Sanitizing your tools is easy and necessary — but you may not be doing it as often as you should.
You’re probably aware that having clear skin comes down to several factors, including a solid skin care routine, your diet and genetics. But what you may not know is that if you want all the effort you put into your skin care routine to be worth it, then you’re going to need to wash your makeup brushes and makeup sponges (blenders) regularly too.
In addition to causing color transfer and muddiness when doing your makeup, brushes and sponges that haven’t been washed harbor bacteria that can lead to breakouts. Plus, dipping dirty tools into your makeup also transfers bacteria to your products 一 not just your face.
How Often Do You Need to Wash Your Makeup Brushes?
There’s no perfect science to this, but if you’re using your makeup brushes and sponges daily, it’s a good idea to thoroughly clean them once a week. However, if you can’t make that happen, give them a good clean at least every other week and treat them with a brush cleanser in between.
Brush cleansers are typically liquid formulas that come in spray bottles making it easy to spot treat your brushes. They have a high alcohol content which helps to kill bacteria, and they’re great for getting rid of pigment from makeup as a quick fix. But the truth is, they’re not as effective at eliminating bacteria as traditional soap.
How Do You Dry Makeup Brushes?
You may be tempted to put all your makeup brushes in an upright position while they dry, but don’t. Storing wet brushes standing up can cause water to leak into the metal bit beneath the bristles which can potentially lead to mold — the same way that washing them with the bristles facing up can. To dry your makeup brushes, lay them down on their side on a towel, or you can buy a specific drying rack for makeup brushes that will let your brushes hang upside down so the water will drip out of the brush. For a makeup sponge, you should also leave it on a towel to dry.
How Often You Should Replace Makeup Brushes?
Generally speaking, makeup brushes last about one to three years, but this will depend on the material that they’re made of, as well as how often you use them. If you notice your brushes’ bristles are becoming frazzled, stiff or are falling out of the brush, it’s time to get new ones. As for makeup sponges and blenders, replace them every three months.
Source: L'Oréal
