Do you ever feel your makeup sponge is just a breeding ground for bacteria? Well, unless your cleanliness routine is correct, you may be right.
Most people don't know how to clean their accessories properly, which leads to many problems, including breakouts and skin irritation.
Here, we will discuss how to clean your sponges in an effective and safe way!
What Are They?
These are important tools in our beauty routine - they help us apply foundation - or even cleanser - evenly and are used as a blender to blend out concealer flawlessly.
There are many types available, but we recommend a beautyblender. A beautyblender is a type of makeup sponge that is designed to help you apply your foundation, blush, and other beauty products evenly. It has a pointed end for applying foundation to hard-to-reach areas and a rounded end for blending.
A beautyblender is made from a special material that, when damp, will absorb very little, so It remains on the surface, from where it can be applied easily to your skin.
The Importance of Cleanliness
As anyone who's ever used a sponge knows, they can get pretty dirty quickly so it's important to adopt a cleaning routine regularly.
Dirty sponges can cause skin problems because the dirt and bacteria that accumulate can be transferred to your skin when you use them. If you're not cleaning regularly, you could be buying into trouble.
Fortunately, it’s pretty easy to do. Make sure you're using the right products and following the proper steps.
How to Clean
There are a few different ways to clean these, but we recommend using the methods mentioned below. These methods can also be used for your other brushes.
Method One
- Rinse in running water and add soap - You can do this with warm water from the sink, or you could use a small spray bottle filled with water. Either way, ensure it is thoroughly saturated before adding liquid soap, a gentle cleanser or baby shampoo.
- Scrub and repeat - use your hands to massage in a circular motion, rinse thoroughly under running water and squeeze out.
- Dry - set the item out to air dry or use a hairdryer on a low setting. No matter what method you use, ensure it’s completely dry before using it again.
Method Two
If you're in a hurry, you can take a shortcut by using the microwave. Just follow these steps:
- Wet your product and squeeze out the excess liquid
- Place the item onto a plate and microwave it for one minute
- Let it cool before using it again
Method Three
You can also use alcohol as a cleanser by spritzing with alcohol to kill bacteria and break down the debris deep within the product, but make sure it is no more than a 70% concentration as you may degrade it with a higher alcohol concentration.
These are important routines to follow to ensure clear skin, prevent breakouts, and kill residual bacteria.
Method Four
You can also use a proprietary product specifically designed for this purpose. Soak in warm water then after swirling the cleanser onto the item, massage gently to work up into a lather. Gently squeeze and rinse and repeat as necessary.
One of the reasons we recommend beautyblenders is that they are free of silicone which means they are porous and create a flawless application. Residue doesn't build up on the surfaces like it does on silicone products, but that also means the lathering and squeezing repetition is vital to ensure cleanliness.
How Often Should You Clean?
We all have our beauty routines down to a science, but sometimes even the simplest beauty tool can be forgotten.
This is often the case with cleaning the blender we use. Even though we use them every day, how often do we take the time to pay attention to cleanliness?
These accessories should be cleaned after each use, but if you don't have time for that, aim for once a week. This applies to other accessories like your brushes too, paying particular attention to their bristles.
Conclusion
No matter what you choose, it's important to ensure that you are thorough and remove all the residue out of brushes, bristles and sponges.
Repeat these processes, and they will last longer and look better every time you use them. You can also be assured that your applicator is clean, residue free, and ready for your next cosmetic application.
