Your skin will become irritated
If you haven’t washed your brushes in a while, you might have more to fear than a few pimples here and there. Fungus and bacteria can develop and linger on dirty brushes leading to itchy irritations or the unwanted appearance of rashes. You’ll then be in a vicious cycle of reapplying makeup to cover your blemishes, making your skin look even worse. Similarly, if you’ve ever suffered from acne you’ll know how much of a hindrance it can be, but you can say goodbye to your newly clear skin if you continue to use dirty makeup brushes.
They could be harbouring harmful ingredients
We’ve already mentioned how certain fungi and bacteria may be present on your unwashed makeup brushes, but we haven’t mentioned the harmful ingredients that could be lurking in the products that you’re dipping them into. Now might be the time to check what ingredients you’re applying to your brushes (and skin) on a daily basis. For example, parabens are used in a lot of makeup products to prevent the growth of bacteria, but they have been linked to disrupting estrogen in our body. Additionally, some ingredients such as DMDM hydantoin and methanamine are potential formaldehyde releasers that research has found have the potential to cause cancer.
Your makeup won’t look fresh
Generally, the reason that we apply makeup is to improve our appearance but using dirty makeup brushes can actually prevent our products from looking good on our skin. Makeup application with dirty tools can mean your skin looks dry, dull and makeup looks splotchy. If you’ve used the same brush on a number of contrasting colours, for example, you’re bound to produce an undefined colour that will stand out on your face. To avoid an embarrassing situation, make sure you clean each brush after the application of a different colour or keep brushes for different colours separate.
How to thoroughly clean your makeup brushes
Cleaning your makeup brushes is quick and easy. After every application you should aim to spritz each brush with a cleaner and then once a week, it’s time for a deep clean. Washing your brushes in a shallow bowl with warm water and a gentle shampoo will take quite some time, and won’t always get rid of everything that’s lurking in among the bristles. After that, you’ll need to leave them for a few hours to dry which can be a hassle if you’re on a tight schedule. With the StylPro Makeup Brush Cleaner and Dryer, however, you can clean and dry your brushes in seconds so that they’re ready to reuse right away.
By now you should have realised just how much a buildup of makeup on your brushes can have some nasty consequences. While professional dermatologists recommend that you clean your tools after every application, we believe that a spot clean between uses and a thorough clean once a week is a fair compromise.