You can have a great skincare routine, but did you know you can undo all your diligent work with grimy makeup brushes? Makeup brushes pick up all sorts of dust whilst they’re sitting on your dressing table, as well as all the dead skin cells from your face and neck, oils, bacteria and old makeup you didn’t quite catch when you washed your face. This all builds up and breeds all kinds of germs, which you then transfer back to your face when you do your makeup the next day. Cleaning your makeup brushes keeps them hygienic as well as soft and gentle on your skin. Your makeup will go on better and the brushes won’t feel as scratchy if you keep them clean and supple.
When you decide to clean your brushes, make sure you’re not in a rush to use them, as they need to dry properly before any makeup goes on them especially foundation. At night is best as they will have all night to dry while you sleep. You’ll need some mild soap, preferably a baby soap, as well as baby shampoo, olive oil and hair conditioner. For big soft fluffy brushes, lather the soap bar up with lukewarm water and then swirl the hairs of the brush around on the surface gently. Try your hardest not to get soap and water on the metal part or down the shaft as this cause rusting and eventually the hairs will fall out. Do the same with the smaller brushes, taking the same care, Make sure you don’t rinse with cold or hot water, only lukewarm.
If your brushes are really clogged with gel liner for example, a good swish around your palm with some olive oil should help loosen all the product, then manipulate the bristles gently with your fingers as you run the, under lukewarm water.
As an extra little luxurious finish, you can blob a 5p sized amount of conditioner in your palm and swirl the brushes around in it, again making sure you do this softly. Leave the conditioner resting for a few minutes then again rinse with warm water. Leave all of the brushes to dry preferably overnight and in the morning they will be silky and soft and perfect again.