How to Clean Makeup Brushes: Complete Guide With Experts Tips & Users Experience

Makeup brushes are essential for our beauty routines, and it's important to keep them clean. However, many people don't know how to properly clean their brushes, which is a big mistake. You should never neglect cleaning your brushes, whether you're using them for yourself or for your clients.

Why Should You Clean Your Makeup Brushes?

The most obvious reason is because makeup brushes also get dirty and anything that gets dirty needs cleaning. After usage, brushes might fetch bacteria or dirt from your face which should not remain on your brush if you want to use them again. Dirty makeup brushes can wreak havoc with your skin and can cause much more damage than just a simple breakout or skin irritation.

Here are some more reasons for cleaning your brushes:

• Not cleaning your makeup kit regularly affects the quality of your makeup application and blending products. You can have the best makeup brushes in the world, but if they're dirty and full of product buildup, you will not get that flawless look and application you want.  Product buildup can affect the shape of the brush as well as its ability to pick up and lay down pigment, and of course, being able to blend properly.

 

• Extend the lifetime of your brushes and the investment you've made. An investment in makeup brushes is like investing in a really good set of kitchen knives for cooking or paintbrushes if you’re an artist. Taking care of your tools will help to make them last longer and protect your investment while you keep getting good results.  

 

• Dirty makeup brushes can easily contaminate your various makeup products and can transfer bacteria, pathogens and other impurities we discussed above.  By regularly cleaning your brushes you also take care of the products you use every day.  

     
Here is a comprehensive step-by-step guide for cleaning makeup brushes based on expert methods and shared experiences from various people which I have shared right after the guide:

Step 1: Gather Your Materials

Soap/Cleanser: Choose a product based on your preferences:

• Organic soaps like Savon De Marseille (Olive Oil Soap) (Tom Pecheux)
• Baby shampoo (Johnson & Johnson) or dish soap (Dawn) for general cleaning (Beau Nelson)
• Beauty Blender Solid Blendercleanse (Beau Nelson)
• Bar soap (Dove, Zote Soap) or liquid brush cleaners (Dr. Bronner's, Parian Spirit)
• Specialized cleansers like Beauty Blender Charcoal Soap, Lavish Brush Cleaner, or Rahua Shampoo (Gucci Westman)
  
  
• Water: Preferably warm water for a better cleaning experience.
• Drying Materials:
  • Clean towels (Norwex kitchen towel, paper towels)
  • A Spin Machine for quicker drying (Spin Machine Deep Cleaning Method)
• Optional: Coconut oil, olive oil (for added conditioning), or tea tree oil (for antiseptic benefits).
  

Step 2: Prepare the Brush and Workspace

• Rinse Brushes: Gently wet the bristles under lukewarm water. Avoid wetting the brush handle, as water can weaken the glue.
• Set Up: Lay down a clean towel or paper towels where you will place the brushes after cleaning. If using a spin machine, have it ready for use.
                

Step 3: Cleaning the Brushes

• Quick Cleaning:
  • If you need a quick clean, use a makeup brush cleaning spray (e.g., Mary Kay Brush Cleaner) and a makeup remover towel for fast results, especially when on the go (user experience shared on Reddit).
    

• Hand Cleaning:
  
  • Dip the Brush: Place a small amount of the chosen cleanser (liquid or bar soap) into a shallow dish or palm
  • Swirl the Brush: Swirl the brush in the cleanser, gently massaging the bristles. For tougher dirt, rub the brush directly against a silicone mat or pad (e.g., Sigma Beauty Spa Brush Cleaning Glove, Dr. Bronner’s Soap & Silicone Mat).
    
  • Lather and Clean: Gently lather the soap to break down the makeup and grime. For deep cleaning, use multiple rounds of lather.
    
  • Rinse: Hold the brush under running water again, making sure to rinse away all soap residue. Repeat until the water runs clear.
    

• Spin Machine Method (Optional for Faster Results):
  • Mix a solution of warm water, Dawn dish soap, and a bit of coconut oil in a bowl (Spin Machine Deep Cleaning Method).
    
  • Attach the brush to a spin machine, dip it into the cleaning solution, and let the machine spin to clean and dry the brush effectively.
    

Step 4: Drying the Brushes

• Gentle Press: Gently press the brush against a towel or paper towel to remove excess water. Do not wring the bristles.
• Drying Flat: Lay brushes flat on a clean towel or paper towel to dry. Avoid standing brushes upright while drying, as this can cause water to seep into the handle, loosening the glue.
  
• Speed Up Drying: If using a spin machine, this will help speed up the drying process.

Step 5: Sanitizing (Optional but Recommended)

• Disinfecting the Brushes: Use a disinfectant spray like Parian Spirit or Lucas-cide after cleaning to ensure brushes are completely sanitized, especially after heavy product use.
  

Step 6: Conditioning (Optional)

• Conditioning: After cleaning, condition synthetic brushes with a regular hair conditioner to keep them soft and supple (Beau Nelson’s suggestion). A small amount of coconut oil or olive oil can also help with conditioning the bristles.

Step 7: Final Tips

• Daily Maintenance: For daily or on-the-go cleaning, consider using a brush cleaning spray, followed by a quick wipe on a makeup remover towel, to maintain brush hygiene between full washes.
  
• Storage: Store brushes upright or flat, but always ensure the bristles are not touching surfaces that can deform them.
  

