How To Naturally Clean Makeup Brushes

Does your makeup brush need a good clean? Let me show you how to naturally clean makeup brushes with this homemade, eco-friendly, and non-toxic cleaning solution. Made in seconds with simple, sustainable ingredients, your brushes and skin will love it!

I have a confession to make. I never even owned a makeup brush until fairly recently. I used to just apply makeup with my fingers because I felt I never wore enough makeup to justify buying fancy tools. My makeup bag literally consists of four items. And honestly, who doesn’t like finger painting?!

Then I bought a makeup brush last year. Notice, singular – I’ve not gotten carried away with myself! After that, I wondered what on earth I’d been doing all these years. It’s so much easier to apply certain cosmetics with a brush than with your fingers.

Then I found out you actually need to clean your makeup brushes. This is because it helps keep your skin clean and healthy. Without cleaning your brush, you’re just brushing dirt and bacteria around your face. Which, let’s face it, isn’t so appealing.

Thankfully, I’ve come up with a DIY makeup brush cleaner using simple and natural, non-toxic ingredients that won’t damage your brushes or irritate your skin. Here’s all you need to know:

How To Naturally Clean Makeup Brushes

When it comes to cleaning your makeup brushes, no one wants to be messing about with lots of different ingredients. Therefore, I think it’s best to keep it simple.

The main ingredient I use to clean my makeup brushes is Dr. Bronner’s liquid castile soap. I clean my home with castile soap in lots and lots of different ways, and always have a bottle in my bathroom cupboard. It’s a little on the pricier side of things, but you only ever use it very heavily diluted. Therefore, it does work out at incredibly great value.

The thing about Dr. Bronner’s is that it’s certified organic and made with only pure plant oils, so there are no nasties in it whatsoever. It’s also incredibly gentle on your best makeup brushes.

Here are the steps you need to clean your makeup brushes:

Ingredients

Makes a single-use cleaning solution.

You will need:

• 50 ml lukewarm water (approx 2 inches of water)
• 1 teaspoon of liquid castile soap (I buy mine from Ethical Superstore, but here are more options)
• 50 ml of white vinegar

Equipment Required

• A small jar or pot
• A clean, dry flannel

Cleaning Instructions

• Add the liquid castile soap to the lukewarm water and stir to combine. It’s important to use lukewarm watera as if the water is too hot, it may melt the glue that holds the bristles of your makeup brush in place.
• Next, place the bristles in the soapy solution and swirl a few times to loosen the old makeup.
• Keep going until the brush looks clean, and then rinse the brush in some clean lukewarm water.
• To ensure all the soap has been removed, dip your brush bristles in a small jar of white vinegar. White vinegar is amazing at cutting through soap, leaving your brush super clean without any soapy residue. While it might seem like it would make your brush smell like a chip shop, trust me on this. Once your brush is dry, it won’t smell of vinegar. This is because vinegar dries without an odour. It’s a natural cleaning miracle!
• Finally, gently mould the brush back into shape, and then leave it to dry on a flannel.

Viola, naturally clean makeup brushes with very little effort!

Top Tips

It’s important that you don’t leave your brush sitting in water. You only want your brush to be in soapy water for as long as it takes to clean your brush. It doesn’t need to steep for any length of time; otherwise, it may damage the metal and/or wooden components of your makeup brush, shortening its lifespan.

More Sustainable Beauty Guides

If you are looking to green your beauty routine, then I’ve got heaps of useful guides:

• Try my guide to zero-waste and plastic-free makeup if you are looking to upgrade your makeup supplies.
• My big guide to plastic-free ways to take off your makeup helps you avoid any single-use plastic.
• And my guide to affordable and sustainable beauty brands will help you find some new green brands.