How to clean your make-up brushes!

In the same way we lethargically trudge to the bathroom at night to remove our make-up, or haul ourselves back out of bed after realising we’ve forgotten to brush our teeth, learning how to clean your makeup brushes is an equally boring yet important step in any beauty regime.

But with a staggering 61 per cent* of us washing our brushes less than once a month, and a further 22 per cent* admitting to not washing them at all, brush hygiene is clearly a step some of us are mistakenly forgetting. ‘When you use your brushes, bits of make-up, oil, dirt, and even bacteria can get trapped in the bristles,’ explains Cherry Woods, luxury facialist and founder of The Cherry Woods Skin Clinic.

‘As laborious as it may sound, skipping this step could lead to clogged pores and pesky breakouts.’ Bit gross, huh? ‘Not to mention the fact that quality make-up brushes can be expensive, so learning how to carefully clean them is one of the best ways to protect your skin and preserve your investment,’ Cherry continues.

Not sure how to go about it? No worries. Simply keep reading for our brush cleaning guide. It may well save your beauty routine…

The daily cleanse

First up, how often should we be cleaning our brushes? Every day, according to Cherry. But before you run for the hills and vow never to use a make-up brush again, hear us out. Everyday cleaning doesn’t have to involve anything nearly as long-winded as a deep clean, rather a simple spritz or two of your cleanser of choice and you’re good to go. ‘The first step is to choose an easy, daily cleansing spritz which can be sprayed on to the brush. Then wipe the brush on to some kitchen towel to remove any daily pigment, oil, bacteria and general grime,’ she explains. ‘On a weekly basis, you will still need to do a deep clean and condition your brushes otherwise the daily, alcohol-based brush off formulas can dry out the bristles on natural hair brushes.’

The deep clean

This is the big one, so listen up. Thanks to Cherry, six simple steps are all that stand in the way between you and squeaky clean brushes.

1) Begin by running your brushes under lukewarm water, rinsing out all of the residual makeup. Be gentle and concentrate on the end bristles while avoiding the part of the brush where handle meets the head, as this can loosen the glue over time.

2) Fill a bowl with lukewarm water and squirt a tiny bit of brush shampoo in, then gently swirl your brush tip in the water. If the brush is particularly dirty simply swirl the brush in the palm of your hand to work up a good lather.

3) Rinse the brush tip under running water once again. Repeat steps two and three until the water runs clear from the brush.

4) Use a cloth to wipe your brush clean, or use kitchen roll to wipe the brush until it is clean reshaping the bristles as you go.

5) Two gentle downward shakes allows the bristles to all sit in the same direction and gets rid of excess water.

6) Lay your brushes flat on a cloth or kitchen roll to dry.

The hero products

With a wealth of soaps, sprays and mitts on the market promising unrivaled levels of clean, we asked Cherry to narrow it down for us and let us into her best-kept brush cleaning secrets.

Johnson’s Baby Shampoo
‘The best (and cheapest) product you can use is just a simple pH-balanced baby shampoo, which is perfectly fine,’ suggests Cherry. ‘You can spend a lot of money buying brush shampoos, but the key is to use something that’s softening, hydrating and pH balanced.’
£2.89, Boots

Makeup Revolution Antibacterial Brush Shampoo
‘If you suffer from breakouts, acne or excessive oil issues, you may need to add a few drops of tea tree oil or look for a brush shampoo that says ‘antibacterial’ (or antimicrobial),’ advises Cherry. ‘I suggest using this affordable brush shampoo.‘
£5, Superdrug

Dr. Bronner Liquid Soap
Another deep-cleaning hero is Dr Bronner’s Pure Castile Soaps, a go-to for leading make-up artists such as Bobbi Brown. Using organic and fairtrade ingredients that are free from harsh chemicals, the formula effectively removes dead skin cells, germs, dirt and stubborn make-up residue without the risk of damage to keep your brushes as fresh as a daisy.
£10, Harvey Nichols

Jane Iredale Botanical Brush Cleaner
When it comes to daily cleansing, Cherry has one true love. ‘I love Jane Iredale Botanical Brush Cleaner, which not only smells divine but truly helps preserve both synthetic and natural brush hair with no residue left on the brush,’ she says. ‘It’s also antimicrobial, so helps remove daily bacteria – important if you’re prone to spots.’
£19, janeiredale.com

 * Survey conducted by Anisa International