Full-blown beauty lover or not, almost every person on the planet has at least one beauty tool they keep in their homes or bring wherever they go. From basic hair brushes to techy hair tools and 32-piece makeup brushes, no matter how well-invested on beauty tools you are (or not), you need to know how to properly care for them.
Here’s our major thought: you should prioritize cleaning your beauty tools as much as you give attention to your personal hygiene. Why? You definitely don’t want bacteria to form and live in the stuff you use on your body, especially those you use on your face. It might be a hassle to do so few times a month or every week, but IT IS NECESSARY. And of course, you gotta do it right. Because what’s the use of exerting effort when you do it incorrectly and still put your beauty tools at risk of bacterial infestation, right?
So let go of your stubbornness and let us guide you through the steps of providing proper care to your beauty tools. Alrighty?
Makeup Brushes
With the makeup industry on a definite high the past years, not only did actual products for the face grew in sales, but the tools that are used to apply them. Makeup lovers usually don’t have just one of these—an entire set is needed even for just one look. Often, they are left for weeks, months, and even years uncleaned. So if you don’t want sudden breakouts caused by dirty makeup brushes, follow these steps.
- Wash the bristles with running water. Make sure that only the bristles are washed and don’t let the handles get wet. Be careful, because a wrong execution of this simple step can ruin your brushes.
- Use brush cleansing products, or baby shampoo if you don’t have any, to thoroughly remove the makeup residue stuck in each bristle. Massage carefully, again without getting the handles wet.
- Make sure to disinfect all the brushes using a chemical disinfectant that’s safe for the skin, or to be sure, just DIY the solution. One part water and two parts water can serve as your disinfectant, so you can make that mixture in a bowl and submerge the bristles there for a few minutes. Rinse it with water afterwards.
- Use towel to pat or press the bristles dry, then set the brushes flat on a clean surface. If you’re using a holder, make sure the brushes are pointing downwards, or else the water will run down to the base and handle. Leave them to dry overnight.
Here are some cleaning products you can use to ensure some fresh and clean makeup brushes:
- Sigma Beauty Sigmagic Brushampoo ($15)
- Sephora Collection Purifying Brush Shampoo ($7)
- Real Techniques Brush Cleansing Palette ($15)
- Bobbi Brown Conditioning Brush Cleaner ($17)
- Clinique Makeup Brush Cleanser ($18)
- M.A.C Brush Cleanser ($16)
- Real Techniques Deep Cleansing Gel ($9)
Makeup Sponges
Makeup sponges are easily prone to bacteria, since they are used damp. Aside from making sure they get to dry after every use, you have to clean them from time to time, too.
- Do an initial wash using warm water, ensuring that even the insides of the sponge are damp with water.
- Use mild antibacterial soap or your makeup brush cleanser and massage the makeup sponge as you would a normal dish washing sponge.
- Rinse the sponge with faucet water until you’re sure that all suds are gone. Repeat step 2 when you’re not satisfied, and rinse it again until you’re sure it’s as clean as it can get.
- Squeeze the sponge dry and pat it with a clean towel to dry. You can immediately use it, as makeup sponges are meant to be used damp anyway, or you can leave it to dry for hours.
Here are some special products that can be used to clean and protect your makeup sponges:
Metal Tools
Beauty tools like eyelash curlers, clippers, cuticle nippers, eyebrow trimmers and tweezers, are often left alone until they’re too dirty to use or when they break. Make sure to put on your schedule when to clean them to ensure they are safe to use.
- Wash them with water and soap, preferably an anti-bacterial one. Dry them up with a clean towel.
- Get an alcohol and a cotton and wipe them down carefully. Tools like clippers and tweezers are done after wiping, yet other tools that are used on the face should be rinsed with water and again, dried with a towel.
Hairbrushes
Hairbrushes and combs aren’t given much attention when it comes to upkeep and cleansing. And no—removing hairs stuck on the bristles aren’t enough. We’re talking about real cleaning here. Make sure you follow these steps one month.
- Remove all the hair from every nook and cranny of your hairbrush. You can get creative with this and use all sorts of pointed objects instead of your mere hands.
- Soak the hairbrush into a bowl of water added with clarifying shampoo. For plastic brushes, a good 3-5 minute soak is good, but for fabric ones, a few times of dipping is enough.
- Get a clean and unused toothbrush, wet it and put some soap on it and start brushing the bristles on your brush. Those with dandruff will definitely see a huge difference after doing this step.
- Rinse the brush and dry it with a towel. Leave it in the open overnight so it could dry properly.
That wasn’t that complicated, right? It just goes to show that just a bit of extra effort can ensure that whatever tool you use for your face and body is clean and wouldn’t give you unnecessary breakouts or skin conditions. Just a few minutes out of your day can keep your beauty tools clean and even long-lasting.
Image credits: Glamour UK, Getty Images, Allure, Rescue Spa, Ava 360, Bustle, Whoa Bella, Freepik, Her Campus.
