Brush Care 101

Makeup brushes can develop a lot of dirt and bacteria, but regular care and cleansing of your makeup brushes can keep them and your face clean and healthy. Keeping your brushes in good condition by washing them regularly will provide you with brushes that will last longer without the need to replace them. Here are some tips on how to clean your makeup brushes.

1. First, wet the hairs under the faucet with warm water with the brush hairs pointing downward – this will help prevent any water from getting into the ferrule (metal part) or down into the handle for brushes that don’t have ferrules.

2. Next you want to use a mild shampoo or liquid hand soap. Squirt a little soap on your fingers and apply it to the hairs from the ferrule (base) to the tip. Gently squeeze the hairs from ferrule to hair tips over and over while adding a little water at a time. Rinse and repeat until the water runs clear. When rinsing, make sure you keep the brush hairs pointing downward.

3. After you have thoroughly cleaned your brush, gently brush them on a clean paper towel and lay them to dry on their side on a paper towel or a regular towel. At this point, it’s a good idea to reshape the brush to prevent splaying. Lay kabuki brushes and any other stand-up brush on their side. Never let them dry with brush hairs up in a brush holder. The water can run down into the ferrule and over time will break down the glue holding the brush together.

4. Lastly, let brushes dry completely before using. Dry time will vary, depending on size and brush density.