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Why You Need A Makeup Brush Cleaner

On a weekly basis, there are a lot of things we routinely clean like our laundry, floors, bathroom sink, toilet, and stovetop. And then there are other things that should be getting cleaned regularly too. But, for whatever reason we put them on the back burner, so to speak, and start to frequently forget these things exist. 

Our makeup brushes end up on that list!

We know it’s important to clean our makeup brushes. And we know it would be much healthier for our skin to use clean brushes, but we just never get around to it…

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If you’re applying makeup most days of the week your brushes warrant the need for a good makeup brush cleaner!

Often times the things that end up on that cleaning list, are things that we think are a pain to clean. Or we think it will take way too long. 

What happens? 

They get put to the bottom of our to-do list and then the chances are that we will never get to it! 

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3 Reasons Why You Should Clean Makeup Brushes

If you’re applying makeup most days of the week your brushes warrant the need for a good clean! No matter if you use expensive makeup brushes or simple bamboo makeup brushes like me, it’s important to clean them for three big reasons!

1. Clean makeup brushes work as they are intended. By cleaning each brush you’ll find your makeup goes on much easier! And brushes will immediately feel soft again after washing and drying. (It’s no fun to apply makeup with scratchy brushes.) 

2. According to the skincare experts at Willow and Sage magazine makeup brushes accumulate bacteria, dead skin cells, and oil every time you use them. This clog pores and can lead to dull, broken, or blemished skin. By using a makeup brush cleaner you can help reduce breakouts and maintain a healthy complexion. 

3. Learning how to clean makeup brushes also can prolong the life of each brush. Thus, reducing waste and saving you the time and hassle of finding another good set of brushes.

So, here’s the thing

If you are using going to be wearing makeup more days than not, you need to give a makeup brush cleaner a try. 

And if you’ve switched to clean beauty products, then it’s time to switch to a non-toxic makeup brush cleaner too. Store-bought makeup brush cleaners all too often contain harsh chemicals that dry out brushes and transfer the drying and toxic chemicals to our skin – eek! 

So, what can you use to clean your makeup brushes?

It’s easy to control what goes on your skin when you make it yourself! If you are thinking about what to use to clean makeup brushes naturally – I’ve got the answer! This easy essential oil makeup brush cleaner uses essential oils known to have purifying and cleaning properties to help cleanse your brushes, removing all that unwanted gunk!  

And it doesn’t require a fancy machine or kit. I’ll show you how to make a makeup brush cleaner for a deep clean and an easy DIY makeup brush cleaner spray. What is the best way to clean makeup brushes at home? With just a few steps in the instructions below your brushes will be clean in a snap and you can check this task off your to-do list!   

How to Make an Essential Oil Makeup Brush Cleaner

 I’ll show you how to make a makeup brush cleaner for a deep clean and an easy DIY makeup brush cleaner spray.

Makeup Brush Cleaner Ingredients:

1 to 2 ounces liquid Castile soap

2 drops Purification essential oil

4 drops lavender essential oil

3 drops grapefruit essential oil

How To DEEP Clean Makeup Brushes:

1. Pour castile soap onto a bowl-style makeup brush cleaner mat. This is the mat I use, it fits in the palm of my hand with a strap on the back that helps steady it while I’m cleaning each brush. And it doesn’t have to be placed in the sink like other cleaning mats!

2. Add essential oils: 2 drops purification, 4 drops lavender, and 3 drops grapefruit to the castile soap creating a natural makeup brush cleaner.

3. Then start with your first makeup brush by saturating the bristles of the brush under warm, running water holding the brush vertically with the bristles pointed down. 

4. Once thoroughly wet, turn off the water and dip the brush into the bowl of makeup brush cleaner. Using the textured surface of the cleaning mat gently scrub the makeup brush in a circular motion for 10 to 15 seconds.  

5. Rinse the soap and makeup out the brush under warm, running water as you did before. Repeat step four as needed until the brush is clean.

Save your lipstick or eyeliner brushes to clean last. These typically have a higher concentration of oil buildup in them. So, you may need to add 1 teaspoon of olive oil or fractionated coconut oil to the makeup brush cleaner, because oil cleans oil

6. After cleaning gently squeeze out excess water. When it comes to how to dry makeup brushes lay them flat on a towel for drying.

Never dry brushes upright as the water could run down into the handle of the brush, weakening the glue that holds the bristles in place, not to mention ruining the wood handles. 

7. Once you finished cleaning each brush discard the makeup brush cleaner and wash your makeup brush cleaner mat with a dollop of castile soap.

How to often to clean makeup brushes? 

Deep cleaning makeup brushes once a month works well for me. I typically choose a Sunday afternoon to wash makeup brushes and lay them out to dry overnight. I can really notice a difference the next morning! 

But, to help keep my combination skin clear I like to apply a DIY makeup brush cleaning spray after each use. (At least when my toddler didn’t oversleep for preschool!) 

I promise once you give your brushes a deep clean and notice the difference this cleaning task will rise to the top of your to-do list! It certainly makes a big difference in keeping my skin clear. Learn how to clean makeup brushes with an easy DIY cleaner.

How to Keep Your Makeup Brushes Clean In Between Washes:

To keep my makeup brushes clean daily in between washes I use a travel size spray bottle because it tucks right into my makeup bag. I got my cute spray bottle from Astrobarn Design but there are a lot of other options that will work great too in our Essential Oil Lookbook

DIY Makeup Brush Cleaning Spray Recipe:

3 drops tea tree essential oil

3 drops lavender essential oil 

1 tablespoon witch hazel 

Combine all ingredients into a spray bottle with a mini funnel and fill the remaining with distilled water. Remove the funnel and place the spray nozzle on the top. Shake well before each use. 

How do I clean my daily makeup brush?

I spritz each brush I use 1 to 2 times directly on the bristles with this DIY makeup brush cleaning spray. Then I gently rub the bristles in a circular motion on a clean, soft bamboo washcloth for about 5 seconds. 

They dry super fast unlike washing them above so I can store them any way I need to. I like keeping mine in a washable, lined makeup bag. Because who wants to store clean brushes in a dirty bag? 

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When was the last time you cleaned your makeup brushes? 

I promise once you give your brushes a deep clean and notice the difference this cleaning task will rise to the top of your to-do list! It certainly makes a big difference in keeping my skin clear. 

I love using this DIY makeup brush cleaner spray to keep my brushes fresh and clean. And they smell SO GOOD… 

Have you tried a homemade makeup brush cleaner before?  Leave it in the comments for me or tag #oilychic on Instagram. Don’t forget to pin these easy steps to keep your skin clear and your brushes clean!

P.S. This Essential Oil DIY is a great idea for an essential oil make and take class demonstrating the cleaning power of each oil!

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