Washing your brushes – I myself have been guilty of going a long time without cleaning my makeup brushes, but I can honestly say that I didn’t know any better then.  When you think about it, it’s quite disgusting. It is proper hygiene to clean your makeup brushes at least once a week; your face will thank you.  NOTE: While it is important to wash your brushes please do not leave the water running while you are not using it.  We here at B.W.A.C. understand the importance of using and preserving water.  Help us celebrate  Spring Water Month on the site in honor of World Water Day today!  Now back to washing those brushes –  Here are some facts to help you know better:
- Your brush can become a breeding ground for bacteria – when you apply make-up with your brushes not only does it put the color on your skin but it also removes small bits of the natural oils that are on your skin, the bacteria then grows in the oil and goes onto your skin when you apply your make-up again with that dirty brush.
- Dirty brushes can lead to unnecessary breakouts and infections – because you are essentially reapplying bacteria on your face, that bacteria can then get into your pores and clog them causing breakouts or infections.
- It spreads your colors from day to day –  the colors from an eyeshadow, blush, or a foundation can stay on the brush after every application unless you clean it off.  Often times when you are using the brush again the residue from an earlier applications can mix in with the new application and taint the color, giving you a look that you were not necessarily trying to achieve.  So in order to see the true color of a product, not that product mixed with another product’s residue, wash your brushes. This will help you achieve the optimum results from your make-up.
- You want your brushes to last for a long time – most makeup brushes can last for up to 2-3 years, if not a little longer depending on how often you use them. Â However, one sure-fire way to ruin your brushes is not to maintain and take care of them in between uses; Â like anything that we have, the better we take care of it the longer it will last.
HOW TO WASH AND CARE FOR YOUR BRUSHES:
**Wash, Wash, Wash! The best way to clean your brushes is with baby shampoo or brush conditioner shampoo and cool or luke-warm water about once a week.
***For brushes that have thicker products like foundation and lip gloss use some olive oil to dissolve the product then wash just like with the others.
You’ll need to first get the excess water out of the brush by gently squeezing the bristles from base to tip. Then leave the brushes to air dry on a towel.
Make sure you always leave your brushes to lie flat while drying, or even better – hang them up with the bristles facing the ground. If you stand them up to dry with the bristles facing the ceiling, the water will run down to the base which can mess with the glue that fastens the bristles into place. So it’s best if you lie your brushes flat on a towel and air dry.
Washing your brushes at night just before you go to bed is a great idea because in the morning they will be dry and ready for you to use them!
In case of emergencies you may want to keep a spare brush around (hey, a cheap brush is okay as a spare). And whatever you do, never ever use a hair dryer to dry your brushes because the excessive heat can damage the glue and bristles.
Also don’t boil your brushes, microwave them, don’t use conditioner to clean them or pull and scrub at the bristles too much.
Here are some of our favorite brush cleaners:
Bare Escentuals Make up Brush Conditioning Shampoo –
MAC Brush Cleanser –
 
 Burt’s Bees-Baby Bee Shampoo & Wash Tear Free –
Sephora Daily Brush Cleaner – Perfect for a quick brush clean.
What it does: 
Sephora Professionnel introduces a better way to care for your beauty tools. Just spray this daily anti-bacterial formula cleaner on your powder, blush, eye and lip brushes after using. They’ll be refreshed and ready to go for your next application. It comes in a portable size, easy for anytime cleaning.
Give us your feedback, questions, comments, or your own beauty advice. Â We would love to hear from you!!!