How to Use a Makeup Brush Cleaner (And Make Your Own At Home)

Are Makeup Brush Cleaners Worth It?

Hey beautiful, you’re probably aware that clean brushes make a BIG difference in how your makeup turns out.

Beyond just achieving that flawless look, a well-kept brush means:

• You’ll use less product.
• Your skin will get healthier.
• Your brushes will last longer.

There’s only upsides… Except for the boring task of actually cleaning them.

But the good news is that using a brush cleaner makes things way easier for you since they’re made especially for your brushes. Today, you’ll learn expert MUA tips on how to care for your brushes using the best cleaners available. We’ll also teach you how to make your own DIY cleaner using ingredients you have at home (and some nice extra tips).

Pssst: We’re talking about solid makeup cleaners, not electric brush cleaner machines. You can learn more about those (as well as 5 reasons they’re worth it) in this MUA article.

What Is the Best Thing to Clean Makeup Brushes With?

Nowadays, you have a lot of options for makeup cleaners. Some of them are more expensive than others, but they’re all worth it considering your makeup brushes are an investment for your looks.

What to Look For?

1. The ingredients they use.

 

Look for cleaners that have gentle ingredients like we mentioned earlier.

 

2. The type (solid, liquid or spray).

You can have liquid, solid, or spray options.

- Do you have an electric cleaner machine? Go for the liquid option.

- Are you a makeup artist or travel a lot? Pick spray cleaners since they’re super convenient.

- Want a deep clean that removes old makeup with ease? Then go with solid cleaners. They give a good mix of hygiene and convenience.

 

3. The pH Balance.

 

The pH basically means how acidic the ingredients are. Since bristles are very delicate, we recommend going with a high pH level.

Of course, there’s other things you should keep in mind when deciding on a new brush cleaner (like the price, reviews, or how effective they are). But these are the most important factors.

How to Clean Makeup Brushes with a Cleaner?

There’s not much difference between cleaning your brushes with a DIY mix and a store-bought one. Here’s what you need to know:

1. Swirl and massage the brush.

• Dip the brush into the solution and gently swirl it on a silicone cleaning mat or the palm of your hand. Here’s what we recommend for you.

2. Rinse thoroughly.

• Be sure to keep the brush bristle-side down to avoid water seeping into the handle (which can loosen the glue and damage the brush).

3. Dry your brushes (either manually or with a dryer).

• Once you’ve rinsed them well, reshape the bristles and lay your brushes flat on a clean towel in a ventilated area.

These are just some general steps you should keep in mind. If you want the full video tutorial, you can check it out here.

What Is a Brush Cleaner Made Of?

First things first: What makes a brush cleaner a big deal anyway? It all comes down to the ingredients.

Unlike your average soap, brush cleaners are designed with gentle ingredients that won’t harm the gentle bristles of your brushes.

Popular brush cleaners are made with special solutions that help break down stubborn makeup residues while being kind to your brushes.

Here’s some popular choices:

 

• Stylpro.

 

STYLPRO’s cleaner is made with a gentle, oil-based formula that helps prolong the life of your makeup brushes. It’s also vegan, which is a big plus.

• IsoClean.

 

IsoClean’s formula is made to clean your brushes in only one minute, which makes it very handy if you live a busy life. The bottle is also refillable, making it great for the environment.

 

• Sephora.

 

This deep cleaning formula by Sephora works with both brushes and sponges and comes in recyclable packaging. It also contains less than 1% of synthetic fragrance, making it ideal for those with sensitive skin.

Learn How to Make Your Own at Home.

Want to try a DIY approach instead? No problem, a homemade cleaner can also be a pretty good choice for cleaning your beauty picks. First, you should learn what’s actually in them.

What’s in a Makeup Brush Cleaner?

You’ll most commonly find ingredients like:

1. Surfactants.

Sounds like a complex chemical term, but these are basically special ingredients that help clean your makeup brushes by breaking down makeup and oils. It’s the thing that separates old makeup from the bristles of your brushes. Some common surfactants are:

• Liquid Dish Soap.