People have shared their experiences and methods as well. Here is a reddit thread where people have shared their ways to clean brushes… 

One of the users wrote "I have a Mary Kay brush cleaning spray that works really well when I just need to clean them quickly so they're not all full of product in my bag. Then I wipe them on a makeup remover towel.”

Another user shared that DHC cleaning oil was working just fine and working well on brushes but it costs too much so switched to  Beauty Blender shampoo. 

"I was using DHC cleansing oil (meant for your face) and it worked like magic on my brushes, but it’s expensive. I switched to Beauty Blender shampoo, which is okay, but now I’m trying a dish soap and olive oil blend to see how that works."

This Spin Machine Deep Cleaning method is working fine as well. The user claims that a mixture of warm water, down soap and coconut oil is cleaning brushes better than hands could have. 

"I mix warm water, Dawn dish soap, and a little coconut oil, then attach my brush to a spin machine. I dip it in the mixture and let it spin to clean, then spin it dry. It works great for same-day use and gets my brushes cleaner than hand washing"

The conversation was interesting, it got intriguing when I noticed that Norwex Cloth & Bar Soap have become a great tool to make brushes pretty much new. It is true Norwex Enviro clothes can grab the dirt from whatever you're wiping, making it great for dry dusting and wet cleaning. 

"I use a Norwex Enviro cloth with just water for my brush handles and makeup containers—they feel like new. For the brushes, I use bar soap and water, then dry them with a Norwex kitchen towel. Works pretty well!"
And for some Johnson & Johnson baby shampoo and dove soaps are working like magic.

"I used to use Johnson & Johnson Baby Shampoo or Dove bar soap, but I got a Lavish brush cleaner from BoxyCharm. It comes with a silicone mat, and the soap is just glycerin/coconut oil. I refill it with bulk soap from Amazon, and it works so much better than other cleaners I’ve used."

There were a few more methods shared as well such as:

• StylePro Brush Cleaner
• Zote Soap & Brush Pad
  
• Dr. Bronner’s Soap & Silicone Mat
  
• Beauty Blender Charcoal Soap
  
• Simple Soap & Water
  

Check out the the full thread here

Experts' Point of View on How to Clean Makeup Brushes

Courtesy Into The Gloss , apart from our own methods of cleaning the makeup brushes, we got to know methods of some industry stalwarts as well.

Tom Pecheux who is a French make-up artist and currently the Global Beauty Director for Yves Saint Laurent Beauty says that he likes to use organic soaps to clean brushes. Mr. Pecheux says that he prefers using organic soap, specifically Savon De Marseille Olive Oil Soap, in bar form. This allows him to rub his brushes directly onto the soap after each use, ensuring they are clean and well-maintained. 

When it comes to synthetic brushes, such as those used for lip and concealer applications, Pecheux said that he uses hand sanitizer after each use to keep them hygienic. Basically this approach can help you in two ways: first is cleanliness and second is longevity. 

Another expert in the lot we have is Beau Nelson.  Beau Nelson is a Los Angeles-based makeup artist.

Although his top recommendation is the Sigma Beauty Spa Brush Cleaning Glove, which, paired with the Blendercleanser, ensures his brushes get exceptionally clean. He also cleans brushes using Beautyblender Solid Blender cleanse and he condition brushes with regular hair conditioners as well. For synthetic brushes his top pick is dish soaps such as Dawn. 

Lottie is a fashion beauty artist who says that I shampoo my brushes with unscented Savon de Marseille Bar Soap. After washing, I let them dry flat overnight to maintain their shape and prevent any damage. 

Another well known makeup artist Mario Dedivanovic (makeupbymario) shared his way of cleaning brushes. According to him, he cleans the brushes first with water and then gently rubs on antibacterial soap. After that he rinses those brushes with water and wash with shampoo like Johnso’s Baby Shampoo and mixes a few drops of tea tree oil as it has some antiseptic benefits. 

Gucci Westman is a makeup artist and founder of westmanatelier shared the importance of cleaning makeup brushes daily to avoid bacteria buildup, using Éminence Organics and Afterglow Cosmetics brush cleansers. For deep cleaning once a week, she uses Rahua Shampoo. 

Hung Vanngo is a makeup artist with a large following on Instagram, and he mentions that he enjoys cleaning brushes. To clean them, he uses a liquid brush cleanser, pouring it into a bowl and dipping the brushes one by one. He saves the foundation and concealer brushes for last. After cleaning, he uses tissues to absorb any excess liquid from the brushes and then lays them flat on a paper towel to dry.

Check out interviews 

How often should you clean your makeup brushes?

According to makeup experts, makeup brushes should be cleaned regularly to maintain both hygiene and performance. Generally you can clean brushes daily, weekly and after every 2-4 weeks.

Daily: If you're using your brushes every day and they are exposed to liquid or cream products (like foundation or concealer), it’s recommended to clean them after each use. You can use a quick-drying brush cleaner for daily cleaning to remove residual product and bacteria.

Weekly: For brushes that are used with powder products (such as eyeshadow or blush), a deep clean once a week is sufficient. 

Every 2-4 weeks: If you don’t use brushes very often, a thorough cleaning every couple of weeks should be fine. However, if you notice buildup or your brushes aren't performing as well, you need to consider cleaning them more often.

In a nutshell

Cleaning your makeup brushes should be treated with the same care as any other item you use at home or at work. You are free to select the approach that best suits your needs and usage. However, you should start by using a commonly used approach and procedures, then modify them according to your brush cleaning expertise.