Cleaning your make up sponges and brushes regularly is very important since they can easily gather dirt, sebum, old make up and bacteria from each use. And every time you use them again, you're reapplying all those nasty stuff on your face.
Since I regularly clean my brushes and sponges, buying brush cleaners would be too costly for me. I have never bought any brush cleaner in my life since I I discovered this method of cleaning and disinfecting my make up brushes. I just didn't feel the need to spend a lot of money since this method is already effective enough in cleaning my brushes.
I've tried other methods before like using baby shampoo, regular bar of soap but I find this method to be the best in getting rid of all traces of make up (especially the stubborn foundation residue).
To clean my brushes I use:
an antibacterial dishwashing liquid
extra virgin olive oil
small bowl
Depending on how many brushes I have to clean, my ratio is usually 1:2 tbsp (oil:diswashing liquid). I dip my brush in the mixture making sure that it touches both the oil and dishwashing liquid. Then I swirl the bristles against my hand, then rinse it with water.
The dishwashing liquid is the key to cleaning your brushes and getting rid of all the gunk stuck in the bristles (same way it's effective in cleaning and removing gunk from our plates). Choosing an antibacterial one disinfects it at the same time. On the other hand, the olive oil conditions your brushes since the soap can strip all the moisture away from your bristles.
Once your brushes are squeaky clean, make sure you dry them the proper way (standing or slanted). This ensures that your bristles won't fall off and last longer.
Let me know if you have other effective affordable methods in cleaning your make up brushes and how often do you clean them?
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Credits to Michelle Phan since I learned this method from her.
