How To Clean Your Makeup Brushes

Tired of fighting with dirty makeup brushes that you’re not sure how to clean?

Well don’t worry, because I’m going to share how to properly clean, disinfect and dry your makeup brushes in 9 easy steps!

*this post includes affiliate links*

But First, Why Should You Clean Your Makeup Brushes?

Cleaning your makeup brushes regularly is an important of your skin care routine and should be done at least weekly to remove dirt, oil and bacteria that can clog your pores and cause acne or skin irritation to occur.

Brushes that are not regularly cleaned can also get excess makeup stuck on them, which can interfere with how your makeup applies.

Also be sure to never share your makeup brushes to avoid spreading bacteria or infection from one person to another – ewwww!

I use a super cheap brush cleaning mat that I got from Amazon.

This silicone brush cleaning mat was under $6 and it comes in a variety of colours and sizes too.

It’s easy to use and cleans my brushes better than my fingers ever could.

I also find it makes me clean my brushes on a more regular basis because I love using it – an added bonus.

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So how do you clean your makeup brushes properly? Well, all you have to do is:

1. Secure the suction cup mat to the bottom of your wet sink (if you don’t have a mat, just use the palm of your hand).
2. Wet the bumpy part of the mat and the makeup brush you want to wash.
3. Add a little shampoo or makeup brush cleaner to the top of the mat (baby shampoo is a nice, gentle option!).
4. Swirl your wet makeup brush across the bumps to distribute the shampoo and buff out the dirt.
5. Rinse out your brush and repeat the above steps until the brush rinses out clean.
6. Be sure to squeeze out as much water as you can from the brush and use your hand to reshape the bristles. You can also gently swirl the bristles onto a micro-fibre towel to help absorb excess water.
7. To disinfect your brushes, dip them into some rubbing alcohol for a few seconds and then rinse.
8. Lay the brush with the handle end elevated higher than the bristle end – this will make sure no water runs into the core of the brush that secures the bristles. You can also hang your brushes from the handle end using this handy Amazon brush drying rack.
9. Leave overnight to thoroughly dry.

Like me, I’m sure you’ll enjoy seeing a week’s worth of gunk streaming out of your makeup brush and down the drain.

Do you clean your makeup brushes regularly?