How to Clean Make-Up Brushes

In her regular column Ask Lauren, 4Beauty resident make-up artist Lauren Dunn gives expert beauty advice.

How often should you wash your make-up brushes? Aimee

It's important to wash your make-up brushes regularly as they harbour dirt and bacteria that can cause spots. I recommend washing them every week.

Cleaning make-up brushes can be done in two ways: you can use an instant brush cleanser for a quick cleanse, or if you want to give them a really thorough clean, wash them with shampoo and leave to dry overnight.

Make sure that you don't get any water on the handle or the ferrule of the brush (the ferrule is the part that holds the brush fibres to the handle) - this will damage the brush fibres and make your brush moult.

MAC and Estee Lauder both do instant brush cleansers and you'll only need a small amount for each brush. Pour some cleanser into a ramekin or petri dish and dip each brush gently into the solution.

Alternatively, put some mild shampoo or washing up liquid in the palm of your hand, and swirl the brush into it. Then rinse clean under running water. I like to give big powder brushes a quick condition after shampooing, to leave them really soft, but you don't need to do this for all your brushes.

Gently swirl the brush onto a clean tea towel or hand towel to wipe off excess water. Whilst the brush is damp, reshape it and place it to dry on the edge of a table.