From amateur makeup enthusiasts to pro makeup artists, the beauty blender became a beauty essential overnight and chances are, you won’t find a makeup bag without one. Whether you’re using the official ‘BeautyBlender’ or one of its more budget-friendly lookalikes, applying makeup with a beauty blender leaves you with a gorgeous, velvety finish while providing even, buildable coverage. Not to mention it can also be used to blend foundation, highlighter, concealer and more. That being said, chances are you most likely use your beauty blender every single time you apply your makeup and you use it until it becomes completely caked in makeup. Now you’re left with two options: you can toss it in the trash and purchase a new one, which can cost you up to a cool $30 dollars Canadian. Or, you could take a few moments and clean your blender, because shocker, cleaning it actually works. If you don’t feel like using BeautyBlender’s line of soaps and cleansers to clean your sponges, here are 5 effective ways to get your blender nice and clean. And don’t freak, beauty sponges can safely be re-used for up to three months.
Wash with Baby Shampoo
If baby shampoo is gentle enough for a baby, it’s definitely gentle enough for your beauty blender. Start by soaking your beauty blender in warm water and then apply a baby shampoo to the dark areas that are packed with the most makeup. Run your sponge under the warm water again and soak and squeeze, just like you would a normal sponge. The more you do this, you’ll see your makeup lift and wash away. For trickier stains, you can rub the sponge into the baby wash on your palm for a deeper clean.
Double cleanse
Just as double cleansing can do wonders for your skin, the same goes for your beauty blender. If you soak your blender in a cleansing oil, you can loosen up leftover makeup and unwanted stains. Next, rinse your blender with warm water followed by a foaming cleanser to get rid of any leftover residue.
Nuke it in the microwave
If you’re looking for a time-saving method, beauty gurus from all over have recently been sharing videos of cleaning their sponges in the microwave and this technique will have your sponge clean and sanitized in just a minute. Just place your dirty beauty blender in a microwavable safe bowl or cup with soap and microwave for one minute. And voila, you’re left with a clean a sponge. Just remember to not nuke it longer than a minute, because you’ll most likely go overboard and melt it.
Olive oil and dish soap treatment
This treatment is great because chances are you, you already own the two required ingredients. Start by mixing 1.5 teaspoons of dish soap and add about 2 teaspoons of olive oil together. Next, you’re going to want to roll your blender around in the mixture and massage it under warm running water to get the makeup out. Keep repeating this until you notice the stains disappear.
With your favourite bar of soap
This is another simple yet effective way to clean your sponge and only requires a bar of soap. Our drugstore favourite is Dove Beauty Bar since it’s inexpensive and effective. Start by running your dirty sponge under warm water until it expands. Then you’re going to rub all sides of your sponge onto the bar of soap, working it into a lather under the running water until all the makeup comes off. Continue doing this until the water runs clear.
