Along with emptying the dishwasher, cleaning your makeup brushes is just one of those tasks that you know needs to be done but is simply not your idea of a good time. But babe, the same way you wouldn’t eat off of a dirty plate, you should not be applying that blush with an unclean brush! And while we know this beauty task is one we all love to push to *tomorrow*, we’re your friends, we care about you, therefore we need to give you this very important PSA on how to clean your makeup brushes.

Oh and ps. – we promise these brush cleaning hacks are so easy that they can be completed with a glass of Pinot in hand. I mean, anything to motivate you to get’er done, #amirite?

How often should you clean your makeup brushes?

Here’s the thing. Your beloved makeup brushes that make applying that go-to foundation of yours effortless can also be a breeding ground for bacteria and product build-up. Not so cute, we know.

That’s why to be extra safe and to ensure you’re not causing any unnecessary breakouts, we recommend cleaning your brushes once a week. Especially when it comes to tools you are using on a daily basis. What’s more, you won’t only be saving your skin by being on top of this beauty habit. You’ll also make your brushes last longer by caring for their bristles, and your products will apply smoother.

Convinced yet? We thought so.

Perform your cleaning routine before bed for fresh tools in the morning.

Before we give you the tea on how to actually clean your brushes, we should mention that the ideal time of day to do this is at the end of your day when you know you won’t be needing to use them any time soon. Duh, right? We know – but you’d be surprised how long some makeup brushes can take to dry!

To be sure you won’t be caught sans usable brushes, perform your cleaning routine before bed so by morning time – you’re ready to glam up!

Use a gentle cleanser to get your makeup brushes squeaky clean.

Forget spending money on a product that is marketed *only* at cleaning your brushes – you simply don’t need to! If you have the right gentle cleanser on hand, this is seriously all you need. And if you can use one that has some naturally antibacterial tea tree oil in it, well, you’re winning babe. Check this out.

1. Fill up a medium sized bowl with a bit of warm water and add 3-4 drops of your facial cleanser to the mix.
2. Whisk around one of your dirty brushes into the bowl. This will create some much needed foam or bubbles. You’ll soon see all of the built-up product start to dissipate from your beauty tools.
3. Rinse off the excess cleanser and dirt from your brushes into your sink, and lay them flat to dry.

Just like that, you’ve completed the daunting task of cleaning your makeup brushes – while using products you already had hiding in your bathroom cabinet!

Pro-tip: When whisking all of that product build-up and bacteria away, don’t dip your brush further than where the metal or plastic lining meets the bristles. This will avoid your brushes rusting prematurely or falling apart.

…Or, enlist the help of a magical charcoal face bar.

Ok, we’ll admit it. We can’t get enough of this little bar of wonders. Not only is it amazing for cleaning your body and face. It can also totally take the guesswork out of how to gently *yet effectively* clean your makeup brushes!

You’ll want to have that warm bowl of water on hand as mentioned in the instructions above. However, instead of using cleanser, all you need to do is sud up your charcoal bar. Just whisk your brush in circular motions directly on to the bar to create that foamy consistency you’re looking for.

Once you’re done sudding up your brushes, rinse them out in the sink and again – just lay flat to dry!

And if you need some extra help…

Invest is one of these *super* handy, inexpensive, reusable brush cleaning pads.

You can definitely use your palm to swish around your dirty brushes if needed. However, this little tool means you can keep your hands cleaner and get the dirt out of your beauty tools, faster.

Wasn’t that easy, babe?

C’mon, you know it was! Plus, all that whisking and makeup brush cleaning can be (dare we say it) – a little therapeutic! If this post has you inspired to go the extra mile, more power to you beautiful! Why not clean out your whole beauty cabinet while you're at it? We've got a blog for that too, right here.

And if our easy peasy tips and tricks still haven’t made this *highly important* task seem appealing? Well, there’s always that glass of Pinot, gorgeous.

Fluffy clean brushes & good habits,

Carey <3