The BEST Way to Clean Makeup Brushes!

WikiHow might have a perfectly fine article on how to clean the excess makeup, oil, dirt, and bacteria off of your contour, eyeshadow, and foundation brushes—but why settle for generic when you have Tom Pecheux on the line? In honor of spring cleaning Mr. Pecheux, as well as six other makeup artists who routinely lend their talents backstage and at editorial shoots, chimed in when we asked about their techniques for keeping their tools clean between the many faces they touch.

Tom Pecheux: "I like to use an organic soap to clean my brushes. Something like Savon De Marseille Olive Oil Soap, which I prefer in a bar, so that I can rub my brushes directly onto the bar of soap. I do this after each time I use my brushes. Once in a while, when I don’t have to work the following day, I wash with the bar soap and let my brushes chill over an air conditioner to soften them. If I’m in a rush, I will set them on top of a radiator, and if I really don’t have time, I will put a blow dryer to them. It is important to let them dry naturally and standing up so the shape is restored. For synthetic brushes, like lip and concealer brushes, I use hand sanitizer on them after each use."

Beau Nelson: “I clean my brushes using the Beautyblender Solid Blendercleanser for natural hair brushes, which is great for me because it’s portable, and I can take it anywhere without it leaking all over the place. Occasionally, I condition my natural hair brushes with hair conditioner and leave them to soak it in for an hour or so. For synthetic brushes, I use dish soap like Dawn, which helps cut through the cosmetic oils and silicones used in makeup that can be hard to get out. The number one thing I’ve found that I love is theSigma Beauty Spa Brush Cleaning Glove. It looks crazy, but that in combination with the Blendercleanser gets my brushes cleaner than ever was possible before.”


Lottie: “I shampoo my brushes with unscented Savon de Marseille Bar Soap. Then, I lay them flat to dry overnight. I use dish soap for stubborn grease paints or glitter in brushes, but I only use synthetic brushes for these things so that the hairs are not destroyed.”