CC Beauty Live: Brush Cleansing

April 4, 2010     Posted in Beauty, Style


By Caitlin

I know that all of you out there wash your faces every morning and every night, but do you ever think about the germs and dirt you’re sweeping across those freshly exfoliated cheeks every time you apply your makeup?

It’s disgusting.

Our makeup brushes get really dirty with use, and cleaning them is perhaps the most important yet overlooked step in beauty these days. Think about it: when was the last time you cleaned your brushes?

Well it’s time to start, ladies! And it’s a lot easier than you think. You don’t have to be fancy and buy the most expensive brush cleanser you can find. In this vid, I’ll show you the cheaper way to clean your brushes (which you really should be doing!).

13 Comments on "CC Beauty Live: Brush Cleansing"

  1. Alissa says:
    Sun, 4th Apr 20108:37 am 

    From one Bama girl to another, thanks for this video. I recently started thinking about brush cleaning frequency because I had the hunch I wasn't cleaning enough and now I know that is the case. It really does make sense to clean them, especially because we spend so much money on face washes, makeup, etc. Also, sponges. Changes sponges for foundation is crucial. Thanks again so much for this article.

  2. Christina says:
    Sun, 4th Apr 20108:43 am 

    Another really great way to clean your brushes is with regular antibacterial dishsoap! Gets all the oils out and everything. It's amazing. I like Dawn. And cheap!

  3. Caitlin-University o says:
    Sun, 4th Apr 201011:36 am 

    Alissa: Roll Tide! Cleaning my brushes regularly definitely makes a difference in application and how my skin looks. Sponges should be changed regularly for sure!

    Christina: I usually don't recommend using dish soap on brushes, especially if they're made from real hair. You can probably get away with it on synthetic brushes, but regular soap leaves a waxy film on brush hairs just like it would on your skin and can eventually ruin your brushes later on. Be careful with that!

  4. Jasmine says:
    Sun, 4th Apr 201012:18 pm 

    Hi! this is a great video, so thank you!

    I was wondering. I just started using makeup and am sharing a makeup brush with my sister (because we live in the same dorm and thought that would be a bit more convenient, especially because we can get really careless about where we put our things). Anyway. So after every use, I always spritz my foundation brush with this brush cleanser thing from clinique, and then every two months or so, I clean the brush with baby soap and water with warm water.

    Do you think that is too much cleaning (the everyday spritzing)? I do that because my sister and I use different foundations and we don't want our foundations to be mixing, but I'm starting to get a little anxious because I know that the brush has like glue or something holding the bristles together and that with time, the glue can get undone, which means time for a new brush. Do you think this daily cleaning expedites the undoing of the glue? Or that the constant spritizing will make the quality of the brush go bad?

  5. Caitlin-University o says:
    Sun, 4th Apr 201012:54 pm 

    Jasmine: Great question! I commend you for cleaning after you and your sister use the brush because sharing brushes is a very easy way to share unwanted bacteria. That being said, I do recommend that you each get your own brush even though you're cleaning it because it's not going to last as long as you would like. I clean my eyeshadow brushes almost every time I use them, which isn't too much. If your brush is synthetic it will break down much faster than if it's made from real hair. Honestly, you're going to be spending money on brush cleanser more often because you're cleaning this one brush everyday and it may not hold up as long as you'd like. I think you and your sister should each have your own brushes because in the end you'll be saving money. Hope this helps!

  6. Emily says:
    Sun, 4th Apr 20105:30 pm 

    It's actually a really good idea to "spot-clean" your brushes every time you use them, with a brush cleanser, like the MUFE one and then use the baby shampoo to deep clean once a week. Also, make sure that you aren't turning your brushes upside down when they're wet because the water can get into the ferrule and ruin the brush. After washing, make sure to reshape the brush and lay it flat to dry. Hope that helps!

  7. Jenna says:
    Mon, 5th Apr 20108:52 am 

    I use MAC's brush cleanser, which is $11 for a big bottle of it. It's important that a cleanser conditions your brushes as well as disinfects them. I just squirt a bit of the cleanser on a paper towel and swirl my brushes on it, then lay them flat to dry for a few minutes. I do that every 1-3 days, depending on the brush and how much I've used it, and then I do a deep clean with baby shampoo every 2 weeks or so. It's important not to dry your brushes with the fluffy end sticking up (like in a jar), because the moisture can seep back into the handle and eat away at the glue, which causes the bristles to become detached.

    Christina: I've heard that you can mix olive oil in with dish soap to make it less harsh on your brushes, though I've never tried it personally. Dish soap alone definitely strips the brush hairs, though, so be careful.

  8. Mandy says:
    Mon, 5th Apr 201011:29 am 

    Ok PLS! PLS! PLS! do not just let your brushes "soak" in water wash them one at a time letting brushes soaks ruins the ferrel and loosens the glue so brushes may fall apart or loosen up. It may be a a pain but if you invest in brushes you really want to make sure you wash and dry properly. There are many videos on this on youtube.

    You can spot clean daily there are special brush sprays for that dont soak the brush just spray on a towel and more the brush back and forth to remove and excess color that may be on the brush. it is recomended to deep clean once a month.

    When cleaning and washing brushes wash with the bristles facing down so water will not travel up into the ferrel and loosen the glue or bristle! sorry if im being repeptitive but brushes are very important!

  9. maddie says:
    Thu, 8th Apr 20102:24 pm 

    First off, I love love love watching you videos! So much great advice. And second,(Video Idea!) I turn 21 in 2 weeks.. yay!(: And I would like to be able to wear my hair down for once when going out without ending up looking like a lion. What products/tips do you have to help hair from frizzing? (Ps. I live in florida – high humidity!) Hope you can help me. Thanks.

  10. Emily says:
    Fri, 9th Apr 20106:33 pm 

    Mandy, you can soak your brushes in a mix of brush cleaner and water for a short period of time because the brush head is pointing down, therefore the water won't seep into the ferrule.

  11. misvie says:
    Sat, 3rd Jul 20104:13 pm 

    Every 2 -3 weeks????

    I clean my brushes min once a week.

    my foundation and concealer brushes every time i use them.

    http://misvie.wordpress.com/

Tell us what you're thinking...