Guide to Caring for Your Makeup Brush

As with any product, the better the condition the better it works. Makeup brushes are no different and putting an investment into one for application is a payoff in the end. When you first get a makeup brush, test it out on your hand. Most new brushes will let loose a few strands. You don't want the brush to lose strands and that's a common flaw in lesser quality brushes.

Keep your brush in a place where you can get it dirty. The bristles can attract dust and dirt and you don't want that to get in the way of your makeup, as well as damage the brush. Get a small case for the brush if it didn't come with one.

One silly note, don't let others use your brushes. It's not a safe practice as brushes can easily contract bacteria from people and spread. Faces have different oils and can clog others pores.

When applying makeup, be sure to clean it off every time. Using something soft, such as a tissue, gently whip the makeup off of the brush in the direction the bristles go. Makeup will eventually thicken and build and cause breakage in the brush.

Cleaning your makeup brush is quite simple. There are many cleansers such as Sephora Brush Shampoo. This can be found at JCPenney for $10 and gently cleans the brush. Various brushes may require extra attention or special cleaning instructions for different fibers. These brushes will come with instructions on cleaning them.

If you don't want to buy the specific cleaning solution for makeup brushes, you can do it at home with water and a gentle soap or shampoo. Run the brush under running warm water and rub the shampoo or mild soap in. Rinse clean until there is no more color coming from the brush. Be careful not to be too rough with the bristles. When cleaning, point the makeup brush downwards to ensure no makeup build-up will seep deeper into the bristles. This will cause damage to the brush and the fibers will start to come loose, which in turn can cause the brush to unevenly distribute your color or even pull other color up. Also note, quality brushes are made from real types of hair and should be treated the same.