That’s right. Technically, you can use kitchen dish soap for cleaning your brushes, but we don’t recommend it because they can harm the soft bristles.

 

• Castile Soap.

This is an ancient kind of natural soap invented in Europe. Since it’s natural, biodegradable and nontoxic, it’s ideal for delicate materials like makeup brushes. As a plus, they work well with sensitive skin.

2. Oils.

This might surprise you, but you can actually use normal cooking oil when cleaning your brushes.

But it gets better.

Since they’re rich in healthy fats, they can both clean your brushes WHILE keeping them soft. We’ll share more about the pros & cons for each later in this article.

3. Alcohols.

These are great at getting rid of bacteria. They work by breaking down the cell walls of germs, which makes it easy to wash them away.

• Hand Sanitizer.

They’re available everywhere. While they’re great at keeping your brush clean, you should remove the old makeup first.

• Rubbing Alcohol.

This isn’t the fanciest choice, but plain old rubbing alcohol is still a great option thanks to how inexpensive they are. And while they do work, we recommend going for a gentler option, which leads us to the next point…

4. Natural Ingredients.

When it comes to maintaining your brush, mother nature knows best. Nowadays, the best cleaners use:

• Witch Hazel.

These plants are a great choice because they’re natural & packed with soothing ingredients. Witch hazel is known for reducing inflammation and being gentle on your brushes, making it also a good choice for those with sensitive skin.

• Aloe Vera.

Fun fact: This little plant was used by nobles back in Ancient Egypt. They called it the “plant of immortality” since it helps treat wounds and also nourish your skin.

Want to learn more? Join our newsletter for more MUA skincare tips (you’ll get a nice discount, too).

Can I Clean My Makeup Brush with Just Water?

Can you? Yes. Should you? No.

Beautiful, when you clean your brushes with just water… Nothing happens. Sure, you may remove the bigger chunks of old makeup, but you won’t remove bacteria. In the long term, you’ll find yourself having to constantly buy new brushes because the old ones got damaged due to improper care.

So make sure to use gentle soaps instead. Which takes us to the next point:

Can I Use Any Soap to Clean My Makeup Brush?

You’ll find mixed opinions on this, beautiful. Some people say it’s fine, others say dish soap should never touch your makeup brushes. We’ll just lay out the facts as they are so you can come up with your own opinion:

• Pros.

- It gives a deep clean.

Your standard kitchen soap is designed to clean… Well, dishes. And unless you’re playing in the mud, your makeup will never get dirty like that. So dish cleaners are great at removing bits of old makeup from your beauty tools.

- It’s super affordable.

There’s nothing chic about plain kitchen soap.

- It’s convenient.

It’s not just about the price, but how available they are. Virtually everyone has a bottle or two at home.

• Cons.

- They can smell good… TOO good.

Look, many kitchen soaps come with added fragrances that might not mesh well with your skincare routine. You want your brush to smell fresh, not like a kitchen cleaner!

- It’s very harsh on the bristles.

Like we mentioned earlier, these soaps are made for dirty plates and cups. While they will certainly remove bacteria from your brushes, they will also remove some of the softness from your brush. The worst part though, is that the more you rely on dish soap, the quicker your brushes will go bad.

- It can leave residue.

Makeup brushes are often made from taklon or animal hairs, something that dish cleaners aren’t made for. This means there’s a higher chance of old soap sticking to your brushes. So we recommend you thoroughly rinse them, beautiful.

- What Professional MUA’s Think.

From Nanshy’s experience working with MUA’s, normal soap just isn’t worth it, as using it a couple times is enough to hurt your brushes.

Speaking of which, are you a makeup artist? Then we’re inviting you to join Nanshy.

If you’re not a MUA but want to become one, then this guide will show you how you can become a makeup expert. And if you’re on a tight budget, we can help you find the best tools here.

How to Make a Makeup Brush Cleaner.

