The best way to clean make-up brushes and cosmetics

HOW TO CLEAN UP YOUR ACT

We use our beauty brushes daily, but did you know that superbugs, including E coli and staphylococci, have been found in more than nine out of 10 in-use beauty products?

New research led by Dr Amreen Bashir and Professor Peter Lambert of Aston University has shown that make-up products used every day by millions of people in the UK are contaminated with potentially deadly bugs.

Think E coli and staphylococci because most are not being cleaned and are used far beyond their expiry dates.

Dr Bashir says: 'Consumers’ poor hygiene practices when it comes to using make-up, especially beauty blenders, is very worrying. When you consider that we found bacteria such as E coli – which is linked with faecal contamination – breeding on the products we tested. More needs to be done to help educate consumers and the make-up industry as a whole about the need to wash beauty blenders regularly and dry them thoroughly, as well as the risks of using make-up beyond its expiry date.'

So, without further ado, find out how to purify your products and also keep them stylishly organised to achieve a (virus-free) clean beauty regime.

THE BEST MAKE-UP BRUSH CLEANSERS TO BUY NOW

There are a lot of recommendations out there to use baby soap or gentle shampoo – but for stubborn cream colours, highly pigmented powders and SPF-loaded foundations, this might not be strong enough.

So invest in the best brush-cleaning products that you can use at home.

​NYX Professional Makeup On the Spot Make-up Brush Spray Cleaner, £9

This quick spritz is perfect for a fast refresh on the go – especially for your bacteria-loaded concealer brush.

NYX Professional Makeup On the Spot Make-up Brush Spray Cleaner, £9 – buy here

​BeautyBlender Liquid Blendercleanser, £16

Beauty blenders have been found to have the highest levels of harmful bacteria; with 93% never being cleaned. Don’t be a spot-inducing (or worse) statistic – keep yours hygienically clean with this.

BeautyBlender Liquid Blendercleanser, £16 – buy here

​StylpPro Expert Make-up Brush Cleaner and Dryer, £59.99

This smart gadget not only cleans and dries in seconds but also has two speed settings: slower for natural-fibre brushes and faster for synthetic, to keep all sizes of brushes in pro-ready condition.

StylPro Expert Make-up Brush Cleaner and Dryer, £59.99 – buy here

​HOW TO DISINFECT YOUR MAKE-UP

You must discard any makeup you’ve had for more than 30 months. You can recycle them here with help from Terracycle.

Spritz any remaining products with a spray sanitiser. If the product has fancy lacquered packaging, use a 70% alcohol solution, so you don’t ruin the aesthetic or clean the surfaces with an eco-friendly antibacterial wipe:

We like these Ecozone Anti-bacterial Multi-Surface Wipes, £2.80 – buy here

​The Pro Hygiene Collection Antibacterial Makeup Spray, £16

A vegan and cruelty-free formula that quickly sanitises, killing 99.99% of bacteria within 60 seconds and without ruining your formulations. It can be used on loose powders and pigments, gel, cream, lipsticks, false lashes and pencils – along with hard tools like derma-rollers, tweezers and lash curlers.

The Pro Hygiene Collection Antibacterial Makeup Spray, £16 – buy here

THE BEST MAKE-UP ORGANISERS TO BUY NOW

From brush holders and small stands, to the ultimate make-up and skincare organisers, these are the best storage solutions to stylishly streamline your getting-ready regime – all shoppable from Beautify.

1. Beauty Trolley, £54.99 – click here to buy. 2. Five-tier Cosmetic Organiser, £39.99 – click here to buy. 3. Rotating Make-up Organiser, £22.99 – click here to buy. 4. Large Grey Tool Caddy, £31.99 – click here to buy

CLEAN YOUR MAKE-UP BRUSHES IN SIX EASY STEPS

1. Soak the bristles with hand-hot water.

2. Place a drop of your cleanser of choice into the palm of your clean hand.

3. Gently massage the tips of the bristles (avoiding the handles).

4. Rinse the bristles thoroughly in fresh water.

5. Squeeze out the excess moisture with a clean towel or kitchen roll.

6. Re-shape and let bristles air-dry on a countertop with the bristles hanging over the edge.

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