How to clean your makeup brushes

BY CHELSEA SIMMONS

Why clean your makeup brushes? There are three big reasons for doing so.

1. Cleaning your makeup brushes improves performance.
2. Cleaning your makeup brushes prevents bacteria, oil buildup and transfer.
3. Cleaning them will extend the life of your makeup brushes.Brushes are a big investment, so we should be doing our best to protect them.

Optimally, we should wash our brushes once a week; I think I speak for most of us when I say that usually doesn’t happen. A realistic goal is to wash your brushes at least once a month. Here are the steps of how to clean your makeup brushes.

How to Clean Your Brushes

1. Use warm water to saturate the brush hairs only. Be sure not to soak your brush as this will ruin it.
2. Place a pea-sized amount of any mild shampoo, into the palm of your hand and massage the cleanser into the hair. Do this until the cleanser has been completely dispersed among the brush hairs.
3. Rinse the brush thoroughly until the water runs clear.
4. Repeat as necessary.
5. Create a ring with your index finger and thumb and pull the brush through the fingers while applying gentle pressure to remove excess water and maintain the brushes shape.
6. Place on a towel and lay flat to dry. Never dry your brush in an upright position as this will loosen the glue that binds the brushes and lead to hair loss.

Never place your brushes in a sterilizer because it will permanently damage them. jane iredale also has a Botanical Brush Cleaner available to protect and sanitize your brushes. You can use it to instantly remove makeup from your brushes. Spritz a tissue with the Botanical Brush Cleaner and gently clean your brushes in a back and forth motion to remove all the excess makeup.

Botanical Brush Cleaner $20.00