To keep your brushes and skin clean and in good condition, routinely wash them to remove oil and dirt that may be hiding deep within the bristles.

As a general principle, wash your makeup brushes often. You should at least carve out 30 minutes every other week to clean your brushes, especially if you start noticing the makeup pigment color staining your brushes. 

You’ll need the following cleaning materials:

• Neutral liquid soap
• Kitchen detergent
• Textured rubber surface
• Towel

Separate your brushes according to how they need to be cleaned. Start preparing your cleaning station.

Individually soak your brush bristles using cold water.

Use a PH-neutral liquid soap and lather it into your powder brush.

Then take your brush and spin it in a spiral motion gently against a clean, grooved or textured surface. You can also use your hand to swirl your brush on if you don’t have a rubber glove or a rubber-grooved surface. Thoroughly clean in and around the bristles to ensure dirt or oil are rinsed.

Rinse your brush until the bristles’ color has returned to its original color and all the powder has washed away. If the powdery color hasn’t completely rinsed out, repeat the process by cleaning with soap and thoroughly rinsing your brush.

If the powdery pigment is still in the water or brush, repeat the process of cleaning with soap and rinsing until the water is clear.

For the synthetic brushes used in cream-based products, wash with a degreaser dish detergent soap like Dawn to break down oils and remove emollients from the brush.

Use the same cleaning techniques as before. Swirl the brush gently against a rubber grooved surface or glove.

Repeat the steps if necessary. When the soap suds and foam are white with no traces of pigment, the brushes are clean and ready for a rinse.

Reshape all brushes while wet and clean and dry handles to prevent the water from warping and damaging the wood.

Ideally, you will hang your makeup brushes vertically on a brush stand or propped against the rubber mat with the bristles gently resting on a towel to dry. Rotate your brushes to prevent them from losing their shape. There should be no pressure on the bristles against the towel. You can also lay them on top of a rubber mat. 

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