Did you know that dirty makeup brushes can impact your skin, your makeup application game and so much more.
So how often should you wash your brushes?
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The answer to this question is...often.
If you are someone who has never really "washed" your brushes, the type of person who probably at some point just throws out your dirty brushes after a long time and starts again with a new one, or maybe someone who only uses the spray on "brush cleaner" you can find in most drug stores, then this blog is for you honey.
When we say often, we mean at least once a week. And that means a really thorough brush clean using LB.
There are a number of reasons why we say this, and we will go into the depths of that in this blog. Covering some of the science behind bacteria formulation and how it spreads, as well as some of the more glam reasons why it's a fab idea to wash often.
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Starting at the Source
When applying your makeup, if you are a brush user, the very first thing you do is pick up that brush and dip it into your makeup kit.
Now let's assume you are starting with a clean brand new brush and a clean makeup kit. Everything is pretty clean and safe at this moment.
From the second that brush touches your face however, that all changes.
Whether you woke up and washed your face this morning or not (we hope you did), somewhere between last night or this morning, your face will have secreted its own oils. These oils are made up some bacteria, (don't worry it's totally natural) and other enzymes that your body and skin use to look after itself.
While entirely harmless, and in most cases good for you, when these oils come into contact with your brush, some of those molecules will jump ship and take a ride on your brush.
Now that's assuming it is just run of the mill oils coming out of your pores. What happens when you have an active pimple. Your body is expunging itself of bad bacteria and white blood cells during the healing process, in the form of a white head or pus. Now imagine along with all your other biological oils taking a ride on your brush, now too there is some pimple secretion catching a lift on your makeup brush.
Some people will use the brush cleaning sprays on their brush after each use. And we totally advocate for that. While not all cleaning sprays are created equal, many are actually great at disinfecting your brush of immediate oils and bacteria on the surface of the brush. They are a great way to keep your brush somewhat clean and clear during the week until a thorough clean can be done.
The problem is, not everything stays on the surface, does it. If your are using liquid makeup or you use your brush in many different ways and directions, there is going to be some makeup and facial oils that hold on for dear life to those inside bristles and no amount of disinfection spray is going to clean them.
Maybe this doesn't sound like you, maybe you are super gentle and barely disrupt the fibres of your brush as you apply your makeup like an angel (unlikely). It doesn't actually really matter. There is always going to be makeup particles with facials oils attached somewhere in your brush. I dare you to pick up a brush right now and look in the middle of it, around the roots (for all our lazy girls, you probably won't have to look that hard hehe) and I am certain you will see makeup particles. And I bet you have no idea when they got there.
The thing is, while facial oils and even bacteria from active pimples is quite harmless to your skin in most cases and is in fact only part of your bodies healing process, left out to age, never cleaned or wiped, can brew some pretty ugly stuff.
Imagine if you never ever washed your face. And I mean never. You took a shower and your face never hit water. How clean and clear do you think your face would be. What would it smell like. Probably not great, we're guessing.
That is what is happening to your brush.
And after all this has or is happening, tomorrow you will take that now somewhat contaminated makeup brush, dip it into your nice fresh clean makeup palette and apply again. Only this time, you are starting with a dirty brush and now, potentially a dirty makeup kit.
We can hear the screams now, and it's coming from your pores!
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It's Glow Up Time!
Now, if dirty bacteria mixed with old makeup, brewing inside your makeup brush, isn't enough to get you cleaning, then our next reason will.
If you want that Kim K, completely flawless, glam game on point, look, then starting with dirty brushes just ain't going to cut it.
Do you think Ariana's MUA brings dirty a** brushes to photoshoots with day or even week old, caked on makeup still on the bristles. Hell no! And there's a reason for that.
All the best MUA's know, to do the best makeup you need to start with a fresh face and fresh tools. The reason for this is 3-fold.
1. For all the reasons we mentioned above. And well, yuck!
2. Makeup is best applied when it is resting just on the outside of a brush, ready to gently touch your face. Your makeup brush is certainly not going to pick up your makeup well or let go of it easily onto you face, if it is coated with old makeup and oils already.
3. Old makeup mixed with new makeup muddies colours and never delivers the tone or results you were hoping for.
For that insta worthy look, you need to have clean brushes. It's as simple as that.
And nothing cleans makeup brushes like LB does.
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So why are we recommending weekly?
While we have discussed in great length above why it's more hygienic and better for your makeup application to start with a clean brush, there's no need to be fearful or worried about using a your makeup brushes for a week or so at a time before a thorough clean.
The truth is, the bacteria in your brush does need to time to multiply and a week of using your brush is not really the worst thing in the world, especially if you use a cleaning spray each day in between LB cleans.
Part of the reason we recommend weekly is that by then you have had a least 6 or 7 days of use and the makeup is bound to be building up and just starting to get out of control.
Besides that, it's also a great habit to get into. Just like the gym babe, you miss it once or don't get into a routine and quicker than Kanye deletes a tweet, you'll have forgotten all about it again. If that happens, we know your brush will be months old and dirty as hell before you clean it again.
Don't fall into the trap. Start this week with the simple click of a button, and make one night a week, LB night.
We've made it so easy, you'd be crazy to say no, all you need is 30 secs.
xx
Psssst...by now you have spent more time reading this post than it would have taken to clean 3 bushes with LB. x
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