DIY: Daily Makeup Brush Cleanser

I'm back!  A lot of personal things have been going on, which needed more attention than posting.  But now that 2012 seems to be going in the right direction, I'm back to posting!

     In a post back in October, I talked about shampooing your brushes to deep clean any gunk that have accumulated in your brushes.  Well, I thought I'd follow that post with one about cleaning your brushes daily.  Daily brush cleaning removes any product you just used and prevents serious build-up and any skin irritations due to build-up.  Of course, I still recommend shampooing once to twice a month, but until that time, daily cleaning keeps your brushes sanitized between uses.  Also, if you love switching products such as eyeshadows and blushes, daily cleansing ensures that your brushes will prevent transfers and mixing.

     Daily brush cleansers can cost anywhere between $10-15.  The cheapest I've seen is Sephora's daily brush cleanser for $6 (a 2 oz. spray).  MAC Cosmetic's version cost $13 (7 oz).  With the recipe below, I filled four bottles (ranging 1-4 oz) with just one mixture!  And the best part is that all the ingredients are multi-purpose products found around the house!

Pictured (left to right): 1 2-oz spritz bottle; 1 4-oz wide mouth

bottle (reserve); 1 1-oz spritz bottles. Not pictured: the other 2-oz bottle

Like my label? - it's to remind to "treat" my brushes with some TLC :)

I watched a youtube by EnKore Makeup. and followed his recipe.  You can check out his video or if you prefer a written recipe, keep reading!

Ingredients:
-1 cup of distilled, purified, or bottled water
-1/4 cup of isopropyl alcohol (70% or 91%).  I used CVS's 70%.
-1/2 tbsp of baby shampoo/any moisturizing shampoo.  I used Johnson's Baby Shampoo in calm lavender
-1/2 tbsp of dish detergent.  I used Amway's Dish Drops detergent
-1 tbsp of spray in conditioner.  I used Garnier's Fructis Daily Spray In Conditioner

Equipment:
-Bowl or large measuring cup
-1 cup
-1/4 cup
-1 tbsp
-Funnel (optional)
-Spritz bottles.  Empty hair spray bottles work great (just make sure to really clean them out!).
-1 small plastic bottle (any type, optional).  This will be used if you have any extra solution.  This will be your reserves.

Directions:
1.  Pour 1 cup of distilled water into a bowl or a large measuring cup.
2.  Add 1/4 cup of isopropyl alcohol to the water.
3.  Add 1/2 tbsp of shampoo and 1 tbsp of detergent.
4.  Stir slowly using the the tablespoon.   Some suds/bubbles will form, just do NOT mix too vigorously because you will get a lather/too much suds.
5.  Add 1 tbsp of leave-in conditioner.
6.  Stir slowly again ensuring all ingredients have been thoroughly mixed.  Depending on your products, you might have a solution with a tint of color.
7.  Using a funnel (optional), pour solution into spritz bottles.  If you have extra solution, pour that into another bottle.
8.  Label your bottles!
DONE!

To clean brushes:
1.  Run each brush quickly through lukewarm water.
2.  Apply 1-2 sprays onto the bristles.
3.  With a paper towel, gently swirl bristles until no color is visible.
4.  Leave out to dry.  By the next day, your brushes will be dry and ready to use!

I love these cheap spritz bottles from The Container Store!
One the eft is the 1-oz bottle (which I plan on taking on trips) and
on the right is the 2-oz bottle (home use).  They're MADE IN THE USA!