Beauty experts recommend giving your brushes a thorough cleaning every week to rid them of residue, oil and bacteria. I don't know about you, but I seldom remember and am lucky if I get to my makeup brush cleaning routine once a month.
The silly thing is: It's truly an effortless endeavor. To prove my point, I dropped everything I was doing this afternoon and made it a priority to clean my makeup brushes. I'm delighted to share that it took a whopping five minutes. Easy breezy.
Here's the simple, effective way to make your makeup brushes seem like new again:
Step one: Gather your materials
You'll need all of your brushes, a nice big bowl filled with lukewarm water and shampoo. I prefer baby shampoo because it's incredibly mild, but I also have a baby to go with that shampoo — use whatever you have in your bathroom. Drop about a tablespoon of shampoo into the water.
Step two: Dip
Take each brush and dip it into the soapy water. Move the brush around your bowl so that you help loosen any residue or grease trapped inside.
Step three: Soak 'em
If it's been a while since your last cleaning, you may need to soak your brushes for about 10 seconds in the water. Don't keep them submerged in water for longer than that because you don't want the glue that holds the head of the brush to peel off.
Step four: Rinse
Take your brushes out of the bowl of water and give each a separate rinse under cool running water. Again, no need to wash anything other than the bristles.
Step five: Lay them flat and Shape 'em
Lay all of your brushes flat on a dry dishcloth or small towel. Using your fingers, push the bristles of your brushes back into shape. Continue to allow them to dry overnight.
Seriously, that's it — that's all it takes!
Of course, you could get fancy and purchase a brush cleaner like Shu Uemura, which we hear is just lovely. How you handle your makeup brush business is totally up to you, but don't neglect this crucial beauty step — your skin will thank you!
More about makeup brushes
How to clean your makeup brushes with olive oil (VIDEO)
18 Makeup brush tips for your features
How to organize your makeup stash