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How to clean makeup brushes

Breathe new life into your makeup bag with our simple steps to a squeaky-clean kit.

Can you remember the last time you cleaned your makeup brushes? You’re not alone. It’s the big beauty question and we’re here to break down the why, how and when you should be cleaning your makeup brushes.

Washing brushes

Why you should clean your makeup brushes

Ever wondered why you keep breaking out? Or why your makeup isn’t going on quite right? It could be that your makeup brushes are in need of a good clean.

After applying makeup every day, it’s only a matter of time before your brushes become full of product build-up. This makes it hard for your brushes to properly do their job – your foundation or powder might not distribute seamlessly, and your eyeshadow could become a blend of various colors. By keeping your brushes clean, your makeup will go on much more evenly.

Most importantly, dirty brushes are a playground for germs and harmful bacteria, which isn’t so great for your skin. Washing your brushes often will help keep your skin feeling and looking healthy and any blemishes caused by dirty brushes will be kept at bay.

And by regularly washing your brushes, they’ll last a whole lot longer as the bristles will remain fluffy and effective.

How often should you clean your brushes

We took to Instagram to find out how often our followers cleaned their makeup brushes. We discovered that 24% of our followers never clean their brushes; 41% clean their brushes monthly; 25% clean their brushes weekly and 10% clean their brushes daily.

While it all depends on how often you use your make-up brushes, we recommend washing them every 7-10 days for those that use their brushes every day. And though you can probably get away with washing your eyeshadow brushes once a month, you may as well do them with the rest.

How to clean makeup brushes

1. Wet the bristles under warm water.

  1. Press 2-3 pumps of our Tea Tree Hand Wash into your palm.
  2. Swirl the brush in a circular motion against your palm until makeup starts to come away. Rinse under warm water, swirling as you do, until all the hand wash has been washed away.
  3. Repeat until all the last traces of makeup residue are gone and water runs clear.
  4. Leave your makeup brushes to air dry, making sure they are not left on a radiator or any other hot surface.

What are the best makeup brush cleaners?

While there are all sorts of cleansing formulas and kit designed especially for brush cleaning, these aren’t essential. There’s no need to splash out on an extra product when you already have everything you need on your bathroom shelf. Shampoo, Hand Wash, Face Wash and Foaming Cleansers will do the job beautifully, shifting away impurities just like they do for your hair, hands and face.

Ginger anti-dandruff shampoo

Ginger Scalp Care Shampoo

This blend of ginger essential oil, birch bark, white willow extract and honey helps fend off any dirt, oil and grime.

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Tea Tree Hand Wash

Tea Tree Hand Wash

Not only does it help to keep pinkies squeaky clean, this purifying wash works a dream on bristles.

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Tea Tree Hand Wash

Tea Tree Skin Clearing Facial Wash

A refreshing cleanser enriched with Community Fair Trade tea tree oil to help shift away impurities.

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Aloe Foaming Wash

Aloe Calming Foaming Wash

Not only is it calming but our Aloe Foaming Wash can help lift any grime from your brushes.

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Bamboo brushes

When you should replace your makeup brushes

There’s no strict rule about how long you should be using your makeup brushes, but a good rule of thumb is as soon as they start to fray, under-perform, begin to smell or become discolored you should stop using them. The lifespan of a brush can vary according to quality, how often they are used, and how well they are looked after, so with gentle, regular washing, you can expect see them last a little longer.

If you’ve had your brushes for a while, then it could be time to replace them. And we have just the solution. Meet our new, super soft bamboo brushes. Cruelty-free, high-performance and the key players in your makeup task force.

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