cleaning your makeup brushes

[Shark Bacon]

Right, this sounds totally stupid. But it didn't occur to me until, like, last week that I should clean my makeup brushes. Gross, right? I've been using the same foundation brush for almost a year sweatdrop

Anyway, so I looked it up, and one site said to use shampoo, which seemed reasonable enough. And I figured it would be like cleaning my paint brushes (don't get the glue wet, use warm water, not hot, you know, that kind of stuff).

The question I've got... My foundation brush feels kind of... gunky? And I'm not sure if that's soap residue I'm having trouble getting out, or just makeup, still? I'm letting it dry overnight, because I'm not sure if the gunky feeling is maybe just moisture still...

What's up with that?

You should have seen how gross it was, guys. Like, I may just go buy a new brush. Gag.

Also, how would you go about cleaning a sponge type tool? What about an eyebrow combing brush (which got surprisingly more gross than I would have thought...)?

And how often do you clean your makeup items?

[Jagger-Wolf]

Use regular dish soap, for it's grease-cutting powers, and a bit of olive oil mixed in, to nourish the bristles.

Wet the brushes with warm water, dip in soap and oil, swirl on your palm to gently but surely work everything out, rinse with more warm water, then store bristles-down to dry (hanging them is best).

Ideally, brushes should be cleaned once a week.

[this rainbow lover]

I use the same method Jagger posted above. It works fantastic for getting everything out.

If the water isn't running clean, the brush is still dirty.

If your brush is feeling gross, I would suggest buying a new one and clean it as often as you can manage.

[Lilac Latte]

Jagger-Wolf

this rainbow lover

What these two said.

Also, it may be wise to just go ahead and buy a new brush.

[Shark Bacon]

Lilac Latte

Jagger-Wolf

this rainbow lover

What these two said.

Also, it may be wise to just go ahead and buy a new brush.

Yeah, it's dried now, and still feels kind of gross. I'm going to try to wash it again the way they said, but if it's still no good, then I'll just buy a new one. They're like eight bucks at Walmart, so no biggie.

Got any ideas on sponge tools?

[Lilac Latte]

Shark Bacon

Got any ideas on sponge tools?

I'm assuming you mean beauty blenders/makeup sponges.

In that case Dish soap + Olive Oil will do the trick. Just put a little of both in your palm and start running the blender through it. Make sure to massage the sponge with the mixture, and you'll start to see the makeup slipping off. Rinse and repeat as needed, pat dry, and your done.

[Shark Bacon]

Lilac Latte

Shark Bacon

Got any ideas on sponge tools?

I'm assuming you mean beauty blenders/makeup sponges.

In that case Dish soap + Olive Oil will do the trick. Just put a little of both in your palm and start running the blender through it. Make sure to massage the sponge with the mixture, and you'll start to see the makeup slipping off. Rinse and repeat as needed, pat dry, and your done.

Sort of... except not really one of the egg shaped ones. It has a stick on it? It's really hard to clean. That one, I've actually tried to clean every time I use it, but I just feel like it doesn't really get clean.

this brush. it says to just wash it, but that just doesn't seem to work.

[Foxydoe]

I don't wear makeup anymore, but when I did I used this on my brushes like, once a week. I never used a foundation brush, but it did great at keeping my eyeshadow & eyeliner brushes clean & in good condition emotion_c8

[Kaielyn]

Shampoo is because many brushes are made with natural animal hairs. It's also basically fine for skin.

I'd try the dish soap until they're cleaned out though.

[Lilac Latte]

Shark Bacon

Oooooh okay, so you have a foam applicator. In that case you still use the dish soap + olive oil method, but you rinse it like a make-up brush. I.e, downward so that none of the moisture seeps into the brush handle. Also dry while hanging/aimed downwards.

It should work. If not then you probably need to buy a new one and just maintain that one.

[Yui Ichijo]

I just use plain old dish soap on my brushes. I wash my powder brush every time before I use it. You don't have to do it every time like me but it's just a preference of mine. My eyeshadow brush gets washed every now and then because I don't use it often. My eyeliner brush could never get clean, though. I ended up just buying a new one when all of the gunk just wouldn't wash out.

[Exotic Tea]

// long post here since I love makeup more than most people!

More than likely you didn't clean it well enough. If its been more than a year (/dies inside) then I would suggest you wash that thing 3 or 4 times with equal parts dawn dish soap (the blue original kind), rubbing alcohol, water, and if you want to add a few drops of olive oil. I am a makeup fanatic and I've used this solution for years with no harm done to my brushes.

For a sponge like the beauty blender or any dupes, I've found the best way is to clean them with a bar of soap. Something about the pressure of rubbing the sponge tool on a bar of soap vs liquid is amazing. Eyebrow coming brush you can spray down with equal parts rubbing alcohol and water every few times, or just wash it with some soap.

I have multiple face brushes so I use a different one every time I wear powder or liquid foundation. If you only have one, I recommend deep washing ( the soap solution) once a week. ALSO with that wipe it off with equal parts rubbing alcohol and water after every use. This is a sure way to clean it quickly until the end of the week.

[DivineHate]

I use baby shampoo. Seems little less harsh. But I feel like my Sigma brushes are getting kinda dry though.

[Laili]

Your brush may or may not be salvageable. I would recommend replacing it.

I use a spray on brush cleaner daily after using my brushes (and then wiping them with a tissue) and once a week, I go through and clean them with a brush shampoo. I either lay them at an angle (I use another unused brush to elevate) and dry or I use my brush guards and dry them upside with in a cup with the guards on (with about 1/2 inch space to maintain bristle shape).

I like the E.L.F Brush Shampoo. It's $3 and contains ingredients that help clean and maintain the bristles. A mix of anti-bacterial dish soap and olive oil work too if you are on a tight budget.

Here's a video showing you how to clean your makeup sponge. This is pretty handy to get the technique at least:

[Zombie Conspiracy]

I usually brush mine off once in a while with one of those makeup remover napkins.

Then maybe a few times a year I'll soak them in a brush cleaner or in shampoo/conditioner.