by BR Amelia
A good worksperson never blames their tools, so if your beauty tools aren't performing to their best chances are you've been neglecting them.
Oh yes - its not just your makeup brushes you should be cleaning regularly. Anything you use on your body should be properly and thoroughly cleaned. Here's how!
Makeup Brushes.
You should be cleaning your makeup brushes at least twice a week - more if you use the same brush for different products, have active spots or acne breakouts or have particularly oily skin. Ideally you'd wash them as often as you used them, but yeah...we know.
Wash: Clean your brushes use a specially formulated brush cleaner, or baby shampoo in lukewarm water. Don't saturate your brushes in water - this can loosen the glue that holds the brush head to the handle. Rinse until the water runs clean.
You can also buy some pretty useful brush cleaning pads - silicone mats with bumps / indentations that you use to agitate the brush shampoo and encourage the residue to gently come away from the bristles.
Disinfect: Fill a small bowl with 2-3 parts water and 1 part vinegar. Lightly flutter your brushes through the solution. Rinse with fresh water.
Dry: Reshape the bristles and remove excess water with a clean cloth. Lay your brushes flat to dry.
Blending Sponges.
You should be cleaning your blenders every 2-3 uses or at the very least once a week.
Wash: Wash your sponge with warm water. Rinse the sponge under warm water to saturate it. Rub a few drops of baby shampoo into the sponge and work it in using your fingers. Rinse again with warm water until it runs clear.
Disinfect: Most sponges are anti-bacterial, but we still disinfect ours weekly. Pop it in a mug of water and microwave it for a minute or so.
Dry: Squeeze out the excess and pat dry with a towel, leave to air dry.
Metal tools.
You probably think things like tweezers, nail clippers, metal files and eyelash curlers can't get that dirty, but anything touching your skin you're going to want to be clean! And to exercise best practise you're going to want to clean and disinfect them after every use.
Wash: You can wash them using hot soapy water. An antibacterial hand soap is fine.
Disinfect: Rub down with alcohol.
Razors.
From cheapie throwaways to longer lasting buys, by taking care of your razor your can save yourself money and lessen the risk of infections.
- During use, don't do more than 2 strokes without rinsing the blade. The more hair in it, the harder it is to clean.
- After use, run the tap so there's a hot and powerful stream of water. Run the shaver under it for 10 seconds and then tilt it the other way and repeat.
- Rinse the razor from behind.
- Use a non-fluffy cloth or towel to apply antibacterial soap to the blades (BE CAREFUL!). Agitate and rinse.
- Allow the razor to dry before storing in a dry place such as the bathroom cabinet.
Hair Brushes.
If your hair is looking a little lack lustre, check out your hair brush - if it's full of hair, fluff and other debris everytime you brush your hair you're dulling it with all the buildup in your brush.
If it's been a while since you cleaned your hair brush be prepared to spend 5 - 10 minutes on it. But after that, a once a week clean will only take a couple of minutes, and you can even do it in the shower!
Clear: Pull out as much hair as you can. You might need to use a long needle or a cuticle stick to lift the hair up so you can pull it.
Clean: Fill a bowl with water and give it a good dollop of clarifying shampoo. If your brush is plastic, leave it to soak for 5 minutes. If it's a natural hair brush, lightly flutter it through the water.
Scrub: Grab a new toothbrush, nail brush or even dish brush and give the bristles a scrub to remove stubborn product buildup.
Dry: Lay the brush bristle side down and allow to air dry overnight!
Hair Straighteners / Curling Tongs.
Are your hot tools pulling your hair? Or do they seem to not be heating up as well? It might be time to give them a clean!
- Unplug the tool before cleaning and don't try to clean them while they're still warm, it'll make it harder, as the heat will evaporate the cleanser.
- Use a cleaning solution such as baking soda and water, and firmly rub the plates / rod using a paper towel.
- Get in to any nooks and crevices with a cotton bud soaked in cleanser.
- An old toothbrush dipped in rubbing alcohol is perfect for tackling areas of stubborn product buildup.
Hair Dryers.
With proper maintenance a good hair dryer can last years and years. If your hair dryer cuts out or the air flow seems weak, it's time to clean your filters!
Your manual should come with instructions - but who keeps the manuals right?! So here's a generalised step by step guide:
- Unplug your hair dryer.
- Use a firm bristled brush, like a dish brush, to sweep over any vents or gratesand remove lint and buildup. OR - Use the vacuum with the nozzle attachment to easily clear the vents.
- Most hair dryers have a filter in the back vent. Unscrew the vent and remove the filter. Wash it in soapy water and leave to dry completely before reassembling your dryer.
- Store your dryer in a drawer or cupboard to help keep it clean.
Sponges/Loofahs/Scrubbing Nets.
Probably the thing we don't even think about cleaning the most - the things that clean us!
Simply soak your loofahs, sponges or anything else you scrub yourself with, in a solution that's 50/50 water and vinegar. Hang and drip dry after.
Phew, so there's our top tips for maintaining your beauty tools - are you up to date on your chores or are you guilty of neglecting your tools?
Get chatting below!
Probably really bad but I always spot clean my makeup brushes with meths, I find it pulls all the gunk out and I have never had any issues with hairs falling out or the longevity of my brushes. I just dip them in then sort of swirl them on an old towel until they run clear. The brushes feel light and fluffy afterwards with no impact to the ferrule.