Cindy Laverdière, beauty blogger

Pimples. Makeup mistakes. Ruined brushes. Three problems you can do without. One way to avoid these problems is to keep your beauty tools clean. Did you know that bacteria can build up on your sponges, brush bristles and other products you use every day, which lead to irritated skin, eye infections, ingrown hairs among other things?

I know it can be hard the find the time (and motivation) to tackle the task of properly cleaning your makeup tools. And it can be tricky to figure out how you should go about it. Should you use dish detergent or hand soap? Should you rub or soak the items? How long will they take to dry? All these questions might make you put off this chore to another day.

To help you out, I’ve prepared a short guide to show you how to clean your beauty tools so they can fulfill their mission: enhancing your natural beauty!

Clean your synthetic- or natural-bristle makeup brushes to prevent rashes, pimples and blackheads

Whether you prefer brushes with synthetic (nylon) or natural (marten, goat, pony) bristles, you need to clean them with soap and water and disinfect them with an alcohol-based spray.

Once a week: Spray your brushes with a makeup brush sanitizer. If your brush is flat, make sure to spray both sides. Wipe thoroughly with a clean cloth.

Once a month: Clean your brushes by moistening the tip of the bristles in warm water. Pour a pea-sized dab of facial soap or baby shampoo (gentle formula) in the palm of your hand. Use your other hand to swirl the brush in the cleanser. Rinse in a bowl in clean, lukewarm water. Dry the bristles with a cloth, and let air dry on a towel.

Clean your makeup sponges to prevent the proliferation of bacteria, mould and fungus (ew!) and prevent breakouts

Makeup sponges and sponge applicators are essential beauty products. However, you need to sanitize them if you want flawless results.

1. Run your sponge or applicator sponge under water.
2. Rub the sponge with a bar of bar. Yes, really!
3. Squeeze out the excess water, and scrub to remove filth and makeup residue.
4. Rinse thoroughly to remove soap.
5. Repeat this process as needed (if your sponge is especially dirty, for example!)
6. Let dry.

Clean tweezers to avoid pimples and ingrown hairs

Even if you trust a professional to groom your eyebrows, it can’t hurt to do a little maintenance work at home, as long as you keep your tweezers impeccably clean.

All you need to do is gently clean the tips of your tweezers with a cloth soaked in rubbing alcohol after every use.

Cindy Laverdière  |   Follow my blog

For me, beauty is all about well-being. That’s why my beauty routine is composed primarily of natural ingredients that are gentle on my skin and on the environment. I'm addicted to coffee, Wi-Fi, maxi dresses and lemon pie. A product I can’t live without? Concealer. A must-have for the new mom that I am!