Like everything else, makeup brushes too need to be cleaned at regular intervals to prevent dirt and bacterial buildup. Along with safeguarding your personal hygiene, it also makes the brush last longer. These brushes, right from blush, foundation, and eye shadow, to lip liner and lipstick applicators, should be cleaned at least once a month.

Here are a few tips on how you can keep your makeup brushes clean:

1. Baby soap or shampoo: Baby products are mild and hence do not damage the brush. Ranella Hirsch, clinical assistant professor at Boston University School of Medicine told the Cosmopolitan magazine, “The detergents in hand soap are harsh and can strip the brushes”.

2. Face wash: A mild foaming face wash is also very effective in cleaning makeup brushes. Once clean, rinse and then air dry it.

3. Wet towels/wipes: For quick cleaning, these brushes can even be cleaned with wet towels or wipes. This is an instant method but cannot be relied upon always, as brushes do need thorough cleaning once in a while.

4. Rubbing Alcohol: A very effective and quick method of cleaning, according to the website allwomenstalk. Rubbing alcohol not only removes dirt and bacteria, but also eliminates the residual and dried up makeup.

These are some of the ways in which you can clean makeup brushes yourself. There are also professional products like the Sephora purifying brush shampoo.