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!

                                                                             

Have You Cleaned Them Lately?

I'll admit that I do not clean my brushes weekly; in fact, even with a Sephora brush cleaner in my bathroom cabinet, I went almost two months without cleaning!  I'd clean one or two here and there, especially if I was trying new products, but it was not routine.  Since the Spring, I've been in the habit of cleaning at least every other week.  I do it on a Sunday, when I spend most of the day catching up on shows and doing laundry after church and brunch.

Last week, I finally finished my brush cleaner from Sephora, so I was in search of a new one.  I went to Ulta because I had a 20% coupon good for my entire purchase; I also had restock and wanted to try some new products.  I asked one of the floating makeup associates on the floor for her recommendation.  She said baby shampoo.  It works well for both natural and synthetic brushes.  Baby shampoo, in general, has less chemicals than "adult" shampoo and even some of those brush cleansers.  In fact, I compared the main ingredients of my empty Sephora bottle with , and they had one common ingredient.  In addition, the Sephora cleanser actually contained one type of parabens*, while my Johnson & Johnson baby shampoo does not.

I used Johnson & Johnson Baby Shampoo with Lavender last Sunday early afternoon.  Baby shampoo works great!  In fact, I think it works better at getting any gunk at the very bottom of the bristles.  Baby shampoo is cheap and available at local drugstores and grocery stores.  No need to make a special trip to a makeup counter!  I actually use baby shampoo once every season for about 2-3 weeks, just to give my hair a break from my normal routine shampoo or before switching brands of shampoo.  I used something I already have!  This also justified my purchase of a new pressed powder, lol. :)

Stop by your local drugstore or grocery store and pick up some baby shampoo!
 
Here was my routine:

1. Rinse the brushes with lukewarm water.
2. Apply a very small amount of shampoo to each of the brushes**.
3. Give each brush a good rub and squeeze - fan out then bunch up the bristles a few times too.
4. Rinse suds with lukewarm to cool water until clear water is running through the brushes.
5.  Squeeze out excess water.  Use a paper towel(s) to help.
6.  Fan out to the brushes' natural position, then lay out to dry on a hand towel.
7.  Before going to bed, turn the brushes over and place them onto a clean dry hand towel (or use a different side of the first hand towel as long it's a dry side).






*In world of cosmetics, paraben has become sort of a taboo.  Parabens are used in cosmetics as a preservative, but according to some medical/health journals, they have been associated with cancers.  Makeup brands like to advertise their products as paraben-free.  It definitely is nice when they can do that, but based on an FDA report, parabens are safe at levels up to 25%.  Most cosmetic products that contain parabens list them near or at the bottom of the main ingredients, which is a sign that it's probably not at levels of 25%.  If you want to FDA's summary, click here

**Instead of applying shampoo directly onto the brushes, get a small cup and add the appropriate amount of shampoo that you'll need for all your brushes.  After Step 1, just lightly dip the brushes into your cup, and follow through with steps 3 thru 7.