A couple of years ago I fell in love with Bare Minerals. I love just about everything about the products but the price. The brushes can run as much as $30 per brush. So, obviously taking care of the brushes is a great way to save money. I try to wash and clean the brushes every four months. Instead of using the brush shampoo they sell, I make my own. It is so easy to make and doesn’t cost much.
To clean the brushes I use baby shampoo and olive oil. Mix 2 parts baby shampoo to 1 part olive oil in a small bowl.
If I am cleaning out my bigger brushes I mix 3 tablespoons baby shampoo and 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil. This usually is enough to make sure that the brushes get well coated.
I use one of the brushes to stir the baby shampoo and oil up. The mixture will turn an odd milky color when you mix it.
Then I rub the brush gently against the side of the bowl. You will start to see the colors coming out of the brush.
Run the brushes under warm water for one to two minutes. You can gently rub the bristles to make sure that they are clean.
Once they seem to be clean I like to softly rub a cloth with the brush to make sure that they are completely clean. If you get any traces of color, then wash them again.
Let them dry on a cloth overnight. Make sure to plan ahead, the larger brushes can take 12-24 hours to dry. I love that this mixture not only cleans the brush, but that it keeps the bristles from getting dry and broken.

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Erlene says
January 14 at 6:45 pmThis is the first time I’ve seen oil used in conjunction with soap to maintain brushes. Great ip. Thanks for sharing on Merry Monday.
Julie says
January 14 at 6:47 pmIt makes them much softer than just soap. Thanks for stopping by.
Danielle says
January 15 at 12:20 pmBaby soap! That’s such a great idea. I use my pricey facewash now to clean my brushes and clarisonic. I will use this recipe next time. So simple with things that I already have on hand. Thanks!
Hopping over from Thrifty Thursday 🙂
Julie says
January 15 at 12:21 pmThanks for stopping by!