Makeup is a girl’s best friend. Okay, that’s diamonds, but makeup is more accessible and more practical. Every woman on the planet can make herself feel good in a jiffy by applying makeup. We can also express ourselves and our creativity through cosmetics. No doubt about it, makeup is an instant pick-me-upper!
It’s a mood-booster, guaranteed! A good concealer application can give you that illusory 8-hour sleep you haven’t actually gotten in a while. Your favorite lip tint or rogue red lipstick can give you enough confidence to feel like a winner in that important client presentation.
However, after months of being “on-the-go”, you might notice a few acne showing up on your face and it’s frustrating when you know you’ve been faithful to your tedious skincare routine. If that is the case, perhaps it’s time to take a closer look at your makeup products and brushes again, and see for yourself if they’re clean enough to touch your pretty face. Here are a few tips on how to sanitize everything in your makeup stash:
- Brushes
It is not necessary that you should clean your brushes after every use, because you want to preserve its smoothness and softness. Cleaning it way too often with harsh cleansers can also dry it out and result to having tacky bristles that may damage the skin. The best way to clean them therefore are with mild cleansers every two weeks, minimum.
I personally use Johnson’s Baby Shampoo because it’s gentle enough to keep the oil in our makeup brushes, yet strong enough to get rid of the accumulated dirt. It is also relatively affordable, and a little drop of this soap can go a long way in cleaning your brushes.
Daiso also offers a makeup brush cleaner that is perfect for delicate brushes. You can buy each bottle for less than a hundred bucks. You can also use anti-bacterial liquid soaps to clean the bristles. You may clean your makeup brushes every two weeks, or monthly at the most.
- Eyeshadow Palettes and Pressed Powders
Eyeshadow palettes and pressed powders need as much attention when it comes to sanitary care as any of your makeup items in your vanity kit. For these, I would recommend to have them cleaned after every use. It is inevitable to sometimes double dip on your eyeshadow pans, especially in compact powders. But you don’t want to irritate your eyes and face from all the accumulated dirt in your makeup process. Just grab a clean facial tissue and gently wipe off excess powder on top of each pan, and then quickly spray with a small amount of rubbing alcohol to kiss away bacteria and virus.
- Lipsticks
Lipsticks are my every woman’s favorite makeup product to use as it just completes every look in one swipe. You can play around with it and use it as a lip color, a cheek blush or even as eyeshadow. And that’s all the more why you need to be a little more OC when it comes to your lip tubes. Suesh Makeup offers a 99.9% isopropyl alcohol solely made as makeup cleansers. Simply spritz a good amount on your lipstick and you don’t even have to worry about it drying out, as the color and formula of your lipsticks are safe with this formulation. Extra tip: no matter how much you adore your BFF or sis, do not ever lend your lipstick to them.
- Pencil Liners
It’s easy to neglect the cleanliness of your pencil liners. We only tend to sharpen them whenever the pointy tip goes down to being blunt. But actually, sharpening it is more than creating a fine tip to get your desired wing or perfectly shaped lips. It is also a way to get rid of dirt. I suggest you do this before every use, and spray alcohol on your sharpener before doing so. Not to be a total germaphobe here, but the eyes are naturally more sensitive so dirt can easily build up on the eyes. They can get easily infected once you use unsanitary eyeliners on them.
- Eyelash Curlers and Mascara
As I’ve mentioned, the eyes are really sensitive and having infection in the eye area is truly dreadful. Make sure to change your mascaras monthly, or every three months at the most. This is also why there really is no need to buy expensive ones, and just stick to your drug store products if possible. Mascara gets to the waterline and sometimes even your best makeup remover can’t get to that area. As a result, awful germs may build up overtime inside your eyes.
Eyelash curlers are very easy to clean. I recommend doing so after every use. Just get a clean cotton pad, spray it with alcohol and wipe off the clamping area as thoroughly as possible.
Make it a habit to sanitize your makeup products and tools regularly. Remember, when you keep your makeup products clean, not only you can maximize their prettifying effects once you use them, but also, you can make sure you get to take care of your skin.