tool except swirl the brush around on your hand.

This is great if you don't have a tool or anything and it's super easy. It works just as good as a tool because your hand is naturally textured, and the gaps between your fingers are great for smaller brushes and across for a change of texture. However it is a bit harder to wash small detail brushes (e.g angled brow brushes, concealer and eyeliner brushes.)

Finally eyes. The top of the tool is especially good for eyes and detailed  brushes as the little bobbles are so close together it gets right in the hard to get to parts of the brushes. I especially love this for my little concealer brushes as it gets all the product off.
Also when washing smaller brushes, you want to make sure you get the sides as the product tends to stick there more.

For these smaller brushes, I think it's easier to do a few at a time. They all clean just as well it just saves time, soap and effort.

I hope this post was helpful and that these tips and tricks help you to keep your brushes clean and healthy! If you have any brush washing tips please let me know in the comments or any social media!

Thanks you for reading!

Fern :)