Your brushes are the backbone of your beauty kit. After all, you have brushes to thank for flawless foundation application that has you looking more and more like Beyoncé everyday. So, let’s talk keeping these sacred tools clean. Think of brush cleaning as an essential part of your beauty routine. “Buildup of dirt and oils on your makeup brushes can cause acne breakouts and possibly rashes called dermatitis,” warns Cristina Monaco, Certified Physician Assistant of Schweiger Dermatology Group in New York.
We talked to Monaco and makeup artist Ashleigh B. Ciucci to find out all the best tips and tricks for removing residual makeup, dirt, and oils from your precious tools.
You should be cleaning your brushes weekly
Remember the gross residual makeup, dirt, and oil we just talked about? That disappears after a good brush cleaning. If you’re a makeup artist or just someone who wears a significant amount of makeup regularly, Monaco suggests brush cleaning after each use.
For face brushes like foundation, concealer, or powder, you should be cleaning them once a week,” says Ciucci.”For eye brushes or brushes that you’re using for different shades, clean in between uses.”
But you should be washing your brushes monthly
“So there’s CLEANING your brushes and there’s WASHING your brushes,” explains Cuicci. The cleaning should be done weekly, as mentioned above, and washing should be done once a month with a gentle soap.