How To Clean Your Makeup Brushes Quickly and Effectively

If you’re getting ready for something, whether that be work, school, or a night out, chances are you’re going to find yourself applying makeup with your very favorite makeup brush. You will never forget to use this brush while applying your makeup, so why is it so commonly forgotten to take care of your brushes? Many people look past cleaning their makeup brushes and just use them until they get “old” or “too gross to use”. Today we are teaching you all about how to clean your makeup brushes. To prevent your brushes from getting too gross to use, and to lengthen their lives, be sure to add these few steps to your makeup routine!

What Do You Need To Clean Your Makeup Brushes?

Lukewarm water
Clean, gentle towel

To begin, first take a look at your brushes, making sure that there is no heavy powder or residue sitting on the bristles. If there is, tap out the powder the best that you can. Once you’ve got that done, follow these simple steps:

Step 1

Take your brush by the handle, having the end of the bristles face downwards, and run the brush under some lukewarm water to get some of the residues that you were unable to get by tapping the brush. Be sure to avoid getting water in the metal where the bristles meet the handle as getting water in here will loosen the glue holding the bristles together causing them to fall out over time.

Step 2

Put some lukewarm water into a small bowl, adding a few drops of baby shampoo. Put the brush in the bowl and swirl it around avoiding rubbing the bristles against the bottom of the bowl- this will damage your brush.

Step 3

Put the brush under some running, lukewarm water again, reshaping the brush to its original shape as you go. If the water running from the brush is still not clear, repeat steps two and three until it is.

Step 4

Now that your brush is clean, it is time for it to dry. Take a towel and gently soak up the water that is left in the brush. Do NOT rub the bristles, this will damage the brush! While wiping the brush to soak the water, begin to reshape the brush to its original shape so that when it dries, it will be good as new.

Step 5

Now that you have successfully cleaned your makeup brush, all you have to do is wait. Put the reshaped brush on another clean, dry paper towel OR place the handle on a table letting the bristles hang off of the edge to let it dry.

After completing these 5 simple steps, you will have a clean set of makeup brushes that are just like new! Now, your brushes will feel so much better on your skin, they won’t get so gross, and they will have much longer lives! Next time you’re putting on your makeup before heading out the door, ask yourself if your makeup brushes need cleaning.

Products

Not interested in hand cleaning your brushes? With the trends of contouring and heavy makeup being a big deal right now, there are a lot of products on the market to assist in cleaning your makeup brushes. We’ve highlighted our favorites below.

MelodySusie Apple Shape Makeup Brush Cleaner / Brush Cleaning Mat for Makeup Brushes – Beautiple

HOT SALE MAKEUP BRUSH CLEANER MAT – Distinguished cleaning textures and wider opening for 4 fingers.
UNIQUE DESIGN WITH GREAT FUNCTION – Unique apple shape design to make a special looking. The width of the opening is 2.76 inches, which is perfect for four fingers to fit in easily and hold the brush cleaner tightly.
SPECIAL SILICON TEXTURE DESIGN – There are four silicon texture designed at the back of the makeup brush cleaner: right-hand side design for washing and swirling, left-hand side design for deep cleaning and refine.
COMPACT SIZE & LIGHTWEIGHT – Size: 3.94 * 0.98 * 4.02 inches in Length * Width * Height. Weight: 0.17lb. A compact makeup beauty tool when traveling and a great choice as a gift for family and friends.

28 Hole Makeup Brush Tree Holder Organizer Folding Collapsible Air Drying Tower Brush Dryer

Tower help protect the shape of your brush’s bristles after washing
Hold 28 makeup brushes, well made and makes cleaning your brushes much easier
It tucks away for safe and easy storage
Eliminates clutter and helps organize brushes while drying

Cleaning MakeUp Washing Brush Silica Glove Scrubber Board Cosmetic Clean

This is the makeup brush cleaner, will help thoroughly clean through all the bristles and make cleaning your brushes.
Very useful tool for cleaning various of your makeup brushes
Compact in size and very cute, will fit easily in your makeup case.
Brand new, made of high-quality silicone, will not damage your brushes
Smaller knobs on the top used for foaming and lathering, The grooves in the bottom of the egg are used to agitate the bristles

Lilumia 2 Makeup Brush Cleaner Device- Electronic Cleaning Machine

MAKEUP BRUSH CLEANING DEVICE – This Hi Tech beauty appliance cleans up to 12 brushes at one time and works with natural or synthetic cosmetic brushes. LILUMIA CLEANSER SOLUTION SOLD SEPARATELY!
AVOID BREAKOUTS & BLEMISHES – Keep your skin clear and your makeup brushes clean and sanitary with the best-selling Lilumia 2 makeup brush cleaner. As seen on TV, it will benefit your skin and improve makeup application.
UPGRADED LILUMIA 2 – Enhanced Wash Cycle reduces the amount of time by 50% where your brushes are in contact with old makeup and bacteria. Additional Rinse Cycle removes any leftover remnants of makeup or cleanser. Improved Base Design acts as a vacuum to funnel dirt and debris from the cleaning surface. BONUS Removable Cleaning Disk for stubborn build up.
CONVENIENCE – No more hand-scrubbing your makeup brushes over the sink – just sit back and relax as the Lilumia 2 does the work for you. Watch as the Lilumia 2 completes a wash cycle and 3 rinse cycles automatically restoring your brushes to like new condition, extending their lifetime and Saving Money. Clean your brushes with a simple push of a button!
MODERN, SLEEK DESIGN – Featuring a transparent and futuristic design, this electronic brush cleaner adds to countertop appeal anywhere in your home. Available in 4 Color Options Matte Black, Glossy Pink, Satin Gold, and Silver Chrome.

I hope our article has helped you figure out not only how to clean your makeup brushes, but also some great tools to accomplish that. Best of luck!