Here are the reasons why you need to wash your makeup brushes, and how you should do it!

Any beauty guru worth their palettes will know that while using your God-given fingers to apply product will work to some degree during your formative years in makeup, many will eventually graduate to using all manner of different makeup brushes and sponges, given how they make easy work out of application and blending, which helps to achieve a far smoother and more seamless look.

But as the old saying goes, any worker is only as good as his or her tools. Which is to say that your makeup brushes require a great deal of care as well during their lifespan, so that they may continue to do justice as you serve up each and every look. As is the case with all other personal care items, makeup brushes (and by that extension, sponges as well) should be cleaned once every seven to 10 days.

Here’s why you should definitely break out the warm water and soap for them:

1. For the sake of keeping them clean (duh)

Obviously, the biggest reason to wash your makeup brushes and sponges is to ensure that they remain clean every time you use them. Given how makeup brushes tend to feature tightly packed fibers and with makeup sponges typically made dense to guarantee an effortless finish, this also makes it incredibly easy for them to trap makeup residue, dust, dirt, dead skin cells, and other forms of pollutants.

2. Preventing instances of acne breakouts  

Consequently, using dirty brushes and sponges can lead to increased instances of acne on the skin, especially for those who already prone to the condition. This is due to the fact that dirty makeup tools instantly become a hotbed for bacteria and in some cases, fungus in humid environments.

As you can imagine, this invariably leads to an uptick of acne incidents, regardless of how well your skincare routine may be. Worse still, you may also be exposing yourself to other health concerns such as E. coli, or a staph infections, and cause cross-contamination on your other makeup products.

3. Ensuring that they work great, and last longer

Remember what we said about workmen and their tools? Yes, well with makeup tools, the concept remains the same. Caked up makeup residue on your brushes and sponges will diminish their ability to spread and apply product onto your skin, as they can cause brush bristles to stiffen and clog the surfaces of your sponges. Obviously, this means that your makeup is going to start streaking, instead of blending.

What’s more, any remaining traces of makeup on your tools can also alter the pigmentation of fresh cosmetics when they make contact, causing your products to appear different when applied on the skin.

So how exactly do you clean your brushes and sponges? Well, its relatively simple! In both instances, you’re going to want to get a bottle of gentle shampoo, as well as warm water.

For brushes: 

1. First, rinse your brushes under a running tap to remove the first traces of residual makeup.
2. Then, fill a bowl with lukewarm water and your soap. Combine the mixture before dipping only the tip of your brushes into the bowl! Don’t submerge the entire brush, as it could weaken the glue binding the bristles.
3. Alternatively, rub the brushes in circular motions on your palm to lather them.
4. Rinse after a few moments, and repeat until the water runs clean when it passes through your brush.
5. Once done, fold a sheet of kitchen roll or a towel around the brush and squeeze out any excess water.
6. Leave your brushes to dry on a flat surface, ideally with the tips leaning off from the edge of a counter or table.

For sponges: 

1. Fill your bowl with lukewarm water, and add a bit of soap to it.
2. Then immerse your sponge into the solution and lather it up. Occasionally, bring it up and squeeze your sponge to release the dirty water from inside it into your sink, before soaking it in the solution again. If you’d like, you can leave it in the solution for up to an hour.
3. Once your sponge looks clean and releases clear water when squeezed, wring it dry before leaving it out in a well-ventilated space to air dry.

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Also read: You won’t have to worry about makeup meltdowns in M’sian heat with our top 7 foundation picks!