How to Clean Cosmetic Brushes

Beauty tip From franziska knorr

Clean brushes for the perfect look and well-groomed skin!


We had some coffee with Franziska and talked about the cleaning of cosmetic brushes. But before we explain how to clean your cosmetic brushes, it is important for us to go into more details about the “why”.

Cosmetic brushes are a central part of our daily beauty routine. They should help us apply our makeup as quickly and flawlessly as possible so that we are ready for the day to come. Now, of course, there are very big differences in the price and quality of brushes – but even the best and highest-quality cosmetic brush only gives us convincing results if it is also properly cared for.

After some time, dirt that doesn’t belong there hides between the fine hairs of your brush. In fact, it is skin flakes, sebum, dirt, and of course, make-up residues. All of this is accumulated between the fine hairs of the brush and naturally hinders us in our work. This not only makes it difficult for us to look good but also harms our skin.

As a result, this can cause skin irritation, blemishes, and pimples. For us, therefore, the matter is quite clear: cosmetic brushes must definitely be seen as an integral part of our facial hygiene.

How often do your brushes need to be cleaned?

When it comes to frequency, opinions differ. Franziska recommends washing foundation brushes or makeup brushes daily as they will obviously dry out. Otherwise, it is ok to wash the brushes once a week. Two weeks however is the absolute maximum without having them cleaned. For the sake of your skin, you should not wait longer than that.

Brush cleaning: This is how it’s done!

Online you will find many different methods. Many times, people make a difference for cleaning between brushes made of natural and synthetic hair. To clean cosmetic brushes, you basically need two things: lukewarm water and mild soap – regardless of whether it is a synthetic brush or a natural hair brush. Avoid hot water as it could affect the glue inside the brush)

First, simply rinse the beauty brush thoroughly. Then use a cleansing pad or simply your palm and and swirl the brush into the soap. Continue until it’s fully lathered up so any pigment or dirt can be removed. If you’re using a bar soap, you can gently rub your makeup brush into the soap, creating a lather like with a shaving brush. Finally, gently squeeze your makeup brush to remove any excess cleanser or water. For this, you can also use a towel. Before drying, you can mold the hair back into place so they will dry correctly.

How to dry cosmetic brushes

It is best to give the brushes some time to dry. The easiest way to dry your cosmetic brushes is to put them on a towel. You can fold the towel on one side so that the brushes lie at a slight angle. This way, all the water remaining inside the ferrule can escape and the brushes will dry faster.

In order not to damage the cosmetic brushes while drying, avoid placing them in a cup heads up or on a radiator. Also a hair dryer can just as hot water damage the materials. A breeze like from a fan is fine to speed up that process.

With the right care however, high-quality cosmetic brushes may help you look good for years and will support your daily skin care routine. A positive side effect: This is not only good for you, but also for the environment.

Brush Cleaning – A quick Overview

Your cosmetic brushes should be washed weekly – or at least every two weeks.

  1. Rinse brushes with lukewarm water.
    2. Gently lather mild soap in the brush head.
    3. Rinse brush thoroughly under lukewarm water.
    4. Gently squeeze the brush out with your fingers.
    5. Place the cosmetic brush on a towel to dry.

Please do not place your cosmetic brushes on a radiator or blow-dry them hot. This can affect the quality and longevity of your brush.