Guest Blogger: Kelley Farlow

We have been lucky enough to have some guest posts lately from, my pal and fellow makeup artist, Kelley Farlow. I am so excited about this brush cleaner option Kelley shared with me. I couldn't wait to share it with you guys. I will report back soon with my feedback. You can get a few scents (tea tree, lavender and unscented) from Target. For more options, you can order online.

All Natural, Chemical-Free Way to Clean & Care for Your Makeup Brushes…

If you want to keep your makeup brushes looking and feeling brand new, then thoroughly cleaning them on a regular basis is absolutely necessary! There’s a lot to take into consideration when choosing an effective, yet gentle cleanser for your brushes. Chemically-based spray cleaners can cause skin irritation, and shorten the life of your brushes. If you’re using hand soap, body wash, dish soap or traditional hair shampoo as a cleanser, this is a no-no, too. All of these have irritating synthetic foaming agents such as SLS (sodium lauryl sulfate), as well as synthetic dyes and fragrances. These chemicals can cause breakouts, and dry out the bristles of brushes. To keep your synthetic or real hair brushes fresh and fabulous, follow these simple steps!

First, replace your old cleaning method with Dr. Bronner’s Magic Liquid Soap. This is one of my favorite products because it’s 100% chemical free, certified organic, certified fair trade, multi-use and super affordable! There are several different kinds to choose from, but all of them work very well! For brush cleaning, I recommend the “Tea Tree Oil” or “Lavender” kind because of their anti-bacterial/ anti-septic properties. If you have super sensitive skin, I would try the “Baby Mild/ Scent Free” liquid soap.

Next, wet your brush with warm water then pour a teeny bit of Dr. Bronner’s Magic Liquid Soap on the brush or in the palm of your hand. Swirl the brush in a circular motion in your hand. Once it’s foamy, rinse with hot water. Repeat until water rinses completely clear.

• For my foundation, concealer and powder brushes, I usually apply soap and rinse with hot water 3 times to make sure they are super clean. These are the brushes that accumulate the most bacteria, so to avoid breakouts, shampoo your concealer/ foundation brushes after every use… Your powder brushes should be shampooed about twice a week.

Last, once your brushes are rinsing clean, squeeze out any excess water, shape, then lay flat on a dry, clean towel. I usually let my brushes dry over night.

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