Brush Cleaner- and- stringent hygiene a must!

Many times I watch room tours & how people keep their make up stashes on Youtube (a guilty pleasure of mine along with: The Actor's studio) and I am disgusted by the state that people keep their brushes, sometimes thick with powder or just caked with product, layer upon layer of product not all but my beady eyes have seen some that make my toes curl. Keeping brushes in this state can cause breakouts of spots, eye infections, spreading of bacteria and even worse, the hygiene of make up should be that of handling food and if you would not use the same cutlery without washing for 2 weeks then do not do the same with make up brushes. It literally turns my stomach.

Brush cleaners are an investment and the best are not cheap, but it is better to have effective and very thorough cleaners that really deep clean and are anti-bacterial and care for your brushes. I have a solvent based cleaner most are alcohol based and I use it take the surface make up and dirt and wash my brushes with a tea tree shampoo too and these are my product recommendations: Please Note: I am not *proud* of these ingredients, they are harsh solvents and are obviously not hand mixed using natures finest *organic* ingredients (apart from the PM shampoo- lovely stuff) BUT they will keep your brushes immaculately clean.

All time favourite brush cleaner: Cinema Secrets Brush Cleaner (USA- various sizes Ricky's NY but available on Amazon & Ebay)

This is just incredible at dissolving all pigments from brushes, it is incredible! It has a vanilla aroma that masks the heavy duty *solvent* smell a little bit, but it is the heavy duty cleaning of this solution that makes it just #1. A little goes a long way.

Ingredients: Hydrotreated Heavy Naphtha, Dichloroflourooethane, 1-Methoxy-2-Propanol, Isopropylparaben, Isobutylparabenn, N-Butylparaben, Fragrance, D&C Green #6

My daily go to brush cleaner: Shu Uemura Brush Cleaner £11.00/125ml

I find that this works on all textures of brushes and all types of pigment, the solution dries quickly and leaves brushes very clean and has conditioning properties from the Macadamia.

Ingredients: Isopropyl Alcohol, Alcohol Denat, SD Alcohol, Ethyl acetate, Macadamia ternifolia, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Tocopheryl Acetate

My favourite shampoo to wash brushes: Paul Mitchell Tea Tree Shampoo £4.50/75ml & £13.50/300ml

A rich sumptuous shampoo that deep cleanses, keeps brushes and barnets scrupulously clean but also keeps brushes well maintained and in excellent condition.

Ingredients:Melaleuca Alternifolia Extract(Deionized Water/Tea Tree Oil, Sodium Laureth Sulfate,(Derived From Coconut), Cocamide DEA, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Peppermint Oil, Linoleamide DEA, Oleamidopropyl Betaine, Awapuhi Extract, Rosemary Extract, Jojoba Oil, Kelp Extract, Henna Extract, Aloe Vera Gel, Wheat Germ Oil, Glycol Stearate, Lavender Oil, PEG-150 Distearate, Polyquaternium-7, Methylparben, Keratin Amino Acids, Methylchloriosothiazolinone (and) Menthylisothiazolinone, Citric Acid, Chamomile extract, Panthenol(vitamin B-5), Tetrasodium EDTA, Propylparaben, Sodium Chloride, FD&C blue No. 1, FD&C YELLOW NO. 5

Best hand sanitizer: Rituals- Hands Free £3.50/50ml 

Can't get Frais anymore, this is a decent alternative and kinder to the hands and contains green tea.

Ingredients: Alcohol, aqua/water, isopropylalcohol, parfum, glycerin, trietanolamin, carbomer, limonen, linalool, geraniol, tocopherylacetat, butylenglykol, camellia sinensis (vit e). I translated this from Dutch so as accurate as I can manage :)

Also in my kit: Surgical Spirit

Just from Boots to clean things like: tweezers, eyelash curlers- basically anything metal.


Gone but Not forgotten:

I still have some of this as I bulk bought, but I cannot find anywhere, but if you can get hold of it, bulk buy, a hand sanitizer that is amazingly kind to hands with 9 different essential oils.

Notes: How to use liquid brush cleaner:
Pour a small amount of brush cleaner in a bowl or other container, and dip brush or tool in cleaner. Remove immediately. Wipe clean on tissue. Repeat a second time if necessary. Allow to air-dry for two to five minutes.