HOW TO CLEAN FOUNDATION BRUSHES, SPONGES & PRODUCTS

The recent uptick in hand-washing, hyper-attention to hygiene and wiping down surfaces is making us all rethink how we take care of ourselves and our things. Our beloved makeup, included. If you’re wondering whether to toss out your makeup and start fresh or forego makeup altogether…wait!

Simply go through your makeup collection and individually clean each piece. Cleaning your makeup is essential! Here’s how to do it.

These directly touch your hands and face and tend to breed bacteria if left dirty or wet. Clean after every use, if possible. It’s important to remember that DRYING your makeup sponges and brushes is just as important as cleaning them, too! Mold grows quickly if they’re left damp for too long. Leave them to dry in the sunshine, as opposed to a dark, damp bathroom. If your makeup sponge is really funky, best to invest in a new one.

For more information on how to disinfect, wash and dry your makeup tools, visit Makeup.com to check out their great tutorial.

Wipe down the outside of your makeup with a Clorox wipe before using. If you can’t get ahold of those, get a small spray bottle, fill it with rubbing alcohol then spray all of your palettes and tubes and let it dry. The best concentration of alcohol to look for is 70%. Formulas that are 90%+ alcohol evaporate too quickly to fully disinfect makeup!

Liquid foundations and blushes: We’re talking tubes and bottles here. The area you want to clean on them is the nozzle you screw the cap onto. Wipe it down with an antibacterial wipe or spritz with alcohol and wipe with a fresh tissue. Don't forget the inside of the cap as well. If it’s too small and fiddly to wipe down, spritz with alcohol and let air dry.

Lip and eye pencils: Thoroughly sharpen your lip and eye pencils before every use to shave off the outer layer that may potentially have been exposed to bacteria. And remember to clean your sharpener too! There are many little nooks and crannies in sharpeners, so rather than spritzing, submerge it in rubbing alcohol for about five minutes then dry it with a clean tissue.

Mascara: Mascara is tricky as the eye area is so delicate and easily compromised. If you have any qualms about the health and safety of your mascara, best to recycle it and start with a fresh one. However, if you’re in good health and are the only one who has used your mascara, no need to throw it out. Just give it a cleaning! Most of the brushes (aka spoolies) are made of synthetic nylon, which is easy to clean. Spritz alcohol directly onto the spoolie before twisting it in a fresh paper towel to remove all product. Alternatively, you can get some disposable mascara wands and use those to apply your favorite formula. Disposable wands will not have the same oomph as your brilliantly-designed mascara wand, though.

Makeup bags: Spritz and wipe down the outside and inside of your makeup bags and kits thoroughly with anti-bacterial wipes or rubbing alcohol.

We know you know this, but it bears repeating: Wash and sanitize hands before touching your makeup or your face!

So, apply your makeup, then when you’re done—here’s the trick—spritz a makeup-setting spray to lock it in. If you’ve never tried one of these, they really work. No smudging, no fading, and no touch ups required all day long. So you can keep your hands away from your face all day!