Cleaning

[#1]

I was wondering how often i need to clean my makeup brushes. Also, how can I do it with at home items? And what about mascara? How often should that be thrown out?

[#2]

Hey there!  As far as cleaning your brushes, you can use baby shampoo.  You should clean them once a month except for the once that are used for wet products like foundation, gel eyeliner, liquid concealor, etc.  Those you need to clean every time you use them.  The most important thing is to make sure they do not dry so that the water runs back down the handle. The water will go into where the bristles are attached and loosen the glue then the hairs will start to fall out.  You have to hang them so the water drips of the brush end.

Mascara should be thrown out every three months.

Hope this helps.    

[#3]

I clean my makeup brushes at least once a week with shampoo, water, and squeeze out the water, laying flat to dry on a towel.  As earlier mentioned, when you wash them you need to avoid getting the handles wet (it will wreck your brushes because the wooden handles will swell if wet/soaked).  I've read that the safest/best: every two to three days and for wet products every time you use the brushes they should be cleaned.

Also, be sure to shape your bristles before allowing them to dry.

[#4]

I use a hydrating 2 in 1 shampoo/conditioner to clean my brushes and not only do they smell great after but they feel much softer and tend not to fray.

For more stubborn stains, take a drop or two of extra virgin olive oil, swirl your brush head in it  (you'll see the make-up start to stain the oil),wipe off any excess on a tissue then take a gentle dishwashing liquid (I like Ivory dishwashing liquid) and swirl the brush head in it till it gets a bit foamy and rinse it out thoroughly making sure to not let any water run down the handle. you only want to wash the brush head.

I suggest you get some brush guards and dry your brushes upside down, If not dry them slanted downwards on a towel or something just as absorbent.

As for Mascara...I'm kind of a mascara junkie and am not the type to use the same one everyday... hee hee. SO, after a while I tend to do the sniff test. If it smells funk it's trashed.

usually you're not supposed to keep mascara past 3 months but I honestly think that's if you know you've been using it frequently and thus been exposing it to the elements. If not then hey, as long as it performs well and smells ok, I say get your money's worth.

[#5]

You can use simple baby shampoo to clean your brushes. As a rule you should be cleaning them once a week. However, I dont always have time to clean my brushes so I usually clean mine between one to two weeks.

Mascaras should be thrown out every 3 months.

[#6]

i clean my brushes with the same cleanser that i use on my face, CeraVe foaming cleanser, usually clean them like every 2-3 weeks. Mascara usually throw it out at about 3months but no longer than that

[#7]

I use Sephora's Daily Brush Cleaner ( http://www.sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml?id=P208011&categoryId=B70 ) to quickly clean my brushes about once or twice a week.  But once a month (sometimes twice a month) I will give my brushes a deep cleaning with regular baby shampoo.  It gently gets all the bacteria, debris and makeup out of my brushes and revives them so they look and feel brand new.  You just need to be sure that after cleaning your brushes that you dry them laying flat, preferably on a towel to help soak up moisture.  This will ensure that the bristles retain their shape.

I hope this helps you.

[#8]

Pick up Dawn dishsoap with a touch of Olay. It sounds crazy, but it's one of the most efficient easy ways to clean your brushes. I used to deep cleanse my brushes with plain Dawn dishsoap and then deep condition with olive oil, but the touch of olay does that. My brushes are always soft, and clean. Baby shampoo is also great to use in between washings but not as your primary wash, since it doesn't get out all the bacteria. Baby shampoo is very soft. But I spent a lot of money on my brushes, and do use them on lots of people, and they loook just like the day I got them. You should be cleaning your brushes once a week the VERY minimum in my opinion. I probably never use the same brush twice on an eye before cleaning it with something. They make alcohol based spray cleaner for in between washes, or if you want to use what you already have just use a makeup remover wipe. Good luck hun! Also, I forgot always dry your brushes downward so gravity pulls the water down from the ferrule, you don't want the water to ruin your brushes

As for mascara, the rule of thumb is once every 3 months, but if something is clumpy and gross, smells weird prior to that expiration date just throw it out. It could have to do with the shelf life of the mascara. Loreal Voluminous is an excellent mascara that's used on runways and it's like 5 dollars, try this that way you don't have to feel like your wasting money, and you will be more willing to go get a new one when it expires..i know i hate throwing away my 30 dollar mascaras haha such a waste, but being hygenic is more important