3 Key Reasons Why Cleaning Your Makeup Brushes Is So Important

1. Dirty makeup brushes can wreak havoc with your skin and can cause much more damage than just a simple breakout or skin irritation. Daily use accumulates sebum, impurities, pollution, dust, product buildup and dead skin cells that can include harmful bacteria like staphylococcus, streptococcus and E. Coli.

I find that brushes for powder products clean easier than those used for cream products, ie. foundation.  I usually wash my foundation brush every 2-3 days as it's so much quicker and easier to keep it clean - and I don't get all the product buildup in the process.

2. Want that Flawless Finish?  You can have the best makeup brushes in the world, but if they're dirty and full of product buildup you will not get the results you want.  Not cleaning your makeup kit regularly affects the quality of your makeup application and blending products. Meanwhile, taking care of your brushes helps with a more flawless application of makeup products. Product buildup can affect the shape of the brush as well as its ability to pick up and lay down pigment, as well as being able to blend properly.

3. An investment in makeup brushes is like investing in a really good set of kitchen knives for cooking, or paint brushes if you’re an artist.  Taking care of your tools will help to make them last longer and protect your investment while you keep getting good results. 

Mistakes To Avoid When Cleaning Your Makeup Brushes

1. Submerging and / or soaking in water. Soaking the handles will damage and dissolve the glue used between the bristles and the brush handle and lead to brush shedding.

2. Using very hot or boiling water. This could also affect the bonding between bristles and the handle and cause shedding. Lukewarm water is best.

3. Drying incorrectly. Lay your brushes flat over the sink, or at a downward angle - or if you can hand them up with the brush heads pointing downwards. Avoid hot hair dryers and give yourself enough time for your brushes to be dry the next day. The bigger brushes especially don’t always dry overnight when the temperatures are cooler.

4. Not having a regular routine to clean your makeup brushes.  Cleaning your brushes should happen at least weekly, with your main face brushes ideally every 3-4 days.  When you're cleaning regularly your brushes will be much easier and quicker to clean too.