When was the last time that you took the time to clean your makeup brushes? If it has been a while, you may want to run and make sure it gets done today. Cosmetics and makeup brushes are known to be a breeding ground for at least 6 different types of bacteria such as Enterococcus faecalis (the bacteria that causes meningitis), Staphylococcus epidermidis (yes, that Staph infection), and Eubacterium (causes bacterial vaginosis). Frankly? I don’t want any of that on or near any of my body which means that I take every precaution possible to keep them away from my brushes. This DIY Makeup brush cleaner is just one of those ways. It doesn’t take long to put together and really is a super easy way to clean makeup brushes without a ton of added chemicals.
Cleaning your makeup brushes doesn’t have to be hard or messy. In fact, it’s quite easy. While this DIY makeup brush cleaner only has 3 ingredients, it is still able to pack a powerful punch to the bacteria that is currently on your brushes. Vinegar is well known as an anti-microbial cleaner so by adding it to your DIY makeup brush cleaner, you’re creating an easy way to clean makeup brushes that you can use over and over again. In fact, this brush cleaner is one of the things that I have stopped buying and started making homemade to save money.
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DIY Makeup Brush Cleaner – Easy Way to Clean Makeup Brushes Naturally
In addition to the vinegar, you’ll be using a Castile soap to help actually clean your brushes. The combination helps to get your brushes clean again without drying out the bristles or creating a chemical cocktail that you’re putting near your face. This easy way to clean makeup brushes is all natural so it is extremely gentle and should be fine used for brushes that are coming into contact with sensitive skin. If you do have sensitive skin, be sure that you test a small area of your skin with a brush that has been cleaned with this DIY makeup brush cleaner before you use it on your whole face just to be sure.
You Will Need:
- 1 Cup distilled water
- 1 Tbsp liquid Castile Soap (or make your own homemade liquid Castile soap)
- 2 Tbsp white vinegar
To start, add the 1 cup distilled water to a small bowl. Then mix the white vinegar with the Castile soap into a second small bowl. If you don’t want to use Castile soap, you can use the original blue Dawn dish soap. Don’t use any other dish soap. The Original blue Dawn is gentle enough to be used but any other dish soap isn’t. Ivory body wash can be used as well since it is gentle on skin too. I personally make up my own homemade liquid Castile soap and use it most of the time. Give the bowl with the soap a very gentle stir to mix it well. Don’t stir too hard though or you’ll end up with suds everywhere.
Once your soap mixture is ready, dip your makeup brush into the mixture then press down on the bottom of the bowl. Turn the brush a few times (which pressing down) so that you get all of the gunk loosened up and the soap distributed throughout the brush.
Next, dip your brush into the bowl with the distilled water. Again, press your brush into the bottom of the bowl and turn it a few times. This step is important because soap can get caught up in the connector piece or tip tops of the brushes where you might not be able to see.
Dab the brush onto a clean paper towel to remove excess soap and water then repeat the process of dipping the makeup brush in the distilled water. Again, this step is important so be sure not to skip it. Once you’ve dabbed your brush on the paper towel a second time, run your brush under a very gentle stream of warm water to finish removing any soap that is left (there shouldn’t be much). Distilled is best for this step but tap will work if you need.
Squeeze the brush with a clean paper towel and remove as much excess water as possible. Once you’ve done that, allow them to air dry completely before using.
See? I told you this DIY makeup brush cleaner was a super easy way to clean makeup brushes! Each brush only takes 2-3 minutes to clean and it doesn’t get much more natural than this! (Unless you use dish soap or Ivory).
