Makeup is for everyone, no matter your gender or sexuality. Having said this, you don’t want to be a pig and use brushes and nasty-looking accessories, which is why you need to clean them regularly. We want natural and eco-friendly makeup, but we sometimes forget to choose and maintain our makeup accessories correctly! Here are some helpful and practical tips.
Why should you clean your makeup tools?
Every morning we think of everything for fresh and luminous skin, but what about the brush, the puff, and the various applicators we use to apply makeup? They, too, have to look good! Yet, almost half of all women forget to clean their makeup accessories…
1. Here are some things to think about:
- Hygiene: Ah, the nasty germs and bacteria… Dirty and contaminated accessories can contribute to irritation of sensitive skin, and in some cases, accentuate the effects of acne.
- Durability: well-maintained accessories last longer and don’t get damaged as quickly. This avoids having to throw them away and buy new ones too often.
- Accuracy and color: a clean brush or applicator guarantees a more accurate color result because you avoid blending with previous color or pigment build-up.
Aesthetics: a clean makeup bag is more pleasant to use and to see on the edge of a boudoir; let’s face it, it’s good for morale!
2. How to clean makeup brushes?
We normally recommend cleaning your makeup brushes every 2 weeks or so. Natural hair brushes are delicate. We are thinking here of the lip brush, the foundation brush, the beveled brush for eye shadow, etc… It is better to wash them with a bit of soapy water. Grate a small amount of neutral cold process soap into a glass of warm water and swirl.
Use this very mild soapy water to clean the brushes gently and without rubbing with your fingertips. Do not rub the bristles. Rinse with clean water or water with only 5% cider vinegar added to keep the bristles soft. To dry them, prefer the horizontal position on a towel rather than the vertical position, which can damage the handle if it is made of wood or natural material.
Synthetic brushes are easier to clean. We are thinking here of cream foundation brushes or lip brushes. You can lather cold soap or liquid shampoo directly into your hands and clean them under the tap. Then finish with a clean cloth to dry them.
From time to time, remember to wipe the brushes with a cloth soaked in vodka or organic alcohol to disinfect them (at least every 4 months).
3. How to clean makeup sponges?
It is important to rinse well. A little soapy water, and you’re done, even if you actually have to “scrub” the sponge by hand. Whether your sponge is made of latex or a “vegetable” sponge, you can simply wash the sponge as if you were washing a small wool sweater…
After the bath, the sponge is carefully wrung out and can be disinfected with a spray of vodka or organic alcohol.
Squeezing and drying are essential. For lighter cleansing, consider liquid soap or, more gently, a neutral soap-free foaming gel. The lather lifts impurities from the sponge, and it’s very easy to rinse the product off. Use this same technique for your sponge applicators (for eyeshadows).
Avoid putting sponges in the washing machine. However, the washing machine is recommended to wash the washable makeup remover wipes that we use every day to remove makeup or to apply hydrolat on the face.
4. How to remove makeup stains?
Your clothes, bag, or makeup case may be stained by lipstick or makeup… Don’t panic.
For fabric (cotton or synthetic), soak the stained area in a mixture of water (60%), white vinegar (35%), and a little lemon juice (5%). Leave for a few minutes, and then apply a little black soap or liquid soap directly to the stain. Rub the stained area until the stain fades. Machine wash or rinse thoroughly if the stain is already gone and the fabric is not completely soiled.
For lipstick marks, it is sometimes more difficult… If the above technique didn’t work, consider baking soda. Make a paste with a little water and baking soda. Apply the paste to the stain and leave for 5 minutes. Then scrub with a brush and leave to soak in cold water for at least 1 hour before putting it in the washing machine.
5. What about my makeup bag?
Clean it too! Every month, turn your makeup bag inside out and shake it out. Then scrub the seams with a brush soaked in soapy water if the fabric is suitable for that. Then put it in the washing machine.
For leather, do not wet it. Scrub the inside with a dry brush dipped in baking soda or white clay. Scrub until all traces of powder disappear.
Sound off in the comments section below and tell us what you want to read next and if you want more tips to clean makeup accessories.
