How to maintain your make-up brushes

24 Nov 2008 00:23 AM | Posted by Editor

Any make-up artist will tell you brushes are the most worthy investment in your beauty kit. Because, with the right care, a quality set never need be replaced. Here’s how to make your make-up brushes last a lifetime…

Neglected tools accumulate product and oils from your skin and can become a breeding ground for bacteria. Washing them regularly not only protects your investment and guarantees smooth and consistent make-up application, it safeguards your skin too.

General maintenance

 • To prevent product building up too quickly, ‘tap’, dust or wipe extra make-up off your brush with a tissue after each use.

Tip: Clinique Makeup Brush Cleanser ($34) is an instant way to brush up. Simply add a couple of spritzes to each side of your brush head and wipe clean with a tissue. Within seconds, your fresh, newly sanitised brush will be dry and ready to be reloaded.

•  It’s also a clever trick to store your brushes standing up and separate to your make-up products between uses. The inside of a cosmetic kit can be a messy place, which is not the best for the preservation of your brushes. Try a protective brush roll, like the Glitter Roll Bag (from $50), instead.


•  How often you wash your tools depends how often you use them. As a general rule, clean your brushes every month or, because they soak up oils and bacteria with each sweep, after each time someone else applies them to their skin.

How to wash your brushes

•  First, rinse the bristles in tepid water. Swirl them around in the basin, but do not soak as the water may loosen the glue binding or damage the handles.

• Apply a mild, normal shampoo to the fibres and work up a gentle lather with your fingers. Be gentle but thorough, as though you were washing your hair. Alternatively, use a specific brush cleansing solution like  MAC Brush Cleanser ($20) or Estee Lauder Gentle Complete Brush Cleanser ($26).

Tip: Adding a little bi-carb soda to the basin can help gently dissolve stubborn cream formulas and foundations.

•  Rinse your brushes well under warm, running water. Keep rinsing until the water runs clear and you are certain all cleanser has been removed – any residue may react with your skin or stop your brush picking up and depositing products properly.

• Gently squeeze the water from your brush and return the bristles to their natural shape before laying them flat to air-dry on a towel. To prevent damage to wooden handles and the glue holding the bristles in place, do not stand brushes up while drying and keep them out of direct heat. For the quickest air-dry, lay the bristles off the edge of a table.

Tip: Wash your brushes in the evening and leave them to dry thoroughly overnight before you need to use them again.

• The same method may be used to cleanse sponge and puff applicators.

 

– Tracey Withers

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