How To Clean A Makeup Pencil Sharpener

Makeup is a beautiful thing, but germs have no place in your makeup bag. If you are a makeup enthusiast you are well aware that we paint, contour, and highlight our faces with different makeup brushes, sponges, curl our eyelashes etc almost on a daily basis. However, many of us tend to ignore how important it is to maintain your makeup kit and keep it hygienic and clean. According to dermatologists and makeup artists, we should be 'sudsing' up our makeup tools far more often in order to prevent bacteria build-up, which can lead to breakouts and infections.

As the coronavirus or COVID-19 continues to spread, with over 300,000 cases reported worldwide, several medical officials across the world have warned people to ensure cleanliness in order to prevent the spread of this contagion. To assure customer safety, retail beauty shops such as Sephora and Ulta Beauty have banned in-store makeup testing and product sampling. And now, more than ever, it is imperative to sanitize all your beauty products and tools. Here are a few ways to keep your beauty tools and products clean and hygienic.

Wash your hands

It's an obvious one, yet we still tend to forget that before starting our makeup it is necessary to wash our hands. Most of the diseases that we encounter are due to dirty hands, which accumulate lots of germs and bacteria through the day. Wash them thoroughly and then pat them dry. You should also carry a good moisture-based sanitizer to clean your hands every now and then. Our hands touch all products and all parts of our faces, therefore keeping them clean is of utmost importance.

Cleaning those brushes

Did you know giving your makeup brushes a thorough washing every month or so is not enough? Most dermatologists will tell you to soak your tools, especially foundation and concealer brushes, once a week — at least — to prevent product build-up. Because these brushes are used on your face, the cleaner they are the better, says legendary makeup artist Bobbi Brown. Experts say that soaping up your makeup brushes regularly can extend the life of the bristles and make for better product application.

The best and most thorough method for cleaning your tools requires lukewarm water and either a gentle soap or your favourite face wash. You can use a brush cleanser as well.

Makeup sponges

Regular makeup sponges (the inexpensive kind that come in bulk bag) aren't meant to be reused — toss those after a single use. Microbial-resistant sponges like Beautyblenders, on the other hand, are meant to be reused and can be safely used for three to four months. As with makeup brushes, make sure to clean your Beautyblenders at least once a week, as the sponges can clog up with dead skin cells and bacteria can overgrow. Soak your blender in soapy water for 15 minutes and then wash it with warm water to kill bacteria and remove product buildup. Remember makeup sponges must be left out to air dry or mould can grow within them.

Another important thing to do is replace the puffs that come with your compact after every three months. It stays within your compact and also comes in contact with your skin which may have some basic bacteria and this may ruin your compact as well as allow bacteria to breed.

Disinfecting the products

A great way to ensure that your tools and products are clean is to wipe them, at least once a week, with cleaning cloths that kill and disinfect germs. Another easy way is to use a paper towel and a bit of alcohol to remove germs from products. For your metal makeup tools, like tweezers and eyelash curlers, use some spirit or isopropyl alcohol to clean and disinfect them. All you have to do is soak some cotton and wipe them. Wait a full day before using the curler again to prevent getting any alcohol in your eyes. You can also disinfect pressed eye shadows, bronzers, blushes etc. by filling a spray bottle with rubbing alcohol and spritzing your powders and palettes with it directly. Let it air-dry and make sure to wait until the product is completely dry before using. To clean your lipstick, pour some rubbing alcohol into a small cup and dip the top of the lipstick for a few seconds. Remove and gently dab the alcohol off and let the lipstick dry. Don't worry, the alcohol won't harm the makeup, just the germs!

Let's sharpen

Before you use any makeup pencil, like kajal/kohl pencil or eyebrow pencil or lip liner, make sure to sharpen it. After using the pencil, it may have some bacteria buildup which can end up on your skin, so sharpening your pencils before every use will remove the top layer that has the bacteria buildup. To sanitize the sharpener, pour some rubbing alcohol into a bowl and place it in. After about five minutes, remove the sharpener from the alcohol and dry it off.