You may double cleanse your skin, but how often are you cleaning your makeup brushes?

As a makeup artist it is part of my routine to clean brushes after each use. If a facial client at Rescue wants a makeup touch up, the last thing I would ever want to do is dust a freshly exfoliated face with a dirty brush. Squeaky clean tools are critical! At home I do my best to scrub my brushes often but don’t always keep quite as strict of a routine. Often when I feel my skin is looking a little lackluster, I know my brushes are due for a deep cleanse.
Cleaning removes dust, oil, dead skin, makeup pigment, and germs from your brushes. It is important for your skin that you wash your tools regularly. Once a week is a great goal if after each use is not an option. Any brush that you use with moist products like foundation, lip color or gel eyeliner must be cleaned more frequently than powder or shadow brushes (bacteria likes moisture). Also, brushes caked with products like foundation or concealer simply won’t perform as well during application.
There are some great brush cleaners on the market, but luckily there are a few things you already have at home that can do the trick.

• Dish Soap – It removes oil and debris from your dinnerware and will do the same for your brushes. You can always find a great natural or organic version too! This is actually my favorite thing to wash brushes with. I use a professional brush cleaner in my kit, but I still like to rinse away any residue with dish soap. It’s like a double cleanse for brushes!
• Clarifying Shampoo – It removes product build up and residue in your hair and will do the same for your brush bristles. This type of shampoo typically isn’t meant to be used as a daily shampoo so it could be a great way to make use of excess product. Keeping your makeup brushes in the bathroom and close to the shampoo makes a quick brush bubble bath a little easier too.
• Baby Shampoo – these shampoos are pretty mild so brushes may not get squeaky clean (i.e. they may retain some stains and residue) but you can at least rinse away a good bit of dirt and debris.

Just like washing your face, keep your water temperature warm enough to help rinse away cleanser but never hot. Hot water can break down the adhesive that hold the bristles together in the brush. If residue is super caked you can add a few drops of oil (jojoba or olive is great) to your brush shampoo. Finally, always lay brushes flat on towel to dry.
Well cared for brushes can last for years. Make cleaning your brushes part of your skincare ritual and you will love how beautiful your skin looks with and without makeup.
Rescue Spa Makeup Artist, April Read