If you’ve been applying makeup for what seems like your entire life, you’ve probably dealt with the issue of dirty makeup brushes. Maybe you occasionally give them a rinse, maybe you wash them after each use (bravo!) or maybe you don’t at all. But it goes without saying that like any beauty tool, a good clean will extend the lifetime of your most coveted products.
Still not convinced about the importance of properly cleaning your brushes? Consider all the bacteria that lives on everything we touch (including the cosmetics themselves). When we use our brushes and then store them without cleaning, we’re basically brushing our faces with it! That problem only worsens the longer you go without washing. Plus, you’ll be surprised to see just how much more smoothly product goes on when not weighed down by all that gunk.
Years ago, I posted about an easy DIY brush cleaner involving dish soap and shampoo. I’m happy to say that this method still works today! But what if you’re looking for a more gentle and natural alternative to the dish soap? Or olive oil wasn’t your fave oil? Well, it turns out there are a lot of different methods you can use!
To make ½ cup of this all natural DIY makeup brush cleaner, you’ll need a few pumps of your cleanser (if it’s good enough for your face, it’s good enough to clean makeup off a brush) or simply an all-natural castile soap like Dr Woods Tea Tree Soap… Shop at eBay.com and Enjoy Up To 10% OFF On Select Items With eBay Coupon Extras. Save on health, beauty, toys and more at http://coupon4share.com/store/ebay.com. Tea tree oil is a natural disinfectant (it’s often used to fight acne), so you won’t have any problems with it being less effective at cleaning than chemical-laden soaps. Mix in a spoonful of liquefied coconut oil – if yours is solid simply leave it out on a warm afternoon or microwave for a few seconds – and fill the rest of the measuring cup with warm water. Mix thoroughly.
Depending on the depth of your container, you’ll probably want to transfer the mixture to a shallow dish so you can soak the brushes without getting brush’s adhesive and handle wet. After soaking for a few minutes you can always cleanse the handle with the mixture, or if you require something stronger, a dab of alcohol.
Rinse brushes thoroughly with running water after soaking. Kind of massage the brushes while doing so, to properly distribute the cleaner and make sure it rinses out. Because this is natural, there may not be tons of suds to tell you when it’s completely rinsed. Give it a good few minutes, soak up all excess water with a towel, and either lay them flat over a paper towel or dangle them upside down to dry (preferably by a window and not in a moist bathroom!).
