As professionals who focus on individualized skin care, aestheticians must be experts on makeup and how to best apply it to clients. If you’re planning on mastering these skills at aesthetician school, you’ll first need to learn about proper hygiene. To help you breeze through this part of the training, here is a quick guide on how to keep makeup brushes clean after using them.

5 Tips on Cleaning Makeup Brushes

1. Stick to a Schedule

Makeup brushes should be cleaned regularly to remove all the bacteria, oils, and dead skin cells that accumulate on the bristles. These contaminants can contribute to numerous skin care problems, including acne breakouts and infections.

If you’re only using the tool for yourself, you may only need to wash it once a week. However, if you’re an aesthetician serving clients, clean the brushes after every session to avoid cross-contamination. Keeping multiple brushes on hand will ensure you always have a clean supply.

2. Shampoo and Rinse

Wet the brush and lather it up with a small dot of shampoo. While a mild shampoo will suffice, there are many products designed for cleaning makeup brushes that you can also use.

Next, carefully massage the bristles to spread the soap around and remove dirt. As an alternative, you can wipe the brush against a ridged cleaning mat.

Finally, rinse all contaminants and soap from the brush.

3. Squeeze Out Excess Moisture

To make sure your brushes won’t take too long to dry, squeeze your fingers along both sides of the bristles and swipe down to remove excess water. Be careful to only move in the direction of the bristles, as going the opposite way can damage them.

4. Reshape the Bristles

When the bristles are damp, gently shape them so they’re all aligned and in the proper formation. If you don’t reshape, the brush may dry with loose or curved bristles, which can negatively affect makeup application.

5. Air-Dry

A makeup brush should be completely dry before it’s used again. To air-dry, either place the brush flat on a clean towel or hang it upside down. Don’t let the brush air-dry in an upright position, as remaining moisture may drip down into the handle and cause damage.

Maintaining proper hygiene is just one of the many lessons you’ll learn by enrolling in the aesthetician school at Hawaii Massage Academy. Located in Honolulu, HI, since 1983, this center offers comprehensive aesthetician and massage training programs led by skilled and experienced professionals. Through their affordable, comprehensive programs, you’ll master the proper techniques you need to provide exceptional skin care and flourish in your career. For more details on these classes, visit this Oahu massage school online or call (808) 955-4555.