To be honest I just use shampoo or hand soap. It's more about washing them before there is too much build up and to allow them to dry naturally. When you do clean brushes that are expensive I wash them, but don't leave them to soak, and then pat them dry with kitchen paper. I used to work on a beauty counter and had to wash my brushes each day.
I didn’t know there were makeup brush cleansers to be honest. I always use hot water to clean them. It does not do so well though haha. I don't know why I didn't think of using soap. I spilled my liquid makeup on my brushes on accident before. It made such a big mess. Now my pretty pink brushes are stained... So yeah I need to get new ones.
I'm a big fan of brushes more than sponges. I clean them once a week and I use detergent and later on fabric softener. It keeps my brushes clean and soft!
I know I ought to wash mine every day, but I don't always **hides face** Probably why I tend to break out! But I try to do it on a weekly basis. I use warmish water with a little anti-bac hand wash and let them air dry on a towel.
@ellajanelle Your skin doesn't break out from using fabric softener? @Lushlala I don't wash mine every day either!! I think the rule of thumb is to do it weekly - although I probably do it monthly!! The last time I washed my brushes I used baby shampoo. This seemed to work well. It looked like all the residue was removed and the bristles still felt soft - unlike using traditional brush shampoo. However, I'm not sure if baby shampoo works well for anti-bacterial purposes, or if that even matters.
I use shampoo and warm water. For extra dirty brushes like foundation, I add a few drops of an oil (jojoba or whatever I have available). For sanitizing I spritz them with alcohol. I read that this would dry them out but all of mine are synthetic and drugstore prices. So far this method hasn't destroyed any brush but I wouldn't trust it on real animal hair or expensive brushes.
@ellajanelle and mariee....thank you both for your comments. I like the idea of baby shampoo because of its gentle quality, but then of course, there's the small matter of disinfecting the brushes. I've never thought to try spritzing them with alcohol, but it makes sense. I currently use cheap supermarket type brushes but plan to invest in some good quality Mac ones. So I may do some research into whether or not alcohol would damage them. Or alternatively, search for other means of safely sanitising them I wouldn't want to have expensive ones break apart on me LOL
