How to Clean & Organize your Makeup Brushes


We love January because of its “fresh”, “organized”, and “clean” connotations. It’s just such a good feeling to start the year off on the right foot. That’s why we showed you how to organize all of your paperwork in yesterday’s post. And that’s why next week is devoted to a heck of a lot of organization projects that are all well worth your precious free time.

Today we’re heading to the bathroom to do clean something I constantly forget about…

…my makeup brushes. Apparently, you’re supposed to clean these bad boys a heck of a lot more often than I do (like a deep cleaning once a week!). #oops. I wear makeup just about every single day, but I certainly don’t give my brushes the TLC these overworked instruments deserve. Dirty brushes don’t just lead to a messy makeup application. They can cause breakouts, clogged pores, and pesky bacteria to linger on your face. No thank you.

Makeup-BrushSo in 2015, I’m adding “clean makeup brushes” to my beauty routine, and I hope you’ll join me in this easy cleaning process.

How to Clean Makeup Brushes

I did a lot of research trying to find the most simple, budget-friendly, and effective way to clean your brushes. Most tutorials recommended one item…baby shampoo. So that’s exactly what I’m using today. There are lots of brush cleaners out there, but this seemed like the best one for me.

1. Run the bristles under warm water to get rid of any loose debris. Don’t submerge your brushes in water, instead just focus on the bristles.

2. Take a bit of baby shampoo and lather the bristles. You can even swirl the brush in your hand to move around the cleanser.

3. Then, rinse your bristles. Repeat these steps until the water runs clean and you no longer notice any makeup on your brush.

Brushing-Bristles-Flatten4. Finally, blot your brushes with a towel to dry them off and then reshape them. I typically let them dry flat on the edge of the sink.

Rookie Tip: It’s worth mentioning that you should apply your makeup for the day before washing your brushes. They’ll take quite a bit of time to dry, and you don’t want to be SOL when you go to apply your eyeshadow.

How to Organize Makeup Brushes

Clean-Makeup-BrushesI like displaying my makeup brushes in a little white cup on my bathroom sink for easy access. This is actually a pencil holder that I found at HomeGoods…but really you can use anything.

When I’m on the go, I keep all of my brushes and eyeliners organized in this case. It’s very handy and keeps everything secure. How to clean makeup brushesI’m trying to incorporate this “deep cleaning” into my weekly beauty routine and so far it’s going well. I’ve also heard that it’s a good idea to use a daily spray on your brushes, but I haven’t looked into that just yet. Baby steps…

Casey


The Year of Casey

Hey there!

Iโ€™m Casey Finn, the voice behind The DIY Playbook. I’m a Chicago gal teaching you how to design, DIY, and maintain your home…by yourself! Learn more about me right here.