Makeup Brush Maintenance & DIY Makeup Brush Cleaner

  

 

  After I posted the article about alternative makeup brushes, I received a couple of questions about brush maintenance and cleaning.  One of the questions dealt with the frequency of cleaning and the other was about recommended makeup brush cleaners.

  How often you clean your brushes depends on how often you use your brushes.  Some recommend cleaning them once a week or more and deep cleaning them once a month.  I like to clean my brushes daily and deep clean them once a week.

  I got the following recipe from a makeup artist friend of mine, who got it from someone else.  I've used this recipe several times and found it to be very effective.

You will need:

Distilled Water

91% Alcohol (to sanitize)

Dishwashing Liquid Soap (any kind will do, but I prefer Dawn or Palmolive)

Baby Shampoo

Spray-on Leave-in Conditioner (make sure you use liquid, not cream or gel-I use Aussie Hair Insurance Leave-in because it's cheap @ WalMart)

An Empty Bottle (to put the final product in)

A Funnel

A Non-Metal Stirrer (I use a wooden bamboo skewer)

A Large Glass Pyrex Measuring Cup, like the one pictured below (the top is not necessary):

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• Mix 1 cup of water, 1/4 cup of alcohol, 1/2 tbs. dishwashing liquid soap, 1/2 tbs. baby shampoo, 1 tbsp. leave-in conditioner
• Very gently stir all of the ingredients and use the funnel to pour the mixture into the empty container

   I like to pour half of my solution into an empty bottle and the other half in a small spray bottle for quick cleanings.

  I've also had really good results with M.A.C's brush cleanser.  It is formulated to clean, sanitize, and condition your brush bristles which will increase the longevity of your brushes.  Their brush cleanser retails at eleven dollars and is concentrated so it lasts for a while.

Questions? Comments?  Requests? email me @ jamiethemakeupartist@ymail.com