The 13 Best Makeup Brush Cleaners
Giving your makeup brushes a proper cleaning is as necessary as cleansing your skin before bed. These days, we’re hyperaware of germs and the importance of proper cleaning in our daily lives. One area that often gets forgotten is our makeup stash and brushes. Read on for our favorite makeup brush cleaners to keep your tools germ-free.
Real Techniques
amazon.com
For under $10, this cleansing gel puts in work to clean up your beauty brushes. This alcohol-free formula sloughs off any lingering makeup and grime with ease, even if it's caked with liquid foundation or covered in powder. The results: a truly clean look and feel to your favorite makeup brushes.
RICRIS
amazon.com
If your brushes are begging for a deep cleanse, then you need to break out the heavy artillery. Enter: This electric makeup brush cleansing set, which includes a bowl for washing and drying your brushes without making a major mess. It also includes eight attachment heads for all different brush sizes so you can clean your entire set in just a few minutes.
EcoTools
amazon.com
Have delicate pores? Then don't coat your brushes in irritable fragrances and synthetics. Instead, opt for this fragrance-free pick from Ecotools, which leaves all of the red-flag ingredients like parabens, phthalates, and petroleum-based ingredients to keep your complexion in tip-top shape.
Sigma Beauty
We love Sigma's awesome brushes and adore the brand's makeup brush cleaner just as much. We trust the brand's guidance on best practices for brush cleaning, especially since it was founded by a scientist and engineer set on changing the beauty industry.
Their brush cleaner is one of the best we've ever tried. It's formulated with coconut oil and it penetrates brush bristles to remove even the toughest makeup pigment.
"There is extensive research demonstrating that virgin coconut oil is a potent antimicrobial agent," Dr. Simone Xavier, founder and chief creative officer of Sigma Beauty, said. "Medium-chain fatty acid constituents of coconut oil including lauric acid, capric acid, and others provide antimicrobial effect by disrupting bacterial, fungal, and viral cell membranes, leading to cell death."
This stuff is awesome and you should use it to clean your brushes.
beautyblender
sephora.com
It's a given to use this solid cleanser on your beautyblender, but it is also effective when it comes to traditional makeup brush cleaning. It's one of our favorites — and one of Kelli J. Bartlett's, Glamsquad's artistic director, too.
"In my opinion, the best way to give your brushes a deep clean is to shampoo them with a soap or cleanser specifically formulated for makeup brushes, like BeautyBlender Cleanser Solid or liquid,” she said.
"This allows you to break down dirt, oil, makeup and bacteria efficiently, and whisk it away with water. Think of this wet-cleansing method like a good hair shampoo. After cleansing, be sure to lay flat to dry on a clean, sanitized surface with a paper towel or clean cloth underneath to wick away moisture."
CINEMA SECRETS
amazon.com
Millie Morales, Garnier consulting celebrity hairstylist and makeup artist, uses this one whenever it's time to deep clean her makeup brushes. The Cinema Secrets Makeup Brush Cleaner has earned a slew of other fans in the professional makeup artist industry, and it's a cult favorite for good reason. It kills 99.9% of germs and dries almost instantly.
SEPHORA COLLECTION
sephora.com
The Color Switch Brush Cleaner from SEPHORA COLLECTION is a dry, netted sponge that's able to remove pigmentation from tools without any liquid cleansers. To use this one, just swipe your brush in a swirl or windshield-wiper rotation until color is fully removed — and you're off to the next product! Yes, it really is that easy.
IT Brushes For ULTA
ulta.com
The process of cleaning and drying makeup brushes can be a lengthy one, but with this quick-dry cleanser from IT Cosmetics, your trusted tools are ready to apply a fresh coat of makeup in minutes.
MAKE UP FOR EVER
sephora.com
Most makeup brush cleaners contain alcohol, so if you're not a fan of that, this is the brush cleaner for you. It's an alcohol-free brush cleanser that instantly purifies and removes all makeup from your brushes quickly and easily.
Bobbi Brown
amazon.com
Bobbi Brown's luxurious answer to makeup brush cleaner will actually condition the bristles as it cleans. Apply a small amount of her signature cleanser to the head of the brush, and massage inward with a lukewarm rinse. Towel blot, then let air-dry for nourished brushes free of residue.
NYX PROFESSIONAL MAKEUP
amazon.com
This handy spray by NYX offers an effective cleaner that's also affordable. It's a nonabrasive makeup brush cleaner that will be gentle on your brushes while still ridding them of bacteria.
MAC
amazon.com
This minimalistic liquid cleanser from MAC is a tried-and-true classic. By working to disinfect brush fibers, each cleaning ensures that skin is less likely to get blemishes from bacteria, and bristles stay strong.
The 13 Best Makeup Brush Cleaners
Giving your makeup brushes a proper cleaning is as necessary as cleansing your skin before bed. These days, we’re hyperaware of germs and the importance of proper cleaning in our daily lives. One area that often gets forgotten is our makeup stash and brushes. Read on for our favorite makeup brush cleaners to keep your tools germ-free.
Cleaning your brushes is more important than ever.
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