Breaking out from makeup? Check your brush!

[InnerBeauty]

I wrote this article for my blog a while back, but thought it might be helpful to some here.

Do you respond to beauty products with skin sensitivities and allergic reactions? I sure know what that's like! In fact, that's why I sought out mineral makeup in the first place...
I had spent years trying to find a makeup I could wear without itchiness, breakouts or red, swollen eyes. It was so delightful to find that high quality brands (without additives and fillers) of mineral makeup not only prevented these reactions, but actually helped improve and heal my skin.

So imagine my surprise and frustration when, after successfully using mineral makeup for a while, I suddenly noticed some of my old problems starting to return! Was I developing an intolerance to these products as well? Very discouragd at the thought, I set out to research and experiment. Here is what I discovered:

Makeup brushes need to be washed regularly. If you are using your brushes on a daily basis, once a week is probably a good idea. Here's how:
- Find a gentle product (that you know that you are not allergic to!) like mild baby shampoo or, my personal favorite, a tea tree oil soap. Gently hand wash your brushes with just a drop or two of cleanser and running water. Continue to rinse until several seconds after your water runs absolutely clear. You may be amazed at how much product actually stores up inside your brush!
- Let your brush air dry by either hanging it upside down (without bristles touching anything) or lay it sideways at the edge of your sink so that bristles are totally surrounded by air. It is best NOT to stand your brush to dry as water can eventually loosen the glues that bind bristles to handle.
- You should find that a healthy habit of routinely washing your makeup brushes makes a huge difference in both the smoothness of your makeup application and the condition of your skin.

Taking proper care of cleanliness, yet still breaking out? Might you be allergic to your brush? While natural animal hair brushes such as sable, goat, pony and squirrel are generally preferred by professional makeup artist for their high quality, some of us are (or may become with regular usage) allergic to these animal hairs. I recently had to stop using my adorable and delightfully soft pink kabuki brush due to ongoing irritation. Turns out there was absolutely no problem with my makeup at all, and the brush itself was wonderful, I just can’t tolerate goat hair! But I found a great alternative with a synthetic kabuki brush. The one I use features top-of-the line taklon fibers that act and feel like natural hair but without the allergens.

[Leon]

Thanks for posting this Jenni

[ComplexBeuty]

Very smart. I use Dr. Bronner's liquid soaps for my brushes. Dr. Bronner's soap does really wonderful job breaks up the oil and makeup.

[beautyholic]

That's a great article. I used to not wash my brushes. Yeah, I know. Euuw. What made it worse was that I used to keep my brushes on a holder on my dresser, which collected dust every day. YUCK. When I finally washed my brushes, the water was so murky, it scared me good.

I wash my brushes once a week now. As for brushes that touch the eye area, I wash them after each use with a mild cleanser.

[DianeStJames]

Jenni

This is a great article. Thanks! Because I can offer that as a suggestion in
the future for folks I send samples to telling me that the makeup didn't seem
to agree with them. I will ask them what they use to put it on and go
from there.

Now if they use their finger....I may just have to ask if it is clean before
applying makeup... not sure how well that would go over though.

[Fusion]

Jenni

Good Post!!! Most ladies forget about washing their brushes. When I send out samples especially foundation samples. I tell the client to make sure to wash your brushes. I do mine on Sunday AM, it is my routine for them.

[jccraft]

Jenni-

That is a really great post! I can imagine a lot of women who have pet hair allergies might not realize they could be allergic to their makeup brush.

[InnerBeauty]

I can't wear wool, use lanolin-based products, or touch certain animal fibers like angora, so I souldn't have been surprised when my makeup brush caused problems, but I just never thought of it.

[Vicki-Arnold]

Jenni, what a great article. Confession, I didn't realize you could actually wash the brushes. I thought you just replaced them. An expensive ignorance, lol. I will pass this tip on.

[InnerBeauty]

I actually just oreder a second set of brushes last month. That way I can wash one set and have another clean set ready to go while those dry. Or I can keep one in my travel bag and not have to switch back and forth from home when we are gone.