If you’re not satisfied with the available options there and you want to make your own, you can always go DIY and create your own homemade cleaner. Thankfully, making your own cleaner is super straightforward.

What You’ll Need.

Before getting started, here’s a checklist you should keep in mind:

1. A bowl with warm water (avoid hot water since it damages the brush).

2. Decide on which ingredients to use. More on these below.

3. A ventilated spot to dry your brushes.

Ingredients You Have at Home.

Earlier in this blog, we briefly talked about oils you can use. Shockingly, you can create a pretty good cleaner with common ingredients you probably have right now.

Your options are:

• Cooking oils.

- Coconut Oil.
- Olive Oil.
- Grapeseed Oil.
- Jojoba Oil.
- Tea Tree Oil.

- Pros.

Like dish soap, most people have these at home and they’re effective at removing old makeup from your brushes.

- Cons.

Some people might find the smell of certain oils (like coconut) overwhelming. Also, using thicker oils could lead to clogging or buildup in the bristles over time if you don’t wash them properly.

• Other cooking ingredients.

- Lemon juice (yes, really).
- Baking soda.
- Vinegar.

 

- Pros.

They’re natural, cheap, and antimicrobial.

- Cons.

They’re smelly.

Excluding lemon juice, ingredients like vinegar and stick to your brushes if you don’t rinse it well.

• Soaps and other self-care products.

- Standard hand soaps.
- Baby shampoo.
- Hand alcohol.

- Pros.

They’re better at cleaning than vinegar or baking soda, and they’re way better than lemon juice.

- Cons.

They’re by far the worst for the bristles.

By the way, if you’re enjoying this content, you should check out our loyalty programme for some exclusive beauty rewards.

The “Recipe.”

Regardless of what ingredients you decide on for your DIY cleaner, the actual recipe is roughly the same. Just follow these quick steps:

1. Gather your ingredients.

2. Prepare a cleaning solution.

• 1 tablespoon of the oil you choose.
• 1 tablespoon of gentle soap (we highly recommend Castile soap for this step).
• 1 to 2 teaspoons of disinfectant (like apple cider vinegar, tea tree oil, or rubbing alcohol).

3. Add 1 cup of warm water.

• Make sure it’s the right temperature. If it’s cold, the ingredients won’t mix. If it’s hot, you’ll hurt the brushes.

4. (Extra) Store it.

• If you want to make more for future use, just add extra tablespoons of each ingredient and store the mix in a sealed container. Just make sure to shake it well before using it again.

FAQs.

Can I share my makeup brush cleaner with others?

NO! Not even your bestie. When you share your cleaner, you’re also spreading old makeup, bacteria, and oils between brushes.

What happens if you don't wash your makeup brushes everyday?

The less you wash your brushes, the more nasty stuff will build up. This can lead to breakouts, clogged pores, and even skin infections. And your makeup won’t go on as smoothly with dirty brushes.

What is the best way to soften your makeup brushes?

Depending on which ingredients you use (especially the harsher ones), you’ll find your brush slightly less soft than normal. If this happens, you can try using a bit of conditioner to make them fluffy again.

What is the best method to clean makeup brushes?

There’s no such thing as the “best method.” The best way to clean your brushes is to just wash them properly after each use. Whether you use fancy soap or make your own, the point is to keep them clean.

Are DIY Makeup Brush Cleaners Worth It?

Definitely. Since you should clean your brushes everyday, having the option to create your brush cleaner on demand with ingredients you have at home can be very handy. Besides, it can be a fun experience. So we recommend everyone try it at least once.

Can I put makeup brushes in the dryer?

No. The excessive heat from the dryers weakens the glue and the ferrule. This can also make the bristles break out and become misshapen.

Extra Tips You’ll Love.

Guess what? You don’t have to do any of this.

If you’re a busy MUA or just don’t have the time to make your DIY brush cleaner (or even clean your brushes in the first place), then you’ll love these electric makeup brush cleaners.