How To Clean Makeup Brushes, Sponges, and Other Beauty Tools

What’s the Best Soap To Clean Makeup Brushes?

You can buy a product made specifically for cleaning makeup brushes and makeup blenders, usually in the form of a bar soap or liquid. If you don’t have any on hand, you can keep it simple by using products you already have at home. 

A gentle shampoo or a clarifying shampoo can help break down the makeup, oils, and dirt that have caked onto the bristles over time. You could also try using a facial cleanser, like the L’Oréal Paris RevitaLift Radiant Smoothing Cream Cleanser, to wash your brushes. 

If you follow a dedicated skincare routine but don’t know how to clean makeup brushes properly—or don’t do it often enough—you’re probably not treating your skin with as much care as you think you are. While cleaning makeup brushes can feel like a chore, it’s essential to make the habit a part of your routine. Dirty brushes (and sponges) can be a breeding ground for bacteria—and applying makeup with less-than-clean tools can potentially contribute to breakouts or irritation. If you’re not sure how to wash makeup brushes or how often it needs to be done, keep reading. We’re sharing all of the details ahead, plus tips on how to store your beauty tools so they stay in great condition. 

How Often Do You Need to Wash Your Makeup Brushes? 

The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) recommends cleaning makeup brushes every seven to 10 days to help remove debris and curtail bacterial growth. However, if you can’t make that happen, aim for at least every other week, cleaning your makeup brushes with a brush cleanser formula in between more thorough washes. 

Brush cleansers are liquid cleansers designed to remove buildup and debris from makeup brushes. While they can remove impurities and may contain ingredients designed to help kill bacteria, these formulas aren’t the best way to clean makeup brushes. A traditional cleanse with soap and warm water is more effective. 

What Should You Not Clean Makeup Brushes With?

While you may have heard that dish soap is a good option for cleaning your brushes, that’s a bit of a misconception. While dish soap can break up the grime on your brush, it may also dry out the bristles and cause your brush to deteriorate faster. The same can be said of regular hand soap or bar soap. If you wouldn’t rely on it to wash your hair or face daily, it’s not a good choice for cleaning makeup brushes. Instead, pick one of the gentler options we mentioned above.

How To Clean Makeup Brushes

To make sure they stay clean and in good shape, follow the steps below to learn how to wash your makeup brushes.

1. Lather and swirl

Set up your dirty tools at the sink and run lukewarm water from the faucet. Begin by wetting your dirty makeup brushes under the water, angling the brush so the bristles are facing down (this helps prevent water from seeping into the handle and loosening the bristles over time). Then, squeeze a small amount of cleanser in the palm of your hand. Take a brush and swirl its bristles in your hand to build up a lather and help loosen the makeup buildup. You can also rub the bristles on a brush cleaning pad—a silicone mat with texture and ridges that will remove debris from your brush—to help clean them. 

2. Rinse and check

Once your brush is sudsy and the lather has changed color—for example, the white foam is now the color of your foundation—rinse your brush. Repeat these steps until the water starts to run clear and your tools have returned to their original color. Remember that some brushes (like stippling brushes) have densely packed bristles, so make sure they’re getting a thorough cleanse by spreading the bristles apart and really working the soap into them. 

3. Test and dry

When you’ve finished rinsing, gently brush your tools against a microfiber cloth or towel (even a textured paper towel will do!) to see if you’ve done a good job cleaning your makeup brushes. If they leave a streak of product behind on the towel, start over, but if you’ve been thorough, this test will leave behind zero residue. Then lay your brushes flat to dry on a towel, which will help absorb any excess water. 

How To Clean Makeup Sponges

Traditional brushes probably aren’t the only tools in your arsenal—many also use makeup sponges to blend and apply liquid and cream products. These, too, should be cleaned weekly to help prevent bacteria buildup. Here’s how to wash your makeup sponges:

1. Lather away

First, squeeze your dirty makeup sponge a few times under lukewarm water to thoroughly saturate it. You should then pour a small amount of liquid cleanser onto the blender and massage it in, which will help break down the makeup that’s been absorbed by the sponge. 

2. Rinse, squeeze, and repeat

Rinse and squeeze out the excess water, repeating this process until the water coming out of the sponge runs clear. If necessary, add more cleanser. 

3. Dry and store

Leave your blender on a towel to dry, then store it in a cool, dry place until you’re ready to use it.

