How To Clean Your Beauty Blender

These small, pink, egg-shaped sponges have become commonplace for a good reason. Beauty blender sponges are absolutely brilliant at applying foundation. They've become a favorite of many people — myself included — because they're relatively easy to handle, fun, and do a great job blending everything. And they're reusable, so there's less waste. Except, if you don't want to stand in front of the mirror with a ton of pimples on your forehead, take good care of them and clean them regularly. At least weekly, but honestly, I wash them after every use. I know that's a high standard, but if I don't, I'm bound to get pimples on my face.

How to Clean Your Beauty Blender With a Bar of Soap

You'll have to do without dish soap or oil and try this alternative: a bar of soap will do a great job on its own, making your sponge look and feel like new again.

Step 1: Soak the sponge 

First, run warm water over the makeup sponge. Make sure it's large and filled with water before you proceed to the next step.

Step 2: Rub the sponge on the bar of soap

Take a bar of soap and run it over the beauty blender. You'll need to apply a little pressure to the back of it to work the soap into the sponge and create a lather.

Step 3: Wash and dry the makeup sponge

When you've created a thick, bubbly lather, it's time to wash the sponge. Under cold running water, rinse the sponge until the water that runs out runs clear. Place it on a towel and leave it to dry.

How to clean your beauty blender with oil

Another natural and easy way to clean your beauty blender is to use oil. Since oil breaks down grease, it works effectively to break down oil and makeup stuck on your sponge. So if your Beauty blender has a thick layer of buildup on it, this is a good option for getting it clean again.

Step 1: add a few drops of oil to a dry beauty blender. Coconut oil and olive oil work great as cleaners for makeup sponges. Rub the oil into the sponge until it dissolves well into the sponge and starts to break down the residue. Gently rub the sponge until everything is clean and all the oil and makeup is gone.

Step 2: Place the Beauty blender in a bowl or cup of warm sudsy water. This helps to break down and remove leftover makeup and germs stuck to the sponge.

Step 3: When it looks clean, take your Beauty blender out of the sudsy water and place the sponge on a towel to dry. Make sure you keep it in a dry ventilated place to prevent any moisture the next time you use it.

How to Clean Your Beauty Blender With Dish Soap

Cleaning a beauty blender with dish soap is one of the most popular options. Dish soap is gentle on makeup sponges and easily removes caked-on foundation and concealer.

Step 1: Apply a little dish soap to the sponge First, apply a small amount of dish soap to the sponge. Dawn soap or other similar dish soaps that remove grease will work well. Finally, massage the dish soap into the sponge for at least 1 minute.

Step 2: Apply soap to the beauty blender After massaging the dish soap into the sponge, press it into the sponge with your fingers. Then, soak it in warm water for a few minutes.

Step 3: Rinse the sponge Squeeze the sponge to remove suds and loose water. Then, rinse it until only clear water comes out of the sponge when squeezed. Place it on a towel and leave it to dry.

How to clean your beauty blender with a microwave

Cleaning a makeup sponge in the microwave is just as quick and easy as washing dishes in the dishwasher or putting clothes in the washing machine. Best of all, the heat produced by heating it in the microwave is a great way to thoroughly clean it, killing any germs and bacteria that may be lingering. Just make sure you follow these steps correctly so you don't end up with a melted beauty blender on your hands.

Step 1: Mix soap and water in a cup

Add a few drops of liquid soap to a cup of water - the gentle options we mentioned earlier - work well here (please make sure the cup is microwave-safe!). Make sure there's enough to fully submerge the sponge.

Step 2: Wet the sponge, place in the cup and microwave it

Soak the sponge in tap water, then place it in the cup. Heat in the microwave for 1 minute, then let cool slightly before removing. The soapy water will be very colorful after this, and your beauty blender should look completely clean.

Step 3: Remove, Rinse and dry 

When the dirty water has cooled down, remove the sponge, rinse it thoroughly again under running water, and let it dry completely in a well-ventilated space.

When it’s time to replace your beauty blender

No matter how often you clean your makeup sponge, there comes a time when that sponge never gets clean enough. If you use your beauty blender regularly, it needs to be replaced every 3 months so that it can do its job well. If not, and you use it occasionally, it can wear out in up to 6 months if you clean it regularly. Here are some signs that will help you know when you should say goodbye to your beauty blender and buy a new one:

• Your sponge has some cracks or tears

• Parts of your sponge are missing

• Stains that are not coming out even after multiple washes

• Your beauty blender feels soft and is not as stiff or bouncy as before.

Makeup Sponge Tips and Tricks

• Wet or Dry – When using a beauty blender with creams or liquids, it is important to wet the blending sponge before adding the product to it. Simply run the beauty blender sponge under tap water until it is about twice its size, and then squeeze out the excess water to apply your makeup blender. If you are applying foundation with a foundation sponge, you can apply it dry or wet depending on the type of coverage and finish you want.

• Prepare Your Sponge – Just like you apply a primer to your skin before applying your makeup products, preparing your makeup sponge will create a protective layer on the makeup applicator so that excess makeup is not absorbed by the sponge. One of the lesser known makeup tips is to apply a few dots of your face primer to the sponge before using your foundation or concealer. You can also apply a few squirts of your makeup setting spray to increase the longevity of your foundation as well as to moisten the beauty blender.

• Pat, don’t drag – How you apply a foundation sponge has a huge impact on the end result of your face makeup. Dragging or rubbing a makeup blending sponge across your face can lead to patchy and streaky applications. Move the beauty blender across your skin in quick, short strokes (stippling) to get a smooth, airbrushed finish that is flawless. Small dabs apply the product to your face as well as blend it into your skin, giving you an even and smooth finish.

• Get natural coverage – Foundation sponges are ideal when you want a no-makeup makeup look that looks natural. Apply a concealer shade that matches your skin tone to cover under-eye dark spots, blemishes and circles, then apply a beauty sponge over it to provide light to medium coverage that blends into the skin.

• Get rosy cheeks – Blend your powder or cream blush with a makeup blender to give your skin a natural look. This applicator for makeup allows you to easily control the amount of product used, giving you less chance to make mistakes. 

• Sculpt your face – Defined cheekbones, sharp jawline, sculpted nose – you can do it all with your blending sponge. Create contour lines using the cream contour as usual and then blend the product on your face using the beauty blender until there are no harsh lines left.

• Bake your makeup – Prevent undereye creasing, get a more defined cheek contour, and catch eyeshadow and eye makeup fallout with this current makeup trend! Use some loose powder and your foundation sponge to bake your face and get a great complexion.

• Blot your skin – If the makeup on your face is getting sticky in the afternoon, all you need to do is lightly dab a dry makeup blender on the oily areas of your face to remove all the oil from your face.

• Update your makeup – On days when your makeup needs a refresh as the night goes on, spray your skin thoroughly with a setting spray and place a makeup blending sponge on your face to revive your makeup and make it last longer.

• Use it with skincare products – With the right face sponge, makeup isn’t the only thing you can play with. Use a makeup blending sponge to apply your moisturizer, serum, and eye cream and give your skin a soothing feeling before bed.

• Clean your makeup blender – Every time you use the blender, makeup gets accumulated in the sponge, so it becomes a haven for bacteria! A dirty beauty blender will not only harm your skin but can also affect future makeup use. When your foundation sponge becomes saturated with old makeup products, it cannot absorb new products, causing streaks and patches to appear on the skin. Clean your beauty sponge with water after every use and wash it with an oil-based cleanser and face wash once a week.