I tested three methods for cleaning
your makeup brushes using
just household items
and had a lot of really great results.
I'm going to run through each quickly
so you can neurotically
clean your belongings
like I've been doing.
The first method is washing
with extra-virgin olive oil and dish soap,
which I saw from this YouTube
video by Nicole Guerriero.
I used Dawn because
that's what I had opened,
but any brand would work,
and if it's antibacterial, that's better.
I will be washing my
liquid-foundation brush
that I use every single day,
so this one is pretty gunky.
I'm also trying this with
two of my eye-shadow brushes
and a mini beauty blender.
First you pour the dish soap
and olive oil onto a plate.
You wet your brushes,
then swirl the brushes into the mixture.
You swirl it on the palm of your hand,
but I saved that part
until I was by my sink to avoid a mess.
I swirled each brush for a
few seconds. Pretty easy.
The eye-shadow brushes definitely
had the most residue come off,
and the beauty blender was
kind of annoying to grip.
Then I rinsed them for a few minutes
until all the soap was gone.
I made sure I washed my
brushes pointed down.
If you wash the brushes
pointed up towards the water,
you risk getting water into the handle
and loosening up the glue that
keeps the bristles together.
Dish soap, especially if antibacterial,
helps get a lot of the product off.
The extra-virgin olive oil
can help break down the makeup
and will also moisturize the bristles
so they don't dry out.
I did have to add more dish soap
on my foundation brush
and the beauty blender
to get all the makeup off.
Once the water ran clear,
I placed them on a white
paper towel to dry overnight.
And there you go.
Pretty clean.
The bristles still felt
the same as before.
Not overly hydrated, but still very soft.
There was a section of the beauty blender
that was still a little dirty though,
but maybe it's just time
to replace that one.
The second method is washing the brushes
with white vinegar, hot water,
and, again, dish soap,
which I saw YouTuber
Kayleigh Noelle recommend.
I will be washing my bronzer brush,
which is super thick and
absorbs a lot of product.
This brush always takes
me the longest to wash.
And, again, another eye-shadow brush
and another mini beauty blender.
You can use a glass jar
or a regular glass cup like I did.
You pour a cup of hot water,
a tablespoon of dish soap,
and a tablespoon of white vinegar.
Then you dip your
brushes into the mixture.
That's a technique I've
never tried before.
Obviously, I didn't think
of the buoyancy force
of the water with the sponge,
so I had to dip the beauty blenders
so they could really soak up the water.
But I instantly saw
the water change color,
and in just a few seconds,
my brushes started to look a lot cleaner.
White vinegar is a
natural cleaning product
and disinfectant.
It can also be very strong,
so it's important to dilute it.
After 20 minutes, I rinsed it off,
and, wow, was this a breeze!
The makeup washed off so fast,
which is great because I didn't
have to use a lot of water.
And, again, I placed them down flat
on a white paper towel to dry overnight.
And here they are,
perfectly clean.
I was concerned the brushes
would still smell like vinegar,
but once the brushes dried,
the strong smell went away.
Texture-wise, both this method
and the one with olive oil
left my brushes feeling the same.
Next time I will probably
use a wider cup or jar
so I don't get the handle in the mixture.
Another way to clean the brushes
is with a gentle shampoo,
like baby shampoo or castile soap.
You're also going to
need apple cider vinegar.
I'll be washing my concealer
brush with this method,
my sister's bronzer brush,
another eye-shadow brush,
and another mini beauty blender.
I used castile soap
because I had that on hand.
I poured a little bit on the brush
and massaged it with my fingers.
I lathered, rinsed, and
repeated about four times
for the larger brushes until
the brushes were clean.
This method requires a bit more work,
but it's the technique that
I'm most familiar with,
so I didn't mind.
Then, in a small bowl,
pour 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar
and 2 tablespoons of water
and swirl the brush in there to disinfect.
Then rinse that off and let it dry.
And voilà!
The castile soap with apple cider vinegar
really got the brushes super clean,
and the soap really helped the brushes
smell the best out of the three options.
I'm happy to report that
all of these methods
do in fact work,
so give them a try the next time
you have to wash your makeup brushes.
I used a bunch of the brushes
when I applied makeup,
and they felt good as new.
The second method definitely
takes the least amount of work
when it comes to physically
cleaning the brushes
with your hands and saving some water,
so that's a plus.
And for that, the second method
would have to be my favorite.
Let me know in the comments
if there's a method you prefer,
and other methods you use
to clean makeup brushes.
