10 Makeup Brush Cleaners in 2022

As much as you may love recreating TikTok-inspired makeup (or at least scrolling through it), cleaning all those brushes and sponges is a real pain. We do hate to break it to you, but dirty tools are a breeding ground for bacteria and a haven for dirt and oil that eventually leads to rashes, breakouts, and even infections. To protect yourself from this story, it’s a good idea to wash your brushes every 7–10 days. We hope that using the best makeup cleansers for brushes that people swear by will make this process a little less tedious for you.

1. A brush shampoo that got more than 40,000 reviews with an average rating of 4.6 stars. It’s designed to wash away any oil, makeup, and impurities from your brushes and sponges. It’ll not only naturally clean and condition your tools, but also return them back to their soft and gentle form without leaving any residue behind.

HOW TO USE IT:

• Dampen a brush or sponge with warm water
• Squeeze a small amount of shampoo on the tool and gently rub it with your fingers
• Rinse thoroughly and lay flat to dry
• Recommended using it once a week to extend the life of your tools

The cleaning shampoo is dermatologically tested and hypoallergenic. It’s also free of parabens, phthalates, and petroleum-based ingredients. The cleaner’s packaging is best for those who care about nature, as it’s environmentally friendly and made with 40% post-consumer recycled materials.

Happy buyer’s review: I’m going to admit: I’ve left my makeup brushes uncleaned for a very long time. In fact, they’ve never been cleaned. This stuff removed every last bit of eyeshadow, bronzer, liquid foundation, and whatever else I’ve used. Very clean-smelling but light. Nice lather, clean brushes within a few minutes, leaving them like new. Love it 😍😍😍 @L.Lovecraft

Buy this brush shampoo from Amazon HERE

2. A deep cleansing gel that can boast about 6,000 reviews and an average rating of 4.5 stars. Its exclusive formula is laboratory proven to effectively kick off nearly all makeup residue. Yep, it’s said to remove everything you can see... and even those impurities that are hidden from your eye to give you back a brush that is as clean as a new one.

HOW TO USE IT:

• Squeeze a drop of gel onto your palm or any textured surface and add warm water
• Swirl bristles into gel and water, and rinse until clean. Be careful not to immerse the base of bristles as they can detach from the handle
• Reshape and dry flat or upside-down

For the best result, use it with this brush cleansing palette:

Happy buyer’s review: It is extremely easy to use. Only a small amount can wash out all the pigment inside the brush. The result comes out very satisfying — the brush looks as good as new. And the scent is also very good, but not very strong. Overall, this is good value for money for me, already recommended my flatmate to buy one. @belle

Buy this deep cleaning gel from Amazon HERE

3. A makeup brush cleanser evaluated by more than 4,000 people, and 4.5 stars is a quite promising result, isn’t it? It doesn’t require any water or rinsing, but still makes any makeup melt away with just 3 steps and leaves brushes dry almost instantly. PLUS, it has a pleasant vanilla scent.

HOW TO USE IT:

• Pour the cleaner into a cleansing tin. Fill the tin up enough to dip 1/4 of the brush bristles.
• Dip the tip of the brush into the liquid and remove immediately to avoid over-saturation. The bristles will draw liquid up into the brush and dissolve away makeup.
• For large, fluffy, or dense brushes, only dip 10% of the brush tip and hold vertically for 5 seconds so that the liquid moves down into the base.
• Wipe the brush clean on an absorbent paper towel or cloth, and repeat as necessary.
• Reshape the brush and allow it to air dry completely before use.

You can choose the bottle that fits your needs the most:

• Here you can buy a bigger bottle
• Here a small bottle and a cleansing tin are waiting for you
• This bottle has a convenient sprayer on top

Happy buyer’s review: I saw this product featured by an influencer. I decided to give it a try to clean my makeup brushes. I have to honestly say, this stuff is fantastic. It does an amazing job on makeup brushes; it leaves them soft, clean, and fluffy. It works much better than washing with soap and water. This is a product that I will continue to buy as I am incredibly delighted with it. It has no smell. The ingredients work on the bristles of the makeup brushes very quickly. All you need is a paper towel to wipe the brushes off after you dip them into a dish with a solution. @Joann Marks

Buy this makeup brush cleaner from Amazon HERE

4. A cleaner with more than 3,500 reviews that got 4.3 stars. It’s simple yet quite effective in getting your tools free of dirt as it has different rugged patterns for various brushes. On the bottom, there are 5 mini suckers that allow you to attach this wash pad to a plastic plate or basin.

