Brushes Part 1 ... Why Clean Your Brushes?

Brushes are the tools of the trade for every makeup artist out there. They come in all shapes and sizes and are used for various techniques. Being a makeup artist myself I know the importance of cleaning my brushes. No one wants a pre-used brush near their face. Yet I see women time and time again using their own brushes over and over without cleaning them. When I ask them if they clean their brushes regularly the usual reply is, “Oh, do I need to? I’m only using it on myself.” I will admit when I was in high school I did the same thing, I had no idea about cleaning my brushes. So in today’s blog post I am going to go through why it is important to clean your brushes and later in the week I will be uploading a post on how to best clean your brushes.

Firstly, you want to clean your brushes because they collect bacteria. This is especially true if you are prone to acne. Not washing your brushes means that there is bad bacteria collecting in your brushes. Each time you use your brush you are putting that bacteria on your face increasing the likelihood of more breakouts.

Secondly, if you are not cleaning your brushes you will not reap the rewards of what that little brush is designed to do. A dirty fluffy brush isn’t going to give you a wonderfully blended edge. This is especially true if you’re trying to create a beautiful subtle look but said brush has been used the weekend before on your smoky eye, what you’re going to end up with instead is a mess. Cleaning your brushes is a must if you want to create a beautiful look every time.
Lastly, you should want to clean your brushes because they are an investment. Just because a brush cost you $5 does not mean it is not good quality (my favourite angled liner brush cost me under $5, score). No matter the price of the brush you should still look after it, after all you want it to last. Well looked after brushes can last you for years, maybe even a lifetime. Just think, all that money you are saving on replacing your brushes can be used to buy more makeup, yay!

Having a clean, soft, fluffy brush on your face is a wonderful feeling. Later in the week I will share with you a few simple ways to clean your brushes.