I must confess that when it comes to cleaning makeup brushes I've been committing two major sins. For starters, I've been cleaning them with dish soap....as in the soap you wash dishes with....as in something that shouldn't be put on your face...as in what-was-this-girl-with-sensitive-skin-thinking. There's just so many issues with that that I'm just going to keep moving right along to sin number two. I almost never wash my brushes. And all that I have to say about that is.....*cringe*. Needless to say, this recent bout of skin issues gave me a little reminder that maybe cleaning my brushes, NOT with dish soap, would be a good idea. So I revamped my routine (not that you can call dish soap every 6 months a routine) to one that would be better suited for my sensitive and highly allergic skin (no harsh soaps needed) and for my brushes (the oil is good for moisturizing and helping your brushes last longer). Here's how to clean makeup brushes naturally and safely-

Supplies Olive oil (You can also use hemp seed oil) A mild, chemical-free fragrance-free castille soap (I use Dr. Bronner's baby soap) Water Small bowls A towel

1. Prep a work area in which to clean your brushes. Lay out your towel, fill a small bowl with a few drops of olive oil, and fill another bowl with warm water and a few drops of soap. (This picture below is of some of the brushes before they are cleaned.)

2. Take your first brush and start swishing it around in the olive oil, slightly pressing down on the brush as you go. Do this for a few seconds, or until the color stops coming out of the bristles. 

3. Next, swirl the brush around in the soapy water. Because oil and water don't mix (just in case you forgot) the makeup should come off in little bubbles (although this won't be as noticeable for things like eye shadow and blush).

4. Give the brush a final rinse under plain warm water, then pat it dry with the towel. If it seems like more makeup is still on the bristles, repeat the rinsing process again. If not, leave it laying out for at least 6 hours so it can fully dry.

5. Repeat until all of your brushes are clean, changing out the oil and soapy water every few brushes. For the best results, I find that I can do all my eyeliner/eyeshadow/powder brushes with one batch of oil and water, but for foundation brushes I need to switch out the oil and the water each time. The foundation brushes also require a little more oil and soap as well as more pressure on the brush and really using your hands to get all the makeup off. (This picture below is an after shot of the brushes from the first picture now that they are all clean.)

If you need to brush up on your makeup brush basics (i.e. which ones you need and which brushes to use for what), see here.