We all have different levels of makeup. Some go full glam every morning, while others keep it simple with some mascara and some lip gloss. Regardless of how much you bake your face with contour, everyone needs to be cleaning their kit. Some think that cleaning your makeup is just for the pros, but really it’s something we all should be doing. Dirty makeup and makeup tools can lead to break outs or other skin irritations and even eye infections. But how exactly do you clean your makeup? Here we give you tips that come straight from the pros on how to keep your makeup kit fresh, clean, and sanitized so your makeup can always be on point. Are you ready for the glow up? Let’s go!
Sanitizing your pallets
Makeup pallets come in all shapes and sizes. When it comes to cleaning a powder pallet, it can be hard to know where to start. Most makeup artists’ swatch the powder on a tissue then apply it to their clients. But sometimes time is of the essence and they have to apply the makeup straight from the pallet. How they sanitize it afterwards is easier than you’d think, they simply spray the whole pallet with alcohol. Yep that’s right, just any household alcohol you have on hand, put into a small spray bottle and lightly mist your powered pallets and let air-dry. You don’t have to do this every time if you are the only one using the makeup but it’s good to do monthly just to keep things fresh.
Toss expired make up
Have you ever wondered what that little cosmetic case and the “12mo” symbol meant? That’s how many months your makeup is good for from the time you’ve opened it. It’s important to throw away expired makeup especially mascara and any liquid products like foundation or lipstick once it’s reached its expiration date. Mascara can dry out and if you use it past its expiration, you run the risk of an eye infection. With any liquid makeup, it’s hard if not impossible to sanitize so it’s best to just throw it out once its time is up.
Clean brushes
Makeup brushes are your tools. It’s important to keep them in good condition so that they will keep performing and last you a long time. Spot clean your brushes after use with a daily cleanser. They come in sprays that you can spray directly on the brush or onto a towel and gently rub into the brush to clean it and keep it fluffy. You then should be deep cleaning your brushes weekly or at least biweekly so that the product doesn’t build up. If you don’t wash the brushes with soap or cleanser and water the product can get pushed further into the ferrule. That is the metal part of the brush that holds the bristles together. Also be sure that after you have washed the brush to lay it flat to dry and not upright. If water gets into that ferrule it will deteriorate the brush faster.
Change sponges every 1-3 months
Beauty blenders and puffs are great tools to blend and conceal, but they can harbor harmful bacteria overtime. You should be washing your makeup sponges after every use to keep them clean, but after a few months, its time to toss it. Even if it looks clean on the outside, you don’t want to risk pressing bacteria into your clean face. It could definitely cause break outs and a lot of other skin irritation problems.
Keep lip products clean
Sometimes lip products can get a little dirty. Whether you just reapplied after lunch or your kid was playing dress up again, they can get a little gross. But you don’t have to throw it out. Scrape away the top layer of the contaminated lip product with a tissue to get rid of the contaminant and it will be good as new!
