You need to clean your beauty blender or other makeup sponges way, way more frequently than you currently do. Generally speaking, you need to clean the beauty blenders or other makeup sponges every time you use them, or if you don’t do makeup frequently, at least once a week.
Table of Contents
How Often Should A Beautyblender Be Cleaned?
After each use, in a perfect world. But since that’ll never happen, most experts agree that you should clean your Beautyblender or makeup sponge at least once a week. “Ideally, you’d wash all of your makeup tools every single day, but I know this is unrealistic,” dermatologist Geeta Yadav, MD, founder of Skin Science Dermatology, has told Cosmo. Instead, continue weekly cleaning of your Beautyblender. “Make it a Sunday-night activity so that you can start your week off fresh,” she added.
Fortunately, cleaning your makeup sponge doesn’t take too long. In 2021, whether you’re using a cleansing pad, your hand, or just some dish soap, there are a trillion makeup brush cleaners and tried-and-true YouTube tutorials to help you through the process. Continue reading, and oh please tonight wash your sponges.
Why You Should Clean Beauty Blender
It’s not a good idea to use dirty makeup sponges. There is the issue of hygiene to start with. Every time you use a dirty makeup sponge or Beauty Blender, it can serve as a veritable breeding ground for various germs and bacteria that are then spread to your skin. Second, that soiled sponge won’t perform as well because it’s caked with layers of your old foundation, which may change the color of any other products you’re using.
The Best And General Way To Clean A Beauty Blender
Using gentle bar soap, dish soap, or beauty blender’s cleansing solid is what our pros recommend for the best results. The cleaning solid from the company, called Blendercleanser (it also comes in liquid form, if that’s more your style), is specially formulated to remove stains gently without harming the sponge.
“Blendercleansers are all natural and protect all of my makeup tools from 99.7% of all harmful germs and bacteria for a full 24 hours after washing, even if stains are left behind,” says Chi. This is how to use a cleansing solid for the most thorough cleaning:
- Thoroughly wet your sponge and rub it against the bar soap, taking care to work on stained portions.
- Squeeze the sponge out under running water until water runs clear and the sponge is no longer sudsy when squeezed. If the stains are still there, repeat step one.
- Roll the sponge out on a dry towel and let air dry.
Other Methods To Clean Beauty Blenders
1. Put Your Makeup Sponge In A Soak
If your sponge is really filthy—we’re talking about so dirty that you can’t recall what color it was when you bought it—it might benefit from soaking for a little while longer.
Step 1: Set up your soap bath.
Mix some water and liquid soap together in a small bowl or your (clean) sink. Boil some water and use that if you’re especially concerned about killing bacteria.
Step 2: Soak.
Then, let it sit for a few minutes after dipping your sponge into the mixture. According to Jeung, this will make the makeup softer and more fluid.
3. Clean up messes and dry.
Give your sponge a few squeezes after the allotted time has passed to push the soap solution through. Any areas that require extra attention should be massaged with a little more soap before applying it to your palm. Next, give yourself a thorough rinse with warm running water.
2. Use The Washing Machine
This technique is excellent for those of us who have a variety of sponges on hand or who are aspiring makeup artists. You can make it very simple for yourself by throwing the sponges in the washing machine; all you need are enough sponges to make the effort worthwhile.
First, gather your resources.
Put all of your sponges in a net lingerie bag like this one. The empty washing machine should receive the bag.
Step 2: Run the wash.
Before setting the washer to gentle with an extra rinse cycle, Jeung likes to add a mixture of Beautyblender liquid cleanser and Meyers laundry detergent. Remove them from the washer and keep them in the bag to hang-dry
3. Microwave
Try the microwave method instead of using a washing machine if you want to take extra precautions to kill bacteria. You’ll get a melted mess if you just throw it in there, so take the recommended actions.
Step 1: Combine soap and water.
Water and a few squirts of soap should be combined in a microwave-safe cup (a mug works well). No precise measurements are required; just ensure that the sponge can be completely submerged. Your sponge should be dampened in fresh water before being placed in the soapy solution. To get a deeper clean, you can also add a little olive oil.
Step 2: Heat it up.
The cup should be microwaved for about a minute; after that, let it cool completely before grabbing it. The liquid should be fully loaded with foundation, and your sponge should be spotless.
Step 3: Rinse and squeeze.
Before squeezing out any remaining foundation, give it one last rinse under warm, running water. Set aside to air-dry.
4. Oil Method
The idea of double cleansing is very well-liked in the skincare industry, and the same ideas hold true when you’re considering how to clean your Beauty Blender. The fundamental tenet: Oil degrades oil. Therefore, using a cleansing oil first can aid in more effectively dissolving the oils in makeup when you have a full face of makeup on. The same is true for makeup sponges, so this is a good cleaning method for sponges that are particularly covered in makeup.
Instructions
- Step 1 Start with a dry sponge and massage a few drops of oil into it (coconut oil is a good choice here) until the makeup begins to come off.
- Step 2 The second step of the double cleanse involves using one of the soap choices we previously mentioned after massaging the makeup with a makeup sponge. This will help rinse off the oily residue as well as remove any remaining traces of makeup.
Cleaning Tips
Be Gentle With Your Beauty Blender
Theoretically, you ought to clean your makeup sponge after each use (hey, goals are good), so you’ll want to be sure you know how to do it without damaging it. Avoiding aggressive cleansers of any kind is key, as is giving your Beauty Blender some extra tender loving care. When wringing it out, squeeze it gently and don’t scrub or rub too hard. When it’s time to let it dry, make sure to do so in a space that has good ventilation. To avoid having any damp spots, you should ideally prop it up so that air can flow freely around it.
Know When It’s Time To Replace Your Beauty Blender
Above all, remember that even though routine cleaning will increase the lifespan of your sponge, they aren’t designed to last a lifetime. After three months of use, the manufacturer advises replacing yours. But now that you know how to clean a Beauty Blender, you can be sure that it will be in top condition for those three months.
