Even if you spend a fortune on your skincare routine — cleansers, masks, toners, serums, you name it — you might not be considering the unkempt Beautyblender you press into your face daily for months on end. Think about it: When’s the last time you cleaned your blender? If it’s not after each use, you’re not cleaning it enough.
Take it from celebrity esthetician Renée Rouleau, who says, “A Beautyblender holds on to bacteria, so when you use it in the morning, you’re spreading germs and oil all over the face.” Beyond spreading bacteria, she adds, “You’re creating an environment in the skin where, potentially, breakouts could be exacerbated and the skin is not in optimum skin health.”
Because a sponge is porous, it can be a cesspool harbouring caked-in makeup, face oils, and even mould, all of which are transferred onto your face every time you use it. Plus, you can imagine that a dirty sponge simply won’t work as well when it’s soaked in layers of old creams and powders. First, the colour of any past products can be accidentally transferred. Second, the textures of your products can be compromised by cross-contamination.
If your makeup sponge is so filthy you’re not even totally sure what colour it was when you originally bought it, it’s time for a good suds session. Getting your makeup sponge to look brand new doesn’t have to be a complicated nor time-consuming process. We found five of the best tutorials to help motivate you to finally clean your damn makeup sponge, ahead.
Method One: Scrub it with a bar of soap.
Squeeze your makeup sponge under running water until it’s completely soaked and expands in size. Using any bar soap, rub the sponge back and forth against the bar while applying pressure to build up a lather and deposit the cleanser inside. Once the soapy foam has turned into a bubbly foundation shade, rinse the sponge under clean running water until the water runs clear.
Method Two: Massage it with olive oil and dish soap.
Mix a two-to-one ratio of dish soap and olive oil and massage it into a dry Beautyblender. Once the makeup sponge has soaked up the mixture, rinse it under warm running water. Squeeze and rinse repeatedly until the water runs clear.
READ MORE: One Thing You Should Really Be Doing With Your Make-Up Brushes
Method Three: Microwave it.
A quick zap can be just what you need to disinfect your makeup sponge. Nuke it in your kitchen microwave with some dish soap and say bye-bye to micro-organisms that may be growing on the sponge. First, mix a few drops of mild soap (dish soap or baby shampoo will work too) with water in a microwave-safe cup. Make sure there’s enough of a lathered solution to submerge the sponge fully. Give the sponge a big squeeze in the water, then microwave the cup for about a minute. Wait at least 30 seconds for the cup to cool before grabbing it from the microwave.
The soapy water will transform into gross makeup stew, and your once-dirty sponge will look like new. Once the water cools off, rinse your sponge and wring it out under running water. Just be sure to never microwave a dry sponge, nor leave it in too long — apparently Beautyblenders melt.
Method Four: Use organic products.
Because we don’t get Dr Bronner’s Pure Castile Soap, here in South Africa, look for a natural soap cleanser made with organic oils.
Add a few drops of the liquid cleanser directly onto the sponge and begin massaging, pressing, and pushing it into the sponge under running water. Allow it to create a lather. Rinse and repeat. Once the lather turns white (and no longer contains makeup), you’re ready to rinse and dry.
Method Five: Throw it in a mini washing machine.
If the only thing that will get you excited to wash your Beautyblender is a cute, novelty purchase, we’ll take what we can get. This mini washing machine fit for a Barbie doll went viral as an option for lazy girls to get their makeup sponges clean with almost no effort at all — that is, if you don’t count the effort you’ll put into documenting the process for Instagram.
Although it’s technically not made to clean your beauty tools at all, this child’s toy could actually pass for maintaining your sponges in a pinch. You’ll still need to schedule regular deep-cleaning sessions like the ones above, but some dish soap and a battery-powered spin cycle is just what you need to freshen up your favourite sponge temporarily.
PS: Don’t forget about drying!
Keep in mind, drying your Beautyblender properly is just as important as the regular cleanings. Tossing a damp sponge into a makeup bag or back into it’s packaging with the lid on, will create mould. Let it air dry thoroughly before packing it away. Rouleau suggests, “leave them out in the open (not in a drawer) where the most amount of oxygen can get to them.” She also adds, “Ideally, leave them to dry in the sunlight since they will dry faster but UV sunlight allows for some antimicrobial activity to help cut down on germs.”
Above all, keep in mind that while regularly cleaning your sponge will help extend its longevity, these sponges aren’t meant to last forever. Beautyblender suggests replacing yours after three months of use — and it’s a great rule of thumb for all your makeup sponges.
This article was originally published on www.womenshealthmag.com
