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Regularly cleaning your makeup brushes is an important part of maintaining them and ensuring that they last and retain their original quality for as long as possible. If you’re not sure how to correctly clean your makeup brushes, keep reading to learn simple tips for cleaning your makeup brushes that you can easily incorporate into your beauty routine.

1. Wash Once a Week

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You should try to wash your makeup brushes at least once a week to prevent excessive development of oil, bacteria, and product residue that can damage your brushes over time.

2. Invest in a Solid Brush Cleaner

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Solid brush cleansers are great because they don’t require twelve hours of drying time before you can use your brushes again. They are also not messy and you can store your solid brush cleaner on your vanity so that you can use it to efficiently clean off your brushes every time you use them.

3. Keep a Rag on Hand

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If you don’t have a solid brush cleaner, a rag can work too. Keep a rag or wash cloth in your makeup storage area and, if you want to use a brush twice for different products or different eyeshadow colors within one look, just swipe the brush back and forth across the rag until it leaves no residue behind.

4. Use Warm Water

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You should never wash your makeup brushes in cold water or scalding hot water. Both of these extremes can be damaging to the bristles and handles of your brushes.

Instead, use warm water to wash your brushes. The warmth of the water helps efficiently dissolve product residue from the bristles of the brush and destroy bacteria that might be lingering. However, warm water is not so hot that it is too harsh on your brushes.

5. Let Them Dry

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It is important to give your brushes time to dry after you wash them. Don’t just stuff all of your makeup brushes back into a drawer right after you finish cleaning them, as this can warp the shape of the brushes and allow bacteria to accumulate.

Instead, you should gently squeeze your brushes with a towel after you wash them to remove any excess water. Then, leave your brushes in a clean, dry place, such as on top of a flat counter, overnight. Make sure that all of the bristles are completely dry before you use your brushes or put them back into your makeup storage. Some denser makeup brushes might require more drying time before they are ready to be used again.

6. Skip the Hand Soap

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You should never use any old hand soap to wash your makeup brushes. The harsh, synthetic chemicals in traditional soap can damage or loosen the bristles of your brush as well as leave nasty residue behind.

Instead of regular soap, always wash your brushes using a shampoo that is designed specifically for use on makeup brushes. If you have brushes with synthetic bristles, you can also use a mild dish soap or baby shampoo to clean them.

7. Don’t Use Water

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You can use water to clean your makeup brushes. In fact, most brush shampoos require rinsing during the cleaning process. However, for some makeup brushes, water can loosen their bristles as well as warp their handles if they are wooden.

If most of your brushes have wooden handles or are crafted from natural, animal hair bristles, you should invest in a special cleanser solution that can be used to clean your brushes without water. These water-free solutions can be purchased online or from most cosmetic or beauty distributor stores.

Cleaning your makeup brushes is essential. The next time you decide to wash your brush collection, use the tips in this post to make sure that you’re cleaning your makeup brushes correctly and most efficiently to save yourself time, effort, and money.