How To Clean Other Makeup Tools

While many people recognize that brushes and sponges need to be washed (especially because they often come in contact with wet formulas, which are more likely to harbor bacteria), it’s easy to forget that tools like eyelash curlers and tweezers also need a deep clean from time to time. Fortunately, you can clean these tools with items you likely already have lying around your home. 

Eyelash curlers

Eyelash curlers can quickly become caked with dried mascara, which can interfere with how well they work (and potentially damage your lashes). Once a week, follow these steps to clean your curler:

1. Remove the rubber pad from your eyelash curler. 
2. If the rubber pad is more than six months old, throw it out and replace it with a new one. Otherwise, wipe down the pad with a cotton round soaked in rubbing alcohol to remove makeup, oil, and other debris. Once it’s clean, set it on a clean paper towel to let it dry. 
3. Using a new cotton round (and more rubbing alcohol), thoroughly wipe down the eyelash curler, concentrating on any product buildup that may be on or around the head of the tool. If necessary, use an alcohol-soaked cotton swab to get in all the nooks and crannies of the eyelash curler. 
5. Once the rubber pad and eyelash curler are both fully dry, you can reinstall the rubber pad and use your tool. 

Tweezers

Tweezers may not be considered a makeup tool (unless you use them to apply false lashes), but they should still be cleaned regularly—ideally, after every use. Here’s how: 

1. Use a cotton pad soaked in rubbing alcohol to wipe down your tweezers, concentrating on the tips.
2. If necessary, you can sterilize metal tweezers by submerging them in a cup of boiling water for approximately 10 minutes. 
3. After cleaning your tweezers, lay them out on a clean paper towel to let them dry. 

How Do You Dry Makeup Brushes?

After cleaning your makeup brushes, you may be tempted to store them in an upright position while they dry, but that’s not a good idea. If the bristles are wet while a brush is standing up, the water can seep onto the handle and potentially break down the glue that attaches the bristles to the handle. 

Instead, dry your makeup brushes on their side on a towel, or buy a special drying rack for makeup brushes that will let your brushes hang upside down as they dry. This allows air to circulate around the brush as the water drips out or evaporates, keeping the brush head in its proper shape. For a makeup sponge, you should also leave it on a towel to dry.

How To Store Makeup Brushes

Once your brushes are dry, store them in a cool, dry place. In recent years, we’ve seen an increase in retailers offering storage devices for makeup tools. If you’d prefer not to invest in one of those, you can get creative and store yours in a mason jar, a beautiful glass vase, or even a small bin that can sit on your vanity. After they’ve dried, you can place your brushes upright. We suggest keeping them covered if possible to prevent any bacteria or dust from coming into contact with the bristles. So long as you’re regularly cleaning your makeup brushes, drying them properly, and storing them somewhere safe, your tools should stay in good condition.

How To Store Makeup Sponges

Similar to makeup brushes, makeup sponges need to be stored someplace dry to avoid bacteria buildup and to maintain the integrity of the spongy material. If you have the space, you can place a vertical rack on your vanity to hold several makeup sponges. You can also get crafty with your sponge storage by using a (clean and empty egg) carton. Since many makeup blenders are approximately the size and shape of an egg, they fit quite well into egg cartons—just use a paper carton to ensure that it stays dry (and so that you can see when it isn’t).

How Often You Should Replace Makeup Brushes?

Generally speaking, makeup brushes last about one to three years, but this will depend on the material that they’re made of, as well as how often you use them and how well you care for them. If you notice your tools’ bristles are becoming frazzled, stiff, or are falling out when you’re cleaning your makeup brushes, it’s time to get new ones. As for makeup sponges and blenders, replace them every three months.

What Happens If You Don't Clean Your Makeup Brushes?

Applying makeup with a brush or sponge that already has makeup residue on it can result in a patchy or uneven makeup application. Depending on the products you’re using, it could also make your makeup appear blotchy or muddy. 

More importantly, not cleaning your makeup brushes can result in the transfer of bacteria and oil from your brush to your skin when you apply your makeup. You probably know where this is going: Oil and bacteria can cause breakouts and clog pores, potentially leading to breakouts. And once you dip that same bacteria-ridden tool into your products, you could also be dipping that bacteria into your fresh makeup products. Help keep your tools and products sanitary by cleaning your makeup brushes for a few minutes each week—your skin will thank you. 

Next Up: Why Do You Get Acne On or Between Your Eyebrows?

Photo courtesy of L’Oréal Paris