This archive report was first published on 17 September 2019.
Don't Let Your Beautyblender Become a Germ Factory ¶
Even if you spend a fortune on your skincare routine, you might be neglecting one of the most overlooked tools in your beauty arsenal: your Beautyblender. 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.
Celebrity esthetician Renée Rouleau warns, '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 harboring caked-in makeup, face oils, and even mold, all of which are transferred onto your face every time you use it. Plus, a dirty sponge simply won't work as well when it's soaked in layers of old creams and powders.
Published on September 17, 2019, by Stephanie Montes for Women's Health Magazine.
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.
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.
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.
Method Four: Use organic products ¶
Dr. Bronner's Pure Castile Soap is a certified fair-trade soap made with organic oils that can be used for everything from washing your face to disinfecting your kitchen floor.
Method Five: Throw it in a mini washing machine ¶
If you're feeling lazy, you can use a mini washing machine to freshen up your favorite sponge temporarily.
Remember to dry your Beautyblender properly after cleaning to prevent mold from growing. Leave it out in the open where the most amount of oxygen can get to it, and ideally, leave it to dry in the sunlight since it will dry faster and allow for some antimicrobial activity to help cut down on germs.
