Cleaning Those Makeup Brushes : the Products I Use

There is no one way to wash makeup brushes; different people have different methods and we all favour some products over others.

I've heard of using olive oil to soften the bristles of brushes. Theoretically it sounds wonderful—plus olive oil is supposedly good for the skin!—but I might not be able to stop worrying about whether I have patches of olive oil on my face or not after using my makeup brushes. Then again, that's my personal preference.

So I go on the safe, clean(er) route by using a ready-made brush cleaner and the old-school baby shampoo.

M.A.C Brush Cleanser

I used to buy my brush cleaner from Stage. It was a good one but it had this strong, pungent chemical smell to it which I don't think is good to breathe in.

MAC Brush Cleanser is not as good as Stage's but at least it smells pleasant and gentle (and safe!).

I usually pour a small amount onto my palm, dip my brush in and work the bristles around in the solution.

The Good

• It scores a lot of points by being affordable, costing RM 48 for 233ml of cleanser. MAC Brush Cleanser doesn't just clean my brushes, it disinfects them as well.

The Bad

• One thing I liked about Stage's brush cleaner? It came in a spray bottle. I do find it too easy to spill the pump-less MAC Brush Cleanser. I have a good mind to transfer the content of this one into the empty Stage spray bottle.
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Overall verdict: Does its job and really cheap—I like it enough. I'm keeping an open mind about trying other brands' brush cleanser / cleaner though. Any recommendation would be appreciated!


Johnson's Baby Conditioning Shampoo

If it's good and gentle enough for babies' hair, it must be good and gentle enough for makeup brushes!

Johnson's has a bunch of baby shampoos but I like this one as it's more conditioning than the regular ones.

Using a mild soapy solution, like this one, can help break down the dirt in makeup brushes.

After working the bristles in the cleanser, I rinsed my brush then apply this baby shampoo onto the bristles and make the them really soapy by rubbing them against the palm of my hand. Then rinse carefully again.

Hair Conditioner

I have some stubborn brushes with hard bristles, like my Essence ones and Makeup Geek's original MAC 217 dupe. To soften those bristles, after cleaning with the two products above, I occasionally apply a tiny amount of my current hair conditioner to the bristles, work it in and leave them to soften for about 5-10 minutes. 

I try not to let the bristles soak in the conditioner for too long as normal hair conditioner may contain chemicals that could shorter the lifespan of makeup brushes.

This is usually how I dry my brushes:

from @1stclassbrat Instagram

So this is my method. I've read about five different techniques of washing makeup brushes, and mostly use different cleaning products. I'm curious to hear about your method to cleaning brushes, so do share in the comment section down below!