5 UNCONVENTIONAL HOUSEHOLD ITEMS THAT I USE TO KEEP MY MAKEUP BRUSHES SQUEAKY CLEAN

I’ll be the first person to admit that makeup is an essential part of my life. Over the years of being a beauty consultant and just a beauty enthusiast in general, makeup has become a non-guilty pleasure for me. In addition to just being generally obsessed with makeup, I’ve become obsessed with practicing safe practices when it comes to makeup including washing my makeup brushes every other day.

When I first started getting into makeup, I didn’t quite understand the importance of washing brushes. Now that I think about it, it never really crossed my mind to wash brushes as often as I do now. I thought since I was the only one using my brushes that I wouldn’t put my skin at risk from using my own unwashed brushes until the bristles fell off.

And I was completely wrong!

After 9 years in the cosmetic industry and 100’s of training sessions, I understood why keeping my own brushes at home clean is just important as cleaning my professional tools. I now make sure my brushes are washed at least once a week.

Whether synthetic or natural fibers, makeup brushes hold many things that can be very detrimental to the health of your skin such as dirt and debris, oil, bacteria, dead skin cells and old makeup. Though I dread wash day for my makeup brushes just as much (or even more) than wash day for my natural hair, my canvas will not be destroyed due to my laziness.

Aside from mustering up the energy to wash my brushes, I’ve also struggled with what to wash them with. I’ve bought one too many expensive luxury brush “cleaners” that have not quite done the job so out of pure curiosity, I’ve resorted to things around my house. To no surprise, the things that I have trusted for years for other uses really did the trick for effortlessly getting my brushes squeaky clean for a fraction of the price.

Here are some of my favorite household items to wash my brushes with that you may be ale to find in your own home.

Cheap Clarifying Conditioner

Cheap clarifying conditioners such as V05 have been a personal favorite of mine to co-wash my hair with.  Though it’s meant to “clarify” the hair of dirt and oil and such it also doesn’t strip the hair and make it brittle. The same goes for makeup brushes, specifically natural fiber brushes. Your brushes will feel really clean, soft and smell lovely.

Olive Oil

Though olive oil isn’t the cheapest oil in world, it works wonders for a deeper clean of brushes. Specifically, I love using olive oil to clean stubborn synthetic brushes such as foundation brushes. The oil breaks up the makeup really well but I still follow up with a soap just to get rid of the oil residue. Better safe than sorry.


Hand Soap

I’m one of those people who wash their hands a lot and they also work wonders to clean makeup brushes. They don’t get super sudsy where it hard to remove the soap and as with the other household items here, it’s mild enough to wash your brushes without damaging them.

Mild Baby Shampoo

My philosophy is “if it can be used on a baby, it can’t be but so harmful” and it surely checks out when it comes to using it on makeup brushes. It breaks down the makeup very well and with very little effort.

Dish Detergent

This one may alarm you but it honestly is one of my faves. The reason why I even decided to try it is because dish detergent breaks down all sorts of grease, grit and grime on our dishes, so how could it not do the same for makeup brushes? If you’re concerned that you’d break out from using brushes washed with dish washing detergent, I can tell you from my own experience that is probably the least of your worries.

These unconventional items have worked wonders for me.  Why go out and spend money that you don’t really need to when you have things right in the house that will clean your brushes just as well for a fraction of the price?

What are some “unconventional” household items that you use to get your makeup brushes clean, please share .

6 REASONS TO WASH YOUR MAKEUP BRUSHES TODAY

Below are compelling reason for you to wash your makeup brushes right now:

1.  Break You Out

If you skip the rest of the article, hear this: dirty makeup brushes are giving you acne. If you think foundation is ruining your skin, it could be your routine and not the product itself. Wipe off the lid after each use and clean those brushes. Even if your skin is “clean,” your brushes are still collecting oil, dust, dead skin, and fallout from greasy hair products you spray around your mirror. Do not save it up in your brushes unless you enjoy wiping a concentrated mess of filth all over your T-zone.

2. Terrible Color Payoff

To get naturally blended eye shadow or dramatic looks like a cut crease, you need a precise application that you cannot get with a dirty brush. Keep eye shadow brushes clean and dry so you know exactly what colors you’re putting on your face.

3. Breeding Ground for Germs

Let’s say you don’t wash your brush, allowing it to accumulate bacteria, dust, and dirt. Then, you swirl it in your expensive face powder or gel eyeliner, transferring all that grime into your beloved products. Gels and creams are wet environments where germs can multiply, just waiting for you to feed them again with a dirty brush. It’s like swapping an infection back and forth with your partner. Products that should last six months or a year can go off and spoil, and the circle of acne continues.

4. Causes Skin Irritation

Bristles that are caked with dust and product can dry out and become brittle, making them more abrasive to your skin. Cleaning your brushes regularly keeps natural and synthetic fibers soft and supple. It’s your face, people. You want a cloud, not a Brillo pad.

5. Dirty Brushes Give You Herpes and Pinkeye

Herpes loves a moist environment. And the whole point of lipgloss is to be wet and wild forever and ever amen. Share your curling iron or wifi password, but Do NOT share your lip or eye brushes.

6. Ruin Your Investment

Cleaning your brushes keeps them in good shape and prolongs their life. Decent brushes often cost as much or more than cosmetics, so it’s worth the ten minutes you’ll spend cleaning them to keep them looking nice for years.

Stay tuned next week for a quick and easy lesson on how to clean your filthy, filthy face brushes.

Elastic bands: The nature of elastic bands is to grip the hair tightly so it will stay in place, but that gripping cuts into the hair shaft and causes fraying. If you wear your hair in a ponytail every day, you might notice breakage near where you put the elastic band. Minimize damage by using thick, fabric-coated bands (never use rubbery elastics!) and give your ponytail a break, or consider a shorter haircut. - See more at: http://beautysage.com/articles/what-s-your-hair-damage#sthash.aQeGf9oJ.dpuf