ever since i was about twenty, i have had some major problem areas with my skin. i just couldn’t believe that i was getting adult acne after making it through my teenage years unscathed.

turns out, many women get hormonal acne right around their twenties. it just happens. and there isn’t much you can do about it. i’ve found that the absolute best way to help keep breakouts at bay is to have a routine. my mom says it’s my nightly ritual. i kind of love that… apart from the routine aspect, keeping your ritual consistent is another strong component. cleansing, moisturizing, drinking TONS of water, and sleep are just the bare necessities to keeping skin clear!

if you know me, you know i love makeup. i do – and i just can’t help it. i truly enjoy putting it on and playing with new techniques and colors. and, if you know makeup, you know that there are many tools to use. these tools can harbor bacteria which can lead to, dum da da dum…breakouts. not to mention it can really impact the way your makeup goes on and wears throughout the day.

to keep my tools in tip-top shape, i clean and disinfect about once a week to once every two weeks. and here’s how i do it:

i, first, use a mixture of hot water, a drop of dawn dishwashing soap, and white vinegar in a glass to loosen the muck in the brush bristles.

never completely submerge your brush in the solution OR in water. this can loosen the glue that holds all of fibers in place, thus causing your brush to begin molting.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

sometimes it is a good idea to dump out the first batch of the vinegar solution and make another round. it really depends on how many brushes you have to clean and how much makeup has built up from use.

at this point, i take a dab of cleanser. i typically use a brush cleanser like bare minerals well-cared for brush shampoo (which i see is no longer available). however, sometimes if i do not have that on hand, i just use my facial cleanser. a small amount goes a long way. lather the bristles really well, as this is going to help get the rest of the muck out of the brush.

rinse all of your brushes under very warm running water (rinse until the water runs clear). remember: do not submerge the brush completely in the water, just the bristles. gently squeeze the excess water out of the brush, reshape, and lay flat to dry.

i try to cleanse my brushes on the weekends – when i know they will have several hours to dry – typically i leave them overnight and then some.

keeping your brushes clean, not only helps keep your skin clear, but it will also give your brushes a longer life span AND help your makeup wear so much better.

do you have any makeup brush cleaning tricks? i’d love to hear!

xx