We know, we know… you’ve already been told to clean your makeup brushes. You’ve seen posts on Instagram reminding you to do it. Maybe you even planned to wash them that one day three months ago but... Netflix just sounded better.

Cleaning your makeup brushes is important for so many reasons. Here are a few that are really important to us:

• Bacteria - Have you covered a break out with your makeup brushes? Set them on the bathroom counter? Did you give your friend a makeover the other day? Brushes will hold onto bacteria and let it multiply. It’s extremely important to our skin health, eye health, and overall health that we clean our brushes. Dirty brushes encourage breakouts and potentially various infections.
• Better Makeup Application - Liquid makeup builds up on brushes after days of use. It may start pilling, hardening, or oxidizing and changing color. If you like to switch up eyeshadow or blush depending on the day, various colors will get mixed up on the same brush. Cleaning your brushes will ensure beautiful makeup application and will also make sure you’re seeing true, unadulterated colors.
• Brush Life - This one is simple; the better your care for your brushes, the longer they last. Show them that you love them!

Our favorite way to clean our brushes is with a gentle castile or bar soap. We love any of the Virginia First Tea Farm Castile washes or the Buck Naked Soap Company Chamomile & Calendula or Warm Cocoa Butter soaps. We recommend cleaning them weekly.

Here’s How We Do It:

1. Rinse the brush with lukewarm water and gently squeeze out the excess. Try not to wet the metal ferrule too much as getting water into it can cause brush bristles to fall out over time. Leave the brush damp.
2. If using liquid soap, pump a nickel-size amount into the palm of your hand. If using a bar soap, swirl the brush against the soap a few times.
3. In the palm of your hand, swirl the brush around until it lathers. You will see the bubbles becoming really dirty! Keep swirling, making sure to work the soap into the brush.
4. Rinse the brush really well with lukewarm water until it runs clear and you don’t see any bubbles if you swirl it against your rinsed hand.
5. If the brush still appears to have makeup on it, repeat the process. This typically happens with foundation brushes because of the consistency and pigmentation of the makeup.
6. After the brushes are squeaky clean, make sure you have gently squeezed out as much water from the brush as you can.
7. On a clean towel, lay your brushes out flat or at an angle with the bristles pointing down.