How to Properly Clean Your Makeup Brushes

 invest a lot of time and money in perfecting our makeup routine. With all of our contouring and smokey eyes, it's important to properly clean your makeup brushes regularly. A dirty brush can hold makeup residue, sebum (the natural oil your face produces) and bacteria. Clogged pores and breakouts? No thanks.

What You'll Need

• A bowl of warm water
• Argan oil
• Face wash or baby shampoo
• A clean cloth
• A sink

Directions

1. Run your brush under the sink to rinse away any extra makeup residue.
2. Add a few drops of argan oil and a little face wash or baby shampoo to the bowl of water.
3. Dip the bristles of your brush into the solution, but be careful not to soak the part of the brush where the bristles connect to the handle, as the glue can loosen over time.
4. Swirl the bristles of the brush around your hand to create a lather.
5. Rinse the brush with clean water and repeat steps 3 and 4 as many times as necessary to get your brush clean.
6. Once your brush is clean, rinse thoroughly and dry with a clean cloth.
7. Reshape the bristles on your brush and lay flat to dry.

It will take a while for your brushes to dry completely, so I recommend doing this at night. You should use a daily brush cleaner to maintain your brushes throughout the week, but a thorough washing should happen once a week. Quality makeup brushes can be an investment. Treat them with care, and they can last you for years.