Bugs could be living in your makeup brushes if you don't clean them regularly

18 April 2019, 12:40 | Updated: 18 April 2019, 14:43

If you're not cleaning your brushes regularly there could be bugs living in them. Picture: PA

By Mared Parry

If your brushes are looking a little worse for wear you should heavily consider giving them a deep clean

Whether you have a huge collection for every nook and cranny of your face or just a few essential brushes, it's important that they all get cleaned regularly.

It might sound like a lot of hassle and completely unnecessary, but we can assure you - it's not.

So if your once white bristles are unrecognisable and you can't remember the last time you gave them a proper clean, off to the bathroom sink you go!

Makeup brushes build up tonnes of bacteria after just a single use. Picture: PA

Cosmetic scientist Lynne Sanders spoke to Glamour about what exactly can be lurking in your cosmetic tools and why cleaning them is essential.

Lynne revealed that "under the microscope, you may see the remains of mites on your brushes".

Although the mites are generally considered harmless, they can get worse depending on the state of your brushes and sponges and can sometimes be implicated in acne.

It's true, it doesn't matter how in-depth your skincare routine is, if your brushes are dirty they will be contributing towards any skin issues that arise.

Dirty brushes can case a number of skin problems such as folliculitis and even cellulitis which can lead to blindness.

So invest in some great brush cleaners and get washing.

Best products for cleaning your brushes

Cleaning sprays

Strictly Professional's spray bottle is an absolute bargain and will save you a lot of time. Picture: Amazon

Strictly Professional Cosmetic Brush Spray 150ml, £8.55 from Amazon

A quick and easy way to clean your brushes, this is how makeup artists clean their brushes when they're on the job and have multiple clients one after the other as the brushes dry in seconds and are ready to use again.

There are tonnes of different brands that sell makeup brush cleaning sprays, but they all work in the same way.

Simply place your dirty brush on a clean tissue (you'll go through a fair few of these), spray the brush until it's wet and rub out the product which will melt off the bristles and onto the tissue.

This method only really works if your brushes weren't too dirty to begin with (max 10 uses) as it gets rid of gradual build up quickly. If you are going to use a spray cleaner on some seriously dirty brushes, ones such as eyeshadow or fan brushes will work better than thick and dense ones like foundation or bronzer brushes.

If your brushes are in dire need of a deep clean then you'll need to do the classic brush cleaning liquid and water method which takes a while to dry.

Cleaning liquids

Spectrum's Vegan brush shampoo come in a gorgeous pink horn packaging. Picture: Spectrum

Vegan Brush Shampoo, £14.99 from Spectrum Collections

If you have some time on your hands and want to deep clean your brushes the good old-fashioned way, Spectrum's Vegan brush cleaner smells gorgeous and does a great job of removing all the grime from your brushes.

Simply run the brushes under water and add a few drops of the liquid, mix, et voila!