5 Best Ways to Clean Makeup Brushes

I get a text from a friend asking me how to clean makeup brushes, here I want to share you with 5 ways I think best to clean makeup brushes.

1. Soap. Water. Hands. Done.

This is my personally preferred method for fan brushes and Beauty Blenders, because #easy, but you can’t just squeeze any ol’ soap on your precious brushes—you need to either use Dawn (the gentlest of antibacterial soaps) or none.

2. With a fancy, ribbed silicone mitt or mat.

If using your hands doesn't feel thorough enough for your deep-cleaning desires, then no worries—we’ve got you covered. You can slip on the Sigma Spa Brush Cleaning Glove or set the Real Techniques Brush Cleansing Palette in your sink, both of which have an insane amount of rubby nubby patches to really wash away grime in the grooves of your brushes.

3. Baby shampoo and a bowl.

Hey, if baby shampoo works for the world's most-sensitive, delicate creatures, then it's definitely going to work for your makeup brushes.

4. With a cleansing balm.

Makeup-brush cleansing balms, like Japonesque Solid Brush Cleaner, are basically a cross between a bar of soap and baby shampoo.

5. With a hi-tech, brush-cleaning machine.

We'll be the hundredth person to say that the Lilumia brush-washing machine is absolutely unnecessary for cleaning brushes, especially for $160, but it's totally an option for people who just really, really hate cleaning their brushes.