I have a confession to make:

I do not clean my make-up brushes as often as I should.  Beauty magazines encourage us to wash them like once a week. Huh?! That just doesn’t happen in my life.  Cleaning make-up brushes tends to fall to the bottom of the priority list, along with cleaning out the fridge and vacuuming the car, tasks which should demand much more of my time than they get.

But, when I do take the time to wash my brushes I use a simple homemade solution that is quick, easy and effective.  Just a bit of water, vinegar and soap gently cleans my brushes.  The cleaner starts out looking like this this:

But after just a couple minutes, all the make-up dust and skin oils leave the solution looking like this:

It really works!

Homemade Make Up Brush Cleaner

1 part warm water

1 part white vinegar

a few good squirts of a natural dish soap (I like Trader Joe’s lavender scent)

Stir water and vinegar together in a glass.  Add soap and gently stir to combine.

Dip brushes into the solution and soak for a minute or two. Gently swish around.

Sometimes I use the tines of a small fork to brush the bristles.  Rinse under warm water, blot with a towel, and set out to air dry.