Kailey Strachan/E!What do Jessica Alba, Reese Witherspoon, Ashley Benson and Chrissy Teigen have in common? Makeup artist Lauren Andersen. So when a beauty expert like her tells you how often your makeup brushes should be cleaned, you listen…and then you tell everyone you know.
"Brushes hold onto a ton of bacteria, so if you're noticing any sudden breakouts on your face, look to your brushes…then clean them," said the pro. "If you use sponges, my best advice would be to just throw them away consistently or at least once a month."
When to Wash: "Because I'm using mine sometimes multiple times a day, I wash my brushes every night," said Lauren. "You're most likely only using yours on your own face, so you should be washing them at least once a week—make it a Sunday ritual!"
What to Wash With: "I use my hands to wash mine along with soap and water," noted the expert. "Between the hairs of any brush and the handle, there's a metal piece keeping them together—make note of its shape. If it's a round piece of metal, you know the hair on your brush should be massaged in a circular motion. If the piece of metal is flat, a back and forth motion is how you should be gently scrubbing your brushes. It's important not to go against the grain of them—that's how you damage your brushes."
"Once you've given them a deep clean, lay them on some paper towel and leave them there to dry overnight," stated the beauty maven.
"If you own something like Sephora's Daily Brush Cleaner, it can be an OK fallback in between full washes, but it shouldn't be a substitute," concluded Lauren.
Sounds like you and your sink have a date every Sunday night.