How I Wash My Makeup Brushes

It's May! Aside from spring officially having made it to Michigan, there are lots of nice things to look forward to in May. One is, of course, Mother's Day, and the other is my birthday, which happens to fall on Mother's Day this year. With the thought of a little self-indulgence in mind, I have decided to do a series of posts on simple and inexpensive ways that I like to pamper myself.

I have a few new followers so I hope you will bear with me as I take a divergence from the usual kids' crafts. If you don't know me very well, I pretty much love to make anything, not just crafty things. Also, I've been planning to share this since February, so it's about time I got around to it. Any time I can find a way to make something myself, I am open to trying it because a) It almost always saves me money b) It almost always is better for me (and my family) than the commercial version and c) It is almost always better for the environment. One beauty-related example that I have shared in the past, which lives up to all of those things, is how I gave up shampoo over a year and half ago.

My next tip is super simple, which is why I am starting here: how I wash my makeup brushes. This is an idea I found on Pinterest, and I knew that it would be better for my brushes than the soap and water that I previously used. As I have mentioned before, vinegar is awesome! This solution removes my Bare Minerals powders from the brushes plus the mascara from my eyelash comb. This doesn't take very long, and it's a great investment in myself. Having clean brushes means having cleaner skin, which means fewer breakouts, all good things! Plus, it may be psychological, but I believe that the makeup goes on better and looks nicer when I wash my brushes at least a couple times a month. (Ideally, I would do this once a week, but sometimes I just plain forget, or I realize they won't be dry in time for my next makeup application.)

{This cup from my brother's wedding rehearsal dinner works well for this.}

Materials:

• 1 cup hot water
• 1 Tbs distilled white vinegar
• cup to hold water/vinegar mixture
• towel

Directions:

1. Combine 1 cup hot water with 1 tablespoon vinegar.
2. Soak brushes for 20 minutes.
3. Rinse brushes with hot water. Rinse again with cold water.
4. Use a clean towel to pat brushes to remove excess moisture. Then, allow them to air-dry completely by laying them on the towel.