Makeup

We all know it, but we hardly ever do it: cleaning your brushes is essential. But how to wash makeup brushes? And how to do it right? We give you some answers.

Every day they help us to accomplish beautiful artistic feats or just small make-up connections. Fluffy, bevelled or in brushes, the observation is the same: it is imperative to wash your brushes. A hygienic reflex that we don’t necessarily have due to lack of time or motivation. What if we took a few minutes to finally give our make-up brushes a good clean? Here are the right steps to take for a perfect make-up bag.

Why Should You Wash Your Makeup Brushes?

“The hygiene of the brushes is primordial first of all for the practical side, for example to avoid the clumps caused by the drying of the product applied the day before. But also and above all for hygiene, because brushes can be a vector of bacteria if they are not cleaned properly”, explains Hicham Ababsa, make-up artist. We don’t suspect it, but make-up brushes accumulate dust, traces of make-up, dirt…  These poorly cleaned tools will then cause problems for our beautiful skin. Firstly, they will clog our pores with these bacteria. As a result, the pores will not be able to properly evacuate the sebum and dead skin cells that remain on the skin. The risk? Imperfections (blackheads, pimples) and dull skin.

How To Wash Your Makeup Brushes ?

You don’t need to invest a lot of money or specialized equipment to clean your brushes. In fact, all you need is warm water, Marseille soap or baby shampoo and a washcloth. “I prefer Marseille soap because it is effective, easy to find and inexpensive. Otherwise, a solid soap that I like the smell of,” says Hicham Ababsa. So how do you go about it? To begin with, simply dip the brush head in warm water. If the handle is made of wood, avoid getting it wet as much as possible. Then apply a dab of soap to the bristles and rub in small circular movements with the moistened glove. Rinse and repeat until no more dirty water comes out of the brush. Be careful, the make-up artist warns us: “Don’t use too much product. If soap residue remains in the brush after it has dried, it will become sticky and the application of make-up will be disastrous.

How To Dry Your Brushes?

Here we have to be very careful and take good care of our brushes. All the more so if they are made of natural materials or animal hair. First of all, you have to wring out as much of the hair as possible with your fingers. Be careful not to tear the bristles of the make-up brush. Next, we will spread a dry towel on a flat surface and place our brushes on it. One mistake you should not make is to hang these brushes upside down. The drying process could cause them to lose their original shape. “Good to know: In addition to being more ethical, synthetic fibre brushes generally have a much shorter drying time than natural hair brushes,” notes the make-up artist.

How Often Should I Wash My Brushes?

This answer may not appeal to everyone, but it’s strictly true. Hicham Ababsa explains that a brush should be cleaned after each use: “Use a brush cleaner (faster to dry) before applying if you forgot to wash it the day before or to quickly clean a powder brush containing little material (these are the longest to dry because of the number of hairs). Of course, it is not always possible to wash your brush every morning. In this case, we recommend at least one wash per week. Beauty blenders and other make-up sponges should be washed as a matter of priority, as they store more impurities than conventional brushes.

Gadgets To Make Cleaning Easier

For the adventurous make-up artist, there are gadgets that make cleaning make-up brushes much easier. Many brands have started to use them to save a lot of time for budding make-up artists and professionals of course. Birchbox, Sephora, Beauté Privée: these brands have developed a silicone glove or brush with spikes to remove dirt. “We can find brush mats that can be placed at the bottom of the sink, which are very useful for those who are in a hurry and also make it more comfortable to wash their brushes,” says Hicham Ababsa. The automatic brush cleaner is also becoming more and more popular, especially from the brand Stylpro: like a blender, the device will quickly spin the brush in a jar to remove all impurities. Time saving guaranteed.

In which order should you apply your makeup? Is it better to work on the complexion or the eyes first? And the eye shadow, is it before or after the mascara? These questions are not existential but they can still arise in a corner of our head. So that they don’t get in the way of our morning routine, here are the five steps to good makeup.