Cleaning makeup brushes can seem like a task. But one deep clean is all it takes to make your makeup look fresh and flawless. Also, cleaning your sponges might seem like a chore, but it is really easy and executable on a weekly basis.

The best part? It does not require cleanser, makeup remover or tools. Everything you have at home would work just fine and do the job in minutes.

The whole idea of cleansing your makeup brushes and other tools comes from the simple fact that not just makeup, but dust, bacteria, dead skin cells and sometimes even pollen gets lodged inside the bristles. Now you know where pimples and breakouts come from.

If it is a liquid-based product, its applicator should be cleaned every day or after every use, as these might become infectious easily.

Things You Need to Clean Your Makeup Brushes

Cleaning makeup is surprisingly fun: it is cathartic to see gunk and dirt with product buildup vanish with low efforts of cleaning. For cleaning your makeup brushes, you will need the following:

1. Warm or Normal Temperature Water

It is best to use room temperature or warm water to remove makeup from your brushes and tools. Although hot or boiling water might seem to make the job easier, it will ruin the quality of your brushes and loosen up the glue at their base. Always have a bowl of water ready along with some running water to finish cleaning in one go.

2. Soap or Dish Wash Gel

Take a few drops of your daily dishwater gel at home and dilute it with water. This would serve as your cleaning agent to scrub away the dirt gently without worsening the quality of your brush bristles and ferrule (the binding ring on your brush holding the hair together).

3. Microfiber Cloth

It is crucial you do not mount your clean makeup brushes with the hair pointing up as the water might seep in and loosen up the glue at the ferrule. You can also invest in mesh micro-bags to put the wet bristles in or just keep them horizontally with the wet bristles facing the sink so that the water drips out and dries in natural air.

4. Brush-Washing Mat or Surface

These usually come in silicon with micro-bumps that help remove finer particles from your makeup brush without it losing its shape. You can gently move your makeup brush in a circular manner over a soapy brush washing mat and let it do the magic.

5. Makeup Wipes

Makeup wipes can be used excellently for eye makeup brushes and lipstick applicators, as water might ruin their build. You can gently squeeze a makeup wipe on the brush and remove the excess buildup and let it dry in the sun for best results.

Getting Down to Business: How Do I Clean My Makeup Brushes?

Here is where it gets easier. Follow these simple steps to get your makeup brushes clean, neat and happy!

1. Run the bristles under warm or cold water until they are completely wet. Do not soak your brush in water as it may cause hair to loosen up and fall.
2. Squirt a few drops of dish wash gel into the water and dip the brush into it. Rub it in circular motions on the cleaning mat or gently circulate it to remove the gunk from the inner parts.
3. Wash out the makeup brush under tap water and squeeze out the excess liquid. Keep washing it till all the dirt is removed and only clean water gets squeezed out.
4. Repeat this process if you have not cleaned your brushes for weeks, as more buildup might come out in the second or even the third wash.
5. Do not poke, pull or twist the bristles in order to remove the excess water, as it might remove the bristles from the base.
6. Repeat this process with each makeup brush and do not group them and clean

an in one go, as it might not clean all the dirt and buildup even after multiple washes.

7. Be extra careful if you have natural brushes. Treat them with extra sensitivity as that hair might fall more easily. You can use your shampoo for these and apply conditioner after to maintain their softness and integrity.
8. Make sure you dry your brushes lying down horizontally and let the water seep out or drop into a wash basin below. Letting your brushes air dry is one of the best ways to go to save time and have good results.
9. Repeat this process every weekend if you use the brush daily and bi-weekly if you do not use it that often.

How Do I Clean My Makeup Sponge?

Makeup sponges are even more important when it comes to cleaning and maintenance as they absorb all formulas and products and retain them even after use, becoming an ideal place for bacteria to thrive.

Sponges and beauty blenders should be washed after every use! Yes, every time you use it, even if it is twice or thrice a day since wet products can easily become nasty and cause long-drawn problems on your skin.

It is fairly easy to wash makeup sponges, soak them in dish soap water and squeeze out the excess till the water that comes out is clean and clear. Let them air dry on their own.

Since this may take time, you should ideally have three to four makeup sponges with you for daily use and rotation.

Storage and Holders for Makeup Brushes

Storing and organising your makeup brushes is as important as keeping them clean. Try keeping them in holders and racks, rather than pouches or nooks. This is important so that they do not lose their shape and also do not attract unnecessary moisture or dust in the air.

We at Tira hope that this blog post has provided you with valuable insights and knowledge to help you take better care of your skin. We believe that by sharing this information, we can help you achieve just that. Thank you for reading, and we look forward to being a part of your skincare journey.