Sonia Kashuk Brush Cleaner

One of the most important beauty regimens one can have, besides washing her makeup off before sleepy-time, is washing our makeup brushes.  This not only prolongs the life of your brushes, but it also reduces bacteria on your brushes, which can get on your face and cause breakouts.  I've tried a few different methods for cleaning my beloved brushes: Lysol wipes, brush cleaning shampoo, face cleaner, eye makeup remover (oily and oil-free), baby shampoo, even Dr. Bronner's soap.  Nothing has completely wowed me, so the search continues!



Recently, I decided I would give the Sonia Kashuk brush cleaner a try.  It comes in a spray bottle, and is definitely more geared toward light cleaning and general upkeep of smaller brushes.  Brushes that need heavier cleaning, such as my beautiful Sigmax foundation brushes don't get a lot of positive results using this cleaner.

How I use it
Since it's a spray cleaner, I simply wet my brushes (bristles down so as not to get water in the ferule!) with lukewarm water, then spray the bristles liberally with cleaner, again taking care not to get anything up the ferule.  I find that this cleaner does produce some minor suds, so I just swirl the bristles around in the palm of my hand, taking care not to press too hard or splay them all over the place, and then rinse.  Repeat if necessary.

The verdict: there are better cleaners out there.

Effectiveness isn't the only concern.  While the cleaner is nice for routine maintenance and cleaning of eye makeup brushes, the powerful smell is a definite deterrent for someone sensitive to fragrances like myself.  Dr. Bronner's soap, while effective, has the exact same strong lavender fragrance as this cleaner.  So if you've tried that and weren't thrilled, you won't like this one either.  Stick with something mild and/or fragrance free.

Regardless of the shampoo or cleaner I use to wash my brushes, one thing is always used - the Sigma Dry N Shape.  I know, I know - I sound like a commercial... but I can't wash my brushes without it anymore.  I have washed them and left them overnight to dry out on the vanity, and in the morning, they were actually still wet! I couldn't believe it.  This convinced me that my Dry N Shape was a wise investment for my needs (and believe me, I was skeptical at first).

How do you clean your brushes?  Share with me!