People wear makeup, paint their faces, add contour, and highlight their faces so often, almost every single day. But do they really clean their brushes and sponges so frequently? How often should you clean your makeup toolkit? Just giving them a thorough wash once a month is just not enough apparently.
Dermatologists, skin care specialists, and makeup artists suggest that you should clean your makeup toolkit more often. It is important because you need to avoid bacteria buildup which can lead to breakouts.
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ToggleHow often should you clean your makeup toolkit?
A lot of dermatologists will recommend you to soak and clean your makeup toolkit, especially the foundation and concealer brushes at least once a week. It will help you to prevent buildup naturally. The cleaner your brushes, the better they are for your skin. Frequent cleanings do not just keep your brushes clean. They also tend to give a better life to your bristles. Later, it helps for an even application of your beauty products as well.
The simplest set of things necessary to clean your makeup toolkit includes water and a good quality soap/ brush cleanser.
How to clean your makeup toolkit?
If you choose to clean your makeup toolkit, then it is one of the best forms of self-care. It is single-handedly the most important thing you are doing for yourself and your skin. However, not cleaning the tools regularly can put you at risk for irritations and infections. Continue reading to find your ultimate cleaning guide.
Makeup sponge cleaning
Step 1: Wet your sponge
Place the sponge under running warm water. Ensure it gets fully soaked.
Step 2: Create lather
Take a few drops of the gentle soap, shampoo, or any product that you are using as a cleanser. Create a lather and work it out on the sponge with your fingers. Repeat this step a bunch of times if you haven’t cleaned your sponge recently.
Step 3: Rinse
Continue to rinse the sponge until the water runs clear. Ensure you squeeze completely throughout the process to get the suds out.
Step 4: Dry the sponge
Squeeze out the excess water and use a clean towel to pat the sponge dry. Let the sponge air dry or you can put it to work right away.
Repeat all the steps every three to four uses. Do it immediately if you don’t find a clean unused section of the sponge. After every use, rinsing with warm water keeps your sponge clean away from the germs and in great condition. Sponges begin to grow mold if they are not left to dry properly. Check out for molds and discard the sponge if you find any.
Tips for cleaning the brushes
Step 1: Rinse your brushes
Start the cleaning process by rinsing your brushes under running water. Although avoid running the water down your brush. It might affect the lifespan of your brush by breaking the glue.
Step 2: Cleanse them
Take a small amount of soap/shampoo into the bristles. Lather, rinse and repeat until you see the water running clearly. Sometimes the product is too stubborn to get off the brushes. In this case, you can apply some coconut oil to get it off. The oil helps to loosen the build-up and makes the entire cleaning process much easier.
Step 3: Disinfect
It is time to disinfect once you cleanse them. Make a solution of 2 parts water and 1 part of vinegar. Take it in a shallow bowl and give the brushes a swirl for a couple of minutes. Try not to submerge the brushes completely. Finally, rinse the brushes.
Step 4: Pat them dry
To soak up all the excess water from the bristles, press them in a dry towel. Reshape the bristles into their original shape once you are done. Lay them straight in a towel overnight for proper drying.
How to clean your metal beauty tools?
Step 1: Wash
To clean your metal makeup toolkit, you need to pay more attention to detail. Wash your tweezers, eyelash curlers, eyebrow trimmers, cuticle nippers, and nail clippers using water and anti-bacterial soap. Pat them dry with a clean towel.
Step 2: Sanitize
Use an alcohol-soaked cotton ball to wipe down the metal tools. Allow them to dry down for a couple of moments. Rinse all the tools that come in direct contact with your face. Finally, pat them dry using a clean towel.
Repeat the whole procedure after every single use. Ideally, you need to clean your makeup toolkit every time you use them with water at least if you are not sanitizing them. Try to give them the full treatment once in two weeks. Then they can offer better treatment. Store your makeup toolkit in a clean container.
Is it necessary to replace your sponges often?
Regular makeup sponges that come in bulk are not meant for reuse. The inexpensive ones should be thrown away after a single-use. They are not safe for your skin and can cause adverse effects. However, microbial-resistant sponges are reusable and you can easily use them for three to four months straight. The sponges can absorb skin cells and the bacteria can overgrow. Then you know it is time to discard them.
When is the right time to throw your brushes away?
Frequent cleaning can help to keep your brushes clean and good. But there are signs sometimes that you cannot just ignore. You can easily determine when they are not able to perform a job efficiently as great brushes should.
It is time to toss away your makeup brushes when the bristles start to fray, shed, or lose their shape. It is necessary to have the right set of tools if you want to get the makeup right. They are as important as the makeup itself. If the brushes become too pinched or squished then they are definitely not up to the mark.
Conclusion
It doesn’t matter if you own two brushes or twenty of them. It is vital to clean your makeup toolkit with sponges and brushes regularly. They are the main reason why that foundation looks on point or that eye shadow is so darn pigmented and is so close to a work of art. A good makeup toolkit doesn’t come cheap and you need to clean them to help them work better.