I will admit, with shame, I have not been doing that. I just didn't know a way to keep the brush shape and quality after washing, and how to wash them. I watched a few youtube videos and took a few techniques from a few different people, and made my own way from there! I thought it would be a good thing to share with you guys, in case you aren't sure how to clean your brushes, or in case you're looking for a different method to try. I tried this method on an old brush first, one that was going in the garbage anyways, just to test and make sure it would be safe for my more expensive MAC and Sephora brushes. I actually just used this method on those nicer brushes last night, and they are super soft, in their original condition, squeaky clean, and smell lovely this morning!
What you'll need:
1. Gentle or hand renewal soap (Johnson's baby shampoo works great, I used Up&Up Pomegranate Hand Renewal dish soap)
2. Organic Virgin Coconut Oil (melted)
How to wash your brushes:
1. Set up a shallow dish with soap and melted coconut oil, this is where you'll be washing your brushes. Put the soap and oil on opposite sides of the dish and let them mesh together naturally.
2. Take your brush downward in a stream of water. Your brush bristles should be pointing towards the sink, and the handle towards the ceiling. If you wet your bristles the opposite way, water will get in the handle and slowly deteriorate your brushes. Use lukewarm water! Too hot and too cold of water can be damaging, just like when you clean your face. Wet your bristles till they are dripping. (I would've taken a picture of this step, but my house is like 100 years old and ain't nobody wanna see the sinks at my house).
3. Now that your brush is wet, put the bristles face down into the mixture.
4. Swirl your brush through the oil and the soap. Remember to be gentle! Get the flat side of the brush as well as the sides. You will see the makeup melt off into your mixture (this is why I change the mixture in between brushes).
5. Once you feel like you've swirled sufficiently, look at the end of your brush and make sure you really got in there enough!
6. Time to wash out all the gunk! Run under water as you did earlier, then squeeze your brush starting at the top where it meets the handle and work your way down. You will see all the nastiness run down the drain. Repeat these last two steps as necessary until your brush runs clear.
7. Now that your brush is bacteria and gunk free (think of all the nastiness that gets packed up in there, EW), you want to lay it out to dry. Before doing this, lightly towel it off, and try your best to reshape the brush. In this picture, I'm using my clean Sephora #45 brush because it's really the only brush that needs fluffing and reshaping before drying. This is actually my favorite brush because of the white tips, I know when it needs a good clean, and it looks beautiful when I've cleaned it.
8. Lay on a towel on a flat surface to dry.
The reason I used hand renewal soap is because it is gentle and conditioning, but baby shampoo is another great option because of how gentle it is for the skin. Take care of these bristles as you would your own hair, which means conditioning is necessary to keep things soft and hydrated, and this is where the coconut oil comes in. You guys know I love coconut oil for everything, it is a really amazing thing! It's such a great conditioner and moisturizer, but it isn't something that lingers, it washes out easily, and that is why I chose to use it. There were a lot of suggestions for olive oil, but it is really hard to wash out (which I learned the hard way trying to use it on my hair), so I wanted nothin' to do with that stuff. I get my coconut oil at Trader Joe's, it's organic and only $5.99!
How often do you clean your makeup brushes? Do you have any techniques or tips for me?
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