While this may seem like something you can do on occasion, that’s not exactly the case. We talked with professional makeup artist Jenny Patinkin and board-certified dermatologist Hadley King to get the inside scoop on how to clean your makeup brushes, what to use, and why it’s so important. Let’s get into it. Beyond the dangers to your skin, dirty brushes can prevent you from maximizing your makeup looks. “If too many oils and pigments build up on them, not only are they not going to give you a true color payoff, but they can also lose their flexibility, which means that they won’t move fluidly enough to smoothly and evenly blend your makeup,” Patinkin explained. Next, not just any shampoo will do. “Some simple shampoos will get the job done but might contain artificial fragrances that can be triggering to sensitive skin or detergents that are hard to fully rinse or that get rinsed into our waterways,” Patinkin explained. “Really rich shampoos can leave a coating on the surface of your brushes, which will weigh down the bristles and impact how your makeup blends.” As a rule of thumb, look for something specifically designed to clean your makeup brushes or an extra-gentle, fragrance-free soap or shampoo. Our top pick was created by Patinkin herself: The Luxury Vegan Makeup Brush Soap. “I developed my soap very specifically to be quick and efficient to use while also doing no harm to the planet. It gets your brushes clean very quickly and rinses away without the time and effort other soaps and cleansers require,” Patinkin said. Other great options include this Makeup Brush Cleansing Shampoo from EcoTools or this Baby Shampoo from Pipette. If you want to DIY your brush cleaner, you can make a wash out of olive oil, liquid Castile soap, and distilled white vinegar. Here’s a tutorial on how to create that blend if you’re interested. Once your brush is covered in soap, you’ll want to gently massage the bristles. You can place the brush on your palm and use your fingers to work the wash in. Rinse your brush and repeat until you stop seeing pigment coming from the bristles and your brush rinses clear. You should be storing your brushes in a dry, cool environment. “If you keep your tools in a warm, humid room, there is a chance that they can grow mold,” Patinkin said. So if your brushes sit on your bathroom counter while the steam from your shower fills the room every day, you may want to reconsider their placement. In order to make sure these brushes are fully clean, pay close attention to the amount of pigment coming from the bristles. Once the water rinses clean and your brush feels soft again, you should be good to go. While brushes made with natural hair have been known to be softer than synthetic bristles, there are some pretty dupe-worthy vegan options out there. Patinkin has her own line of vegan makeup brushes and told mbg exactly how to know your brush is clean: “Synthetic, vegan makeup brushes should feel squeaky clean when you’re done rinsing them. That’s how you can 100% tell that you have broken down and rinsed away all the buildup on the surface,” she said. Remember to use a brush cleaner or gentle soap, reshape the bristles when you’re done, and let your brushes dry in a clean, dry environment. If your brushes are still stiff, shedding, or misshapen, it may be time to trade them out. The same goes for cleaning makeup sponges, as those can build up bacteria as well.
