Why It’s Important to Clean Your Makeup Brushes (And How to Do It)

There’s a lot lurking within the bristles of a used makeup brush: product residue, sure, but also dirt and oil. All of which creates the perfect environment for bacteria to thrive. This could lead to acne breakouts, rashes, and even a fungal infection or staph infection, which can be very serious.

The best way to prevent any of these things from happening is to wash your makeup brushes every seven to 14 days. Here’s an effective step-by-step process for doing that:

Rinse. Rinse the tips of your brushes with lukewarm water. This will help remove the residual makeup. Avoid the urge to run the entire brush under the water because doing so will eventually dissolve the glue adhering the brush head to the handle.

Cleanse. Next, fill a bowl with lukewarm water and add to it a tablespoon of either gentle shampoo or clarifying shampoo. Hand soap and bodywash will dry out the bristles. Then swirl the tip of each brush in the bowl. You can also massage the brush tips in the palm of your hand to accumulate more lather.

Rinse again. Rinse the brush tips under running water.

Repeat. Empty the bowl and then refill it with the same mixture. Repeat the cleansing and rinsing parts. When you notice the water running from a brush is clear, you can stop. That means it no longer contains makeup residue.

Dry. To dry your brushes, squeeze out the excess water from the bristles using clean, dry paper towels. Then lay them flat on a clean, dry hand towel, with the tips hanging off the edge of a counter. Do not prop them up. This will cause water to loosen the glue.

What else could I clean my makeup brushes with?

Baby shampoo is perfect for this chore. It effectively cleans the bristles while being gentle on them.

Liquid dish soap is a good option for brushes with caked makeup residue. Apply a dollop of dish soap to a moist sponge, then delicately wipe the brush with the sponge. Wring out the sponge, if needed, and add more dish soap. Rinse the brush with lukewarm water, dry it off with a paper towel, and lay it flat to dry.

Vinegar works well as a disinfectant. Put two tablespoons of white vinegar in a cup of hot water. Swirl the tip of your brush in the mixture and then rinse it off with lukewarm water. Repeat if necessary. To remove the smell of the vinegar, cut a lemon in half and run the brush across the inside.

Do I really need to clean all my brushes that often?

How often you need to clean your makeup brushes comes down to the type of makeup you use. 

If you’re using a brush to apply wet products or makeup with liquid components, it’s a good idea to clean it even more often than weekly. A side benefit: You should find that the brush works better when it’s cleaned regularly.

The brushes you use around your eyes should be cleaned every two weeks. This is because your eyes are especially prone to getting infections.

The brushes used to apply dry makeup products on your skin generally require the least maintenance, at one wash per month.

While we’re here, don’t ignore your sponges. Most manufacturers make them with preservatives to prevent the growth of yeast and bacteria. However, you may still develop an infection if they go unwashed for months at a time, particularly if you have a cut. 

Also, avoid sharing makeup brushes with other people. 

If you wash your brushes and sponges regularly and you still experience allergic reactions or skin infections, see a board-certified dermatologist for help.