How To Clean Your Makeup Brushes Like A Professional Makeup Artist!

Nicole and Bianca CuteDIYprojects Blogger

Cleaning your makeup brushes on a regular basis is essential, as not only do they get clogged with residual makeup (which makes them less efficient), but bacteria also starts to grow on the strains of the brush. Generally speaking, a professional makeup artist cleans the brushes after each use, but you can clean yours once every two weeks or even more, depending on how often you use them. If you want to know how to clean your makeup brushes, then you are in the right place – here is how to do it like a true professional!

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How To Clean Your Makeup Brushes Like A Professional Makeup Artist!
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Method 1: Use A Basic Soap Bar

One of the most common mistakes women tend to make when cleaning their makeup brushes is that they invest heavily in high-end cleaning products. Truth be told, you can easily clean and disinfect your makeup brushes with a simple bar of soap!

All you have to do is to choose a plain soap that comes with no added lotions or scents, get the bar wet and simply start swirling the tips of your makeup brushes on the surface of the soap, using gentle circular motions. It is important never to swirl them violently, as this can damage the bristles – and we all know just how important it is for the bristles to stay intact in the long run!

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Once you are done cleaning the brushes, simple rinse them in a stream of lukewarm water and then lay them flat, to dry. Although you might be tempted to use very hot water, thinking that this will remove all the soap residue and the reminiscent makeup, you must never use hot water as this will irreversibly damage the brushes. Instead, use lukewarm water and make sure to always reshape the bristles, if your makeup brush have special shape.

Never use a hair dryer to speed up the process – as convenient as dryers are, they can also damage the brushes. Be patient and allow them to dry on their own!

Method 2: Use Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Perfect For Makeup Brushes Made With Natural Hair – This is a lesser known trick amongst amateur makeup fans, but professional makeup artists have been using it for decades! All you have to do is to pour a tablespoon of high quality, extra virgin olive oil on a clean sponge, then add some soap to the entire mixture and gently swirl the brushes on the surface of the sponge, until all the residue has moves from the brush to the sponge.

Make sure to repeat the process until the brushes are 100% clean, and there is no trace of makeup left on them – once you are done, simply lay the brushes flat and allow them to dry.

The reason why the olive oil is so important in the equation is because it has been used for centuries for its nourishing and hydrating properties – this is why it is a commonly added ingredient to most hair care products! Having said that, the oil can nourish the natural hair fibers present in the makeup brush.

Step 1: Gather All The Necessary Supplies

How To Clean Your Makeup Brushes Like A Professional Makeup Artist!
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The first thing that you need to do is to make sure that you have everything it takes to clean your makeup brushes: You will need one fresh towel, some lukewarm water as well as the Brush Cleaning Soap from Amazon

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 or the Make Up Store. This soap is designed for makeup artists, but you can easily use it in the privacy of your own home: it has all the necessary ingredients to thoroughly clean and disinfect your brushes.

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How To Clean Your Makeup Brushes Like A Professional Makeup Artist!
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The Bobbi Brown Conditioning Brush Cleanser

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 is yet another great choice, but it is quite an expensive product – fortunately, there are many other cheaper alternatives.

However, if you do not want to invest in professional products or there is no Make Up Store shop around you, then you can easily use an alternative: you can try the Antibacterial Palmolive Softwash

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. Cheaper but equally efficient, this product is specifically formulated to kill all bacteria present on the surface of the brushes.

Step 2: Remember The “Golden Rule Of Brush Cleaning”

How To Clean Your Makeup Brushes Like A Professional Makeup Artist!
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The thumb rule you must remember if you want to clean your brushes at home is never to let water pass the silvery metal sign located on the brush, as that will quickly weaken the entire structure of the brush. If the water weakens the glue used for keeping all the bristles together, you will end up with a useless brush.

Make sure never to turn your brushes up vertically – they must be facing downwards at all times, otherwise all the water will drip towards the gluey part of the brush and it will damage your bristles.

How To Clean Your Makeup Brushes Like A Professional Makeup Artist!
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Make sure always to use lukewarm water – easily submerge the head of the brush in the water. Once the head of the brush is completely saturated with water, thoroughly swirl it on the soap until the soap bubbles become colored.

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When that happens, the makeup gets transferred from the brush to the soap – keep doing so until the bubbles are clear. Another simple technique you can use is to add a bit of soap in your palm and to simply swirl the brush there, as the bumpy surface of your palm will create more friction against the brush.

Step 3: Rinse The Brush And Let It Dry On Its Own

Once you are done, rinse off both the head of the brush and your hand. Now that the brush is entirely clean, make sure to carefully squeeze out all the excess water and then to gently dry the brush against the fresh, dried towel.

How To Clean Your Makeup Brushes Like A Professional Makeup Artist!
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Place the brush on the side of the towel and let it dry naturally – make sure the brush retains its natural shape, as it is essential for it to dry the right way.

How To Clean Your Makeup Brushes Like A Professional Makeup Artist!
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You can also bring the towel close to the wall and then place the brushes onto the towel, head-down, while using the wall to keep the brushes in a vertical position. It is very important never to lay the brushes flat against a hard surface, like a counter, as they are likely to retain the shape of the counter.

Check out this Video tutorial below:

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(via Lauren Curtis VLOGS)

Read about more Beauty Tips and Amazing Life Hacks.

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