Washing your face, fixing your hair and following your normal skin care and make-up regimen are all part of your normal routine. However, when’s the last time that you washed your make-up brushes? The ones that you use every single day? The truth is that 72% of us don’t wash our brushes.
It’s scary to think about, especially for those of us guilty of never washing our brushes, but these often-used tools tend to accumulate a lot of bacteria, and not only from the cosmetic product itself. It also accumulates bacteria from oils on our skin, dirt off our hands, and possibly from the often humid bathroom where you may be storing your makeup.
A recent study found that by the end of the first week, make-up brushes had accumulated a small amount of bacterial growth. The bacteria levels were comparable to what we come into contact on most surfaces every day. However, by the end of the following week the bacteria on the brushes had doubled and by the end of the month the bacteria level was too high to be measured.
It’s recommended that you wash your brushes once every week or two in order to keep the bacteria levels low and protect your skin.
Washing your brushes isn’t difficult and it shouldn’t take an excessive amount of time (unless you have an exorbitant number of brushes).
- Start by rinsing your brushes in lukewarm water to remove any residual makeup. Focus on the bristles and try to avoid the part where the bristles meet the handle, since that could loosen the blue over time.
- Put a small amount of shampoo into a bowl of lukewarm water and gently swirl the tip of the brush in the water.
- Rinse the tip under running water again and repeat the process until the water runs clear.
- Use a soft cloth to wipe the water from your brushes and reshape the bristles.
- Lay them flat to dry.