Cleaning Care for Brushes

We made a blog post awhile back about the basics of caring for your brushes but after receiving several questions about cleaning specifics, we wanted to take it a step further so you know exactly how to take care of your brushes to make them last as long as possible. If taken proper care of, your brushes can last for several years!

As we mentioned before, you should do a thorough washing of your brushes every 1-2 weeks to remove the build-up of products in the bristles, and spot cleaning in-between when need be.

A few of you had asked, “What exactly is ‘spot cleaning’?” Spot cleaning refers to small cleanings in between your deep cleanings that are a lot quicker and less thorough. To spot clean, gently rub a brush cleanser onto the bristles of your brush and wipe the brush off onto a paper towel or wash cloth. This is especially good for eye shadow brushes since different colors are constantly being used on them.
Pro tip: To prevent staining white-haired brushes such as the F40, spot clean immediately after each use if you’ve used a highly pigmented color on the brush. 

“So how do I deep clean my brushes?” Wet your brush with the fluffy part pointing downwards so you don't get the ferrule wet or drip water down the handle. Place a small amount of baby shampoo (or other gentle anti-bacterial cleanser) in your hand. From there, gently swirl the brush in the cleanser in a circular motion and rinse. Repeat until no color leaves the brush. To keep your brushes well-shaped and increase drying time, place them in the Sigma Dry’n Shape!

Another question we received was, “Should I wash my synthetic brushes differently than my natural-bristled ones?” The answer is no. Both natural and synthetic brushes can be washed the same, however, synthetic brushes such as the F80 are very dense and tend to need a more thorough washing.

Lastly, it is also important to replace your Cleansing & Polishing Tool brush head approximately every 3 months to prevent the build-up of soap scum and bacteria.

Are there any questions you have that we didn’t answer? What steps do you take to keep your brushes the cleanest they can be? 

 © 2012 Sigma Enterprises, LLC