This wash pad is made of high-grade silicone, which is non-toxic and doesn’t have any smell. It is eco-friendly and durable. It’ll be one of the best companions for your travels as it’s very handy and portable.

Happy buyer’s review: OMG, I did not expect this cleaning brush pad to be soo effective!! My brushes were cleaned in seconds! My morphe buffing brush often takes me soo long to clean by hand due to the density of the bristles, but the time has halved with this pad!! For the price I paid, it is super value for money and anyone with makeup brushes should try this!! The suction of the pad is good too! @Deep

Buy this cleaning wash pad from Amazon HERE

5. A device with more than 3,000 reviews and an average rating of 4.6. It’s an easy and hygienic way to wash your tools, as it uses centrifugal spin technology to clean and dry makeup brushes in less than 30 seconds. The great thing is that your makeup brushes will be ready to reuse immediately — no more messy basins or waiting 24 hours for your brushes to dry. You’ll have more time to perfect that flawless finish!

The device is very easy and quick to use! All you need to do is just to simply attach your makeup brush to the spinning device, add cleanser to the bowl, spin your brush to clean, and lift and spin to dry.

Moreover, the collar attachments come in 8 sizes, designed to fit 99% of makeup brushes. Plus, the kit includes two packets of brush cleanser, which is said to cut through stubborn makeup like a hot knife through butter, removing oil-based products with ease.

Happy buyer’s review: Works even better than I expected! The cleanser that comes with it gets foundation off really well. The attachments are brilliant and hold the brush in place perfectly. Plus, spinning it outside of the cleanser dries the brush immediately, so it’s no inconvenience at all. Really recommend this!! @Molly

Buy this device from Amazon HERE

6. Here is another electric brush cleaner with more than 2,500 reviews and an average rating of 4.4. It’ll clean and dry your brushes within 10 seconds, which makes it a perfect time-saver. It’s said to clean brushes more effectively, which prevents breakouts and keeps your skin healthier.

This makeup brush cleaner and dryer is made of food-grade material. It’s non-toxic, odorless, waterproof, and abrasion-resistant. The cleaning bowl is also made of high-quality materials, durable, and not easily broken.

Mind that water temperature should exceed 45° C.

Happy buyer’s review: I would lie if I said I wasn’t a bit skeptical before I bought this. But! I have been so pleasantly surprised by this little machine! Foundation brushes, powder brushes, and even eyeshadow brushes were all cleaned and dried in seconds! The only brushes this doesn’t work for are tightly packed brushes like a lip brush or eyebrow brush, but I never expected it to work for those.
Any brush with some fluff will be cleaned and dried super quickly! Thankfully, there are different-sized attachments as I have some really wide and some really skinny brushes, and I was able to get them all cleaned, even my really weirdly shaped BH cosmetics brushes.
Make sure you buy some 3A batteries.
I probably went through a good 25 brushes today and not once did the machine stutter or anything.
What I will say is, you’ve got to make sure the brushes are properly aligned, as otherwise, the spinning motion goes all wobbly. Would definitely recommend to anyone who is looking for a quicker way to get their brushes cleaned! The device is also quite chic looking, which is an added bonus. @Cosima

Buy this electric brush cleaner from Amazon HERE

7. A makeup brush cleanser and conditioner that will be a great addition to the automatic cleaner and dryer of the previous product from point 5. You even get 2 free packs of it for free if you buy the device. It has more than 2,000 reviews and its average rating is 4.6. Aside from its deep cleansing power, the unique formula is infused with nourishing oils to gently condition your brushes, leaving the bristles silky, smooth, and soft.

