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By Jennifer G. Sullivan, a Cut contributor and author of the “Ask a Beauty Editor” column. With over ten years of experience in beauty and wellness journalism, she is the host of Fat Mascara, an award-winning podcast that takes a closer look at beauty culture. Previously, she was the beauty director and features editor at Marie Claire.
Photo-Illustration: by The Cut; Photo: Getty Images
Hi Jenn!
Is it me, or are makeup brushes harder to clean than they used to be? How do I clean them? I feel like the makeup never comes out!
Help,
Bhavya
Cleaning makeup brushes is a chore, and I commend you for doing it at all because many people don’t bother (26 percent of people have never cleaned their brushes, according to a survey by beauty-retail aggregator Cosmetify). And you’re right that it’s gotten harder over the past few years. “Makeup today is more pigmented and longer-wearing than it used to be — foundation especially has changed so much in the past five years or so,” says makeup artist Brett Jackson. She points out that these formulas are designed to cling to your face longer, which means they stick to your brushes longer, too. Read on for products and pro tips that will make the cleaning process much easier.
How do I get my makeup brushes clean?
I recently tested a dozen different makeup-brush cleansers. I found that formulas with the powerful solvent isoparaffinic hydrocarbon (such as Parian Spirit and Cinema Secrets) were able to remove makeup the fastest. However, multiple makeup artists I spoke to said that the ingredient is really potent and can dry out natural brush fibers and cause vegan fibers to disintegrate more quickly. I also noticed that the brush-cleaner smell clung to the brushes even after I rinsed multiple times and dried the brushes completely, so I can only imagine that the chemicals in the remover were still on the fibers, which probably isn’t great if you have sensitive or allergy-prone skin.
$20
Of the gentler cleaners I tested, my favorite for removing any type of makeup from natural fibers and non-waterproof makeup from vegan fibers was the Master’s Brush Cleaner and Preserver, which Jackson told me about. You just wet the bar and rub your dirty brushes along it a few times and the makeup comes right out. It also rinses cleanly and easily. Hot tip from Jackson: There are two versions of the Master’s cleaner, a beige “brush” version ($11.99 for 2.5 ounces) and a green “hand soap” version ($8.45 for 4.5 ounces), but she says they work about the same. “The hand soap looks green, but I find it works well and ends up being less than half the cost,” she says.
If you have vegan brushes and use waterproof or long-wear makeup, the Master’s cleaner will work eventually, but it does take a lot of gentle wiping and rinsing (and time) to get it all out. If you don’t have the patience, I suggest you check to see if the manufacturer of the makeup brushes you use makes a matching brush cleaner, because it will be formulated to work best with the brand’s fibers. For example, Rose and Ben Beauty makes an Everyday Brush Cleaner ($20), designed to remove makeup from its brushes. “Vegan brushes also use vegan glue to secure the fibers in the ferrule of the brush, so you want a brush cleaner that won’t break down that glue over time,” says makeup educator and Rose and Ben co-founder Rose Siard. I’ve noticed her cleaner — and others I like, such as Anisa Beauty Wash 2.0 ($20) and e.l.f. Makeup Brush Shampoo ($5) — works even better if you use it with a brush-cleansing tool that has little nodules. Rose and Ben Beauty sells a Brush Care Duo ($25) with its cleaner and a cleansing pad. The Anisa Beauty Brush Cleaning Pad ($15) and the Thrive Causemetics Brush Hero Cleansing Pad ($18) are great too.
If you don’t have the patience to do an actual deep clean of your brushes every week, at least wipe them off on a microfiber towel after each use. (Some brush manufacturers make special brush-cleaning towels, but I find the Mr. Siga Microfiber Cleaning Cloths ($15.99 for 12) work well for this purpose.) And no matter how you clean or wash your brushes, always place them flat to dry, says Siard. If you place them in a cup or they’re standing vertically while they dry, moisture will seep into the ferrule, which will cause the glue to break down and the fibers to loosen over time. You can get fancy with a brush holder that lets you hang your brushes upside-down to dry, like the Uptozobly 3 in 1 Brush Cleaning Mat With Brush Drying Holder, but that would be extra credit. At the very least, start by cleaning your brushes weekly — I’m sure your skin will thank you.
Why are makeup brushes so hard to clean these days?
Like you, I’ve noticed my brushes have gotten much harder to clean in the past few years. I thought I was just getting less patient with age, but Siard says it’s not us! There are multiple factors at play. First, we probably don’t clean our tools often enough (37 percent of people who do clean their brushes only do it once every six months, according to that Cosmetify survey). “The longer the makeup sits on the brush, the harder it’s going to be to remove,” Siard says. Second, makeup is longer-wearing than ever before. “Especially formulas that contain silicones, which make them harder to clean,” she says. On top of all that, the brushes themselves have changed. Many are made with vegan (synthetic) fibers instead of natural (animal-hair) fibers, and the quality and characteristics of these synthetic fibers vary widely. “A good-quality vegan fiber should pick up and release makeup easily,” says Siard. But there are lots of cheaply made vegan brushes: “The makeup gets stuck on the fibers so it doesn’t lie down on skin evenly and then when you go to cleanse the brush, it may be harder to clean.”
So how often should I wash my makeup brushes?
Most makeup artists wash their brushes after every use, but there’s no way I’m doing that (if you are, I commend you!). Experts say once a week is sufficient for non-professionals like us. Cleansing makeup brushes every seven to ten days will help to prevent skin issues caused by bacteria or fungus, according to the American Academy of Dermatology. And it’s not just hygienic; it makes for better makeup application. “The cleaner your brushes are, the better your makeup will look,” Jackson says. “When I see someone on TV who had their makeup done with a dirty brush, I can tell immediately.” If you’re using unwashed brushes, the makeup tends to look clumpier and not lie as evenly and you can end up with a streaky texture when blending.
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