Caring for Your Makeup Brushes

In order to achieve that smooth, beautiful look that you want, you need to take care of the products that you invest in. One of the products that you use on a routine basis and will need to take care of are your brushes. Not only are these products relatively expensive, but they also get dirty pretty quickly and can become a health hazard if you let them go for too long without cleaning.

At Beauty It Is, we have a giant selection of beauty products and cosmetic accessories, so we absolutely know how important it is to take care of them and how best to do so. Today we are going to cover a few care tips that you can incorporate with your makeup brushes.

Know Your Brush

One of the most important things that you’re going to have to do is determine what kind of brushes that you have. While they are all used for cosmetics, each brush that you have is going to have a different purpose, be used for a different texture or consistency of product, which in turn requires it to be cleaned differently.

In order to make sure that these brushes last as long as possible, we suggest the following routines.

Set a Routine

Each type of brush is going to require a certain type of care regimen, but you’re going to need to know what that care regimen is in order for your brushes to have a long lasting life. When you do determine which brushes need to be cleaned, and how often, you can start to set a routine or schedule out a time to get all of them taken care of at once.

Doing so will make sure that all of your brushes are looking great and are free from any bacteria or grime that could collect in them. Below are some of the different types of brushes that you may have and how to care for them.

CARE TIPS FOR YOUR VARIOUS BRUSHES

Not every brush is going to be cared for the same way. As we mentioned before, it's incredibly important to note what kind of brush you have and what it's used with so that you can clean it with the technique that will leave it with the best results.

Natural Bristle Brushes

For the brushes that you use with your bronzer, powder, and blush, you are going to want to wash them at least once a week. You don’t need to do any more than once a week, but the process is going to be one that helps make your brushes last longer and the results they provide you with look better.

You’re going to use a moisturizing white bar soap to clean them. Rinse the brushes in some clean water and then swirl the brush into the soap. This will lather the brushes up. After that, massage the brush to make sure that you’ve cleaned the entire brush and not just the tips of it. Rinse the brush until the water is clear.

Synthetic Bristle Brushes

If you’ve purchased synthetic bristle makeup brushes, then you are likely using them for creamy or liquid products. We’re talking lipstick, lip liner, lip gloss, a creamy blush or foundation, or some form of concealers. These types of brushes need to be cleaned a little bit more than your natural bristle brushes, simply because of the thickness of the products with which you’re using them.

These types of brushes should be cleaned every other day. The wetness of these products is one of the most common ways that bacteria and germs are created. There are a few different types of products that are designed specifically to be cleansers for these types of brushes. Each product is designed to help break down the oily and creamy product that these brushes are used for.

Powder Puff Brushes

When you use powder, you can count on using it a few times in order to achieve the look that you’re going for. These brushes especially are going to breed bacteria. Powder brushes should be cleaned every week, but they don’t require any special products to get the job done.

These brushes can be cleaned with some warm water and soap. The main reason that there isn’t any in-depth care plan for these types of brushes is that they aren’t expected to last long in the first place. If you wind up cleaning the brush for quite a few weeks and you notice that it starts to break down, just go buy a new powder puff and you’ll be set.

DRYING BRUSHES

While the way that you wash your brushes is going to be important for the lives that they have, the way that you dry them is equally as important. You’re going to want to start with a clean, dry towel. Gently wrap the towel around the wet bristles of the crush and squeeze it.

One of the biggest mistakes that people make when cleaning their brushes is setting them in a cup. While this seems like a logical way to go about washing them, this technique actually gets the glue of the brushes wet and can ruin the brushes. Rather, lay your clean brushes out on a towel. Do this and put the wet bristles over the edge of the surface so that they aren’t entirely flat. This allows for any water amounts to drip off without ruining the glue, but will also help maintain the shape of your brush.

Once you’ve done this, let your brushes sit for a while so that they can fully dry. It’s always great to do these in places that are warm and airy, but not directly in the sunlight. When you place brushes directly in the sunlight or in your bathroom, there’s a chance you may now have a brush that has a funny smell or isn’t fully dry. Think of the way that your clothes smell when you leave them in a dryer.

Make sure that before you use your brushes again, that they are entirely dry. If you use them while they’re still wet there’s a chance that you’ll damage the brush but also that you will pass on germs from your brush to your skin, which is a bigger issue to deal with.

If you’re in need of new brushes, you can find them here at Beauty It Is. Browse all of our cosmetic accessories on our online makeup store and ensure that you have everything you need and more in the comfort of your bathroom. Browse our online selection and place your order today!