Cleaning Brushes and Makeup Sponges – How To

Cleaning Brushes and Makeup Sponges – How To

So, we’re all washing our hands more often than ever and even making sure to clean down our work surfaces at home – but what of our make up brushes and sponges that we use on our face every day?
Maybe we’re wearing less makeup than we would have before this new “normal” but that’s all the more reason to make sure that your brushes and sponges are not sitting gathering bacteria before you use them again.

Cleaning your brushes regularly and with an anti-bacterial brush cleaner is essential. Here are a few simple tips as to how to deep clean your brushes and makeup sponges:

• Swirl your brushes under warm water and then gently rub the bristles on the surface of the cleaner.
• Rub the bristles into the palm of your hand to remove dirt, makeup grime and bacteria and then rinse away the soap with warm water by swirling gently under the running tap.
• Reshape the brush in your hand, dry the handles and around the metal part of the brush, and place onto a dry towel or even a paper towel works well, to allow the bristles to dry while flat – sitting the bristles off the edge of the counter will ensure they keep their natural shape and won’t be flattened by the counter surface.
• If there are any stubborn stains – perhaps it’s been a while since the brush was cleaned and you had some vibrant shades or long-wear makeup – a little tip is to swirl some coconut oil onto the bristles before cleaning in the usual way. This can help lift some stubborn stains.

• If you are using a cheap sponge, you can dispose of them and replace them regularly, but if you are using a more professional sponge such as a beautyblender, you should always wash thoroughly after each use.
• Wash your sponge by applying a 10c coin-sized amount of liquid blender cleanser to your palm and rubbing into the sponge surface before rinsing well under warm running water.
• Squeeze the sponge and rinse again until the water runs clear of soap.
• Alternatively, Pop the blender into a cup-sized container with a dollop of liquid blender cleanser and leave to soak overnight. If you don’t have liquid blender cleanser, a gentle shampoo will do the trick too.
• The next day rinse out the sponge thoroughly, rinsing and squeezing repeatedly until the water runs clear of any soap.
• Squeeze the sponge in a paper towel and allow to air dry.
• Using a ventilated container such as a blender defender to store your sponges can also help keep them clean between uses.