We all know we should wash our brushes more. But it can take a dedicated half hour or more to thoroughly wash each one, and you’ve got places to be! Today I’ve listed my tricks to getting the job done, quick.

The Lazy Girl’s Guide to Cleaning Your Brushes

In the past, when it came to cleaning brushes, I didn’t do it as often as I should have. But when you think about how much makeup and face oils get caked on after daily use…It should scare you how little we wash them. (Ranks right up there with bed sheets. They don’t seem dirty, but when you read about the amount of skin cells. *shudders*)

Not to mention you’re spreading the same bacteria on your face over and over. If you have a problem with breakouts, I’d take the time to clean your brushes more often! I’d also recommend that you check what kind of soap you’re using to wash them with. I use a fantastic natural soap that clean brushes like a dream! But more on that in a bit.

My point is, wash your makeup brushes more often! It will prolong their life by conditioning the brushes, meaning the bristles are less likely to break off. Think about the brush bristles like your own hair. How manageable is your hair going to be if you went weeks without washing it? It would be a tangled, oily, separated mess. 

“But Lexi, it’s such an effort to wash my brushes! I have many many brushes, and it takes forever for them to dry!”

Ain’t nobody got time for that. I got you girl!

Deep Cleaning Soap

If you’re currently taking soap, squeezing a dollop on your hand, swirling your brush, swirling your brush, swirling your brush…Stop. Even with all that swirling and scrubbing, you’ll never get all the makeup out of the base. (And I don’t recommend digging at them if you want to have any bristles left.) 

The type of soap you use to wash your brushes also plays a part in how long your brushes will last you. You want to choose one that isn’t going to dry out the bristles. No one wants a frizzy brush! Some of my favorites include one from Sigma, as well as one that’s not marketed as a brush cleaner!

This is my secret weapon in terms of bang for you buck when it comes to saving money when cleaning your brushes.

Are you ready?!

My favorite soap for de-gunking my brushes is Dr. Bronner’s Castile Soap! This soap is powerful, but doesn’t strip the bristles. It also comes in multiple different scents, all of which are subtle and enjoyable. (I hate heavily scented soaps, especially when the item I’m cleaning comes close to my face!)

It also comes in unscented if you don’t want any smell at all, but my favorites are peppermint and rose. I use it on my beauty sponges as well as my brushes. If you battle with acne, I suggest trying out the one with tea tree oil, because tea tree is known for it’s antibacterial properties.

It has a plethora of other uses, if you’d like a post on the many uses of this Castile soap, comment down below! 

Brush Cleaning Tools

I mentioned Sigma in my first post on affordable makeup brushes from the #BrushBreakdown series. They’re a high-quality makeup brush brand, and the price goes along with it. I’ll link some more affordable options as well.

First, Sigma came out with this innovative rubber mitt with all different textures on both sides. One side is for your eye brushes, and the other side is for face brushes. The face side had larger ridges and bumps on it to gently loosen up caked foundation from the base of the brush. 

The side of the mitt where your thumb and forefinger meet is structured so that you can squeeze all the excess water from your brush. I’d say this speeds up drying time by 50%! It has grooves that separate the bristles to remove every drop. Then I lay them on a towel and arrange them so the bristles hang over the edge of the counter, allowing air to reach all sides.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This brush cleaning mitt is the one I bought and still use. Sigma continues to sell this mitt after many years, truly proving how valuable this is to have in your makeup tools. If you’re intrigued, please check it out!

If you like the mitt, but need something that takes up a little less space, then the brush cleaning mat is ideal for you! I’ve been considering buying this one to replace my mitt, just because it’s so cute and convenient!

It combines the texture of the mitt, but the leverage of the sink, so you can really get in there when you’re de-gunking. It also comes in a smaller size, but same concept.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

While you still have to squeeze some soap onto your cleaning tool for the prior items, this one does it all! This is Sigma’s newest product. The brush cleaner is formulated as a solid, and contained right under the teeth of the tool. This is a designated brush cleaner, so it won’t strip your brushes. It even has little suction cups on the back!

You stick it onto the side of the sink, swirl your brush into the teeth and soap, and rinse! This is easily the most compact brush cleaning system I’ve ever seen. Swirl + Scrub = Done.

Save Time with Dry Brush Cleaner

If you’re really in a pinch, try these next items! Dry brush cleaners are something that was developed (and perfected) in the last year or two.

The brush color removal sponge is a life changing little tool. This beauty hack will enable you to clean the color off your brush in no time. No water needed!

This also means you don’t need to have multiple blending brushes. It eliminates the need to switch brushes in the middle of your makeup application. All you have to do is swirl the bristles in the sponge to remove the color! Then continue on with your routine.

Say you want to wash your brushes a little more than just removing the color. But you still don’t have time to let your brushes dry after a deep cleaning. Dry brush cleaners have you covered!

Save yourself time by spraying your brush with one of these dry cleaners, then swirl them onto a clean towel. (I recommend using a dark colored towel, or a white towel you don’t mind bleaching.) Here’s a few:

That’s it! Remember to check out the other posts in this #brushbreakdown series – affordable makeup brushes + how to store and organize your brushes.