Its gentle yet highly effective formula is free from alcohol, sulfates, fragrances, and parabens.

We bet that you don’t even know how dirty your brushes can be. Take a look at the pics below, then:

Happy buyer’s review: This stuff is literally gob-smackingly good and will save me a small fortune in brushes. I’ve used it with the StylPro device, and it’s amazing, and I have also soaked my brushes in the solution for a few hours and literally put them under a tap to rinse and dry them off with a bit of loo roll. The brushes literally come up like brand new and dry so quickly. I haven’t found it greasy, but I did rinse well. Even my husband was gobsmacked about how good the brushes came out and slightly annoyed that I’d never purchased it previously! Amazing stuff! Your brushes and your wallet will thank you! @Liz

Buy this cleanser and conditioner from Amazon HERE

8. A sponge and brush cleanser that will remove excess products, dirt, and oil from beauty blenders and brushes to provide further clean makeup application. It’s equipped with a textured, pink silicone pad to gently bounce beauty blenders or swirl brushes against the bumps to help the cleanser penetrate for deep cleaning action. It’s an easy, effective, and perfect tool for anyone who is always on the go! More than 2,000 people confirm this by giving it an average rating of 4.5.

HOW TO USE IT:

• Wet the beauty blenders or brushes
• Swirl and compress sponges onto soap, working into a lather. Pressing sponges release air, allowing a cleanser to get to all the small places. Gently squeeze beauty blenders or makeup brushes and rinse again to remove any excess cleanser and water. Squeeze away excess water with a towel.
• Set beauty blenders/brushes out to dry completely in a clean, well-ventilated area and re-use.

Just take a look at this difference between the cleaned and yet-to-be cleaned sponges:

Happy buyer’s review: Smells lovely, like lavender, and is compact and easy to use. It really cleaned up my lovely soft Anjou brushes without causing damage or “splaying” and left them as new. My brushes are as clean and as soft as when they were first bought and have a lovely residual fresh lavender/lemon smell. I could see the old make-up coming out as I soaped and rubbed them onto the little soap board, and the whole item is so compact, I know I can clean my brushes whenever I need to and even take this with me if I travel with no hassle. I am so impressed with this item. @Hayley-Ann

Buy this sponge and brush cleanser from Amazon HERE

9. Makeup brush cleansing wipes that will instantly remove all oil, residue, and impurities from your brushes. This product is perfect for those who travel a lot and need a handy and portable solution to the “How to clean my brushes” issue. Plus, it works well for a quick daily clean. It’s got about 1,500 reviews and 4.2 stars.

HOW TO USE IT:

• Remove a cloth
• Gently unfold it and place it across the palm of your hand
• Holding the brush in another hand, gently rub the bristles with the cloth until traces of makeup residue are removed from the brush
• Lay flat to air dry for 1–3 minutes — do not leave the brush upright

Happy buyer’s review: I use Estée Lauder double wear foundation and find if you don’t clean your brush after every use, it soon builds up and makes your foundation look darker on your skin, if that makes sense. These brushes are great for a fast clean after every application. Highly recommended @Hayley1971

Buy these wipes from Amazon HERE

10. A makeup brush cleanser set that includes a piece of soap and a pad. While the soap will naturally clean and condition your tools and return your brushes and sponges back to their soft and gentle condition, the pad will enhance the result. The set is very travel-friendly and will allow you to maintain the beauty and cleanness of your tools with less effort. More than 1,000 reviews and 4.3 stars support these words!

HOW TO USE IT:

• Wet your brushes or sponges
• Swirl them in the soap and then spin them around on the cleansing pad
• Clean and dry naturally

Happy buyer’s review: I love it. The soap leaves my brushes very soft (probably because of the added coconut oil) and they smell so nice. The set is very easy to use and saves me time when I want to clean a bunch of brushes. It is now in my makeup bag at all times. @VS

Buy this set from Amazon HERE

Do you like wearing makeup? How often do you clean your tools?

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