From clogged pores to conjunctivitis and staph infections – the risks of leaving makeup brushes in their own grime for too long are numerous, experts warned.
This is because the fluffy hairs create the perfect environment for bacteria to breed; hot and full of oil.
But how long is too long?
Now, a leading dermatologist has revealed the answer to DailyMail.com, and it’s a surprisingly short period of time.
You should wash your makeup brushes at least once a week, according to Dr. Shari Lipner, a dermatologist at Weill Cornell Medicine.
‘When people use these brushes, they tend to collect a lot of dirt and oil. And this is the perfect place for bacteria to grow,” said Dr. Lipner.
“More dirt, bacteria, and products on your skin can lead to more breakouts.”
Dr. Lipner said she and her fellow providers have seen people in her office who struggle with this.
“We’ve seen patients report not cleaning their makeup brushes and we’re seeing their acne get much worse.”
Dr. Lipner’s advice roughly coincides with that of American Academy of Dermatologywhich advises between seven and ten days.
However, the majority of Americans who wear makeup fall short of this goal.
According to a 2015 survey conducted by a skin care company. Anisa International – the most recent data available – 39 percent of women wait more than a month before cleaning their makeup brushes.
People online say similar things.
Dr. Sonali Nanda, a dermatology resident at the University of Oklahoma, admitted in a TikTok in April 2023 that even though she knows the ADA guidelines, she’s gone an entire year without washing her brushes.
“I mean, I know it’s really gross, they were literally covered in makeup,” she said before showing off her brush scrubbing protocol.
‘Honestly, sometimes I don’t wash them for 6 months. [emoji]. I’m lazy hahaha’ Reddit user Jasderp commented in a thread about how often users washed their brushes.
When you don’t wash your brushes, bacteria can build up on them, experts say. This bacteria can cause you to develop acne.
There’s a lot of product buildup on makeup brushes, and it’s just “nasty,” Charlotte, North Carolina makeup artist Caitlyn Michelle said in a january tiktok.
This “nasty” buildup is a common cause of acne and rashes, according to the AAD.
Although rare, it’s also possible to get a serious infection from the bacteria, said Dr. Debbie Palmer, a dermatologist at Dermatology Associates in New York. he told Good Housekeeping. This includes harmful insects such as staphylococcus, streptococcus and coli.
These germs can cause conjunctivitis and bacterial skin infections, such as staph infections. When you get a staph infection on your skin, it creates red bumps on your skin that fill with pus and can eventually turn into deep wounds. according to the Mayo Clinic.
‘Sometimes bacteria remain confined to the skin. But they can also penetrate deep into the body, causing life-threatening infections in the bones, joints, surgical wounds, bloodstream, heart valves, and lungs,” Mayo Clinic doctors wrote.
In 2016, an Australian model named Anthea Page was nearly blinded when she contracted a staph infection from a makeup brush she borrowed from a friend.
Model Anthea Page contracted a staph infection after borrowing someone’s makeup brush.
You don’t need to spend money on products like these to clean your brushes, Dr. Lipner said.
So, when you’ve psyched yourself up enough to tackle cleaning your brushes, how do you do it?
According to Dr. Lipner, the best way to do this is to first rinse the tips of your brushes with warm water.
Next, you should fill a bowl of water with a tablespoon of shampoo or mild cleanser and spin the brush, being careful to avoid the metal part, where the glue holds the brush together.
Next, rinse the brush under the sink to remove excess soap and product and let it dry on a clean towel.
You don’t need to invest in a bunch of new tools and products, like the silicone brush mats advertised on TikTok, to clean your brushes, Dr. Lipner said.
“I don’t think this is something that should be expensive or complicated,” it’s something you can do with items you already have at home, he said.
Since washing brushes should be part of your weekly routine, it’s best to keep it simple, she said.