If tools are not properly cared for, makeup brushes may become a breeding ground for bacteria. The American Academy of Dermatology recommends cleaning makeup brushes every 7 to 10 days to avoid serious skin infections. Fortunately, you can use simple ingredients in the kitchen to disinfect the dirty brush, including vinegar, olive oil, baking soda, and lemon.
DIY makeup brush cleaners are simpler, cheaper, and more environmentally friendly than purchasing cosmetic cleaners. Traditional cleaning agents typically contain soap and chemicals that can damage ecosystems and cause serious harm to sensitive skin. Moreover, there is no plastic packaging when making fresh vinegar cleaner for home use.
Here are five recipes for DIY makeup brush cleaners. These homemade cleaners only contain common, healthy, and mostly food grade ingredients.
How to properly clean makeup brushes
Contrary to instinct, never wash your makeup brush with hot water. High temperature will weaken the adhesive connecting the bristles and handle, ultimately shortening the service life of the brush.
When cleaning the makeup brush, stir the bristles to release dirt. But don’t pull them. On the contrary, the brush can be dipped in cleaning solution and gently rotated on the palm or clean surface. Try not to get cleaning agents on the wooden handle.
1.White Vinegar Lemon
Lemon slices, a bowl of lemon juice, and a brush on a tray
Vinegar is one of the most widely used and beloved non-toxic cleaning ingredients. You can use it to scrub toilets, polish mirrors and windows, clean wooden floors, and even – yes! ——Disinfect makeup brush.
To make a natural and effective makeup brush cleaner, simply mix two tablespoons of white vinegar with a cup of warm water.
Rotate the bristles in the mixture, rinse, dip in fresh lemon juice, rinse again, repeat as needed until the water is clean.
2.Baking soda
The baking soda can and spoon are placed on the wooden table
This single ingredient wonder utilizes the solubility of alkali to break down dirt and harmful oils in the brush. Sodium bicarbonate – more commonly known as baking soda – has a pH value of 8.3. The alkalinity of baking soda is an antidote against bacteria that grow in neutral or acidic environments, which is why this common kitchen ingredient is so popular as a deep cleaning agent.
Add a teaspoon of baking soda to room temperature water and let the brush soak for 20 minutes (don’t worry: baking soda won’t corrode). Rinse with newly added baking soda water as needed and repeat until the water becomes clear.
A box of baking soda costs about $1, so this may be the most economical brush cleaning method you can find.
3.Castilian soap and jojoba oil
Someone washed their hands with soap and placed their makeup brush above the sink
The commercially available brush cleaner contains irritating soap, but this formula uses a mild (i.e. skin friendly) Castilian soap made from vegetables rather than chemicals and animal fats.
In addition to being vegan and better for the skin, Castilian soap also biodegrades faster due to its lack of synthetic ingredients. Although Castilian soap does not contain sulfates and will not dry your brush, you can keep the bristles softer by adding mild oils such as jojoba oil.
Put one tablespoon of Castilian soap, half a tablespoon of jojoba oil, and about one and a half cups of warm water into a bowl.
Immerse the bristles in the solution and stir to loosen the dirt. Repeat this process until the water becomes clean.
4.Hazel and grape seed oil
Mini bottles of oil containing chopped grapes in glass plates
Witch Hazel is an astringent extracted from the bark and leaves of witch Hazel, and is also a natural product commonly used in DIY skincare. This ingredient contains 14% alcohol and is effective for disinfecting brushes, but it may also dry them. You can use nourishing oils like grape seeds to counteract the drying effects of witch hazel.
Mix two tablespoons of witch hazel and one tablespoon of grape seed oil. Pour the mixture into the bristles of the makeup brush and rinse repeatedly until the water flow is clear. Let the brush dry overnight, and you should have a soft, shiny, and clean makeup tool in the morning.
5.tea tree oil
Tea tree oil soaked on the surface of wood
Tea tree oil is gentle and suitable for most skin types, emitting a refreshing earthy aroma.
To make a tea tree oil cosmetic brush cleaner, simply dilute five drops of pure essential oil in a cup of warm water. Add five more drops of coconut oil to keep the bristles soft. Then massage and rinse as needed, repeat.
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