Makeup Brush Wash
Cleaning makeup brushes is one of the most overlooked but important steps in skincare. It’s one more thing to do, but makeup will go on better and skin will be cleaner and clearer.
Why It’s Effective
Dr. Bronner's Pure-Castile Liquid soap easily removes makeup and dirt and has a fresh peppermint scent. Or you can choose from one of 8 scents including unscented.
Pure-Castile is a multi-purpose product that can be used as a body, face or hand wash, along with a multitude of household and other uses (18 and counting). Dr. Bronners comes in many sizes including an extra large 32 oz size as well as a travel size.
How To
Makeup brushes should be cleaned at least monthly. Follow these steps at night, and brushes are dry and clean by morning.
Squirt dime-sized amount of liquid soap in palm (less for small brushes, more for larger brushes)
Wet makeup brush with warm water
Swirl bristles in soap
Rinse until water is clear.
Rest brush on towel to dry
Why It’s Safe
One appeal from brush washes is often the fragrance, but that’s what you should avoid. “Fragrance” is a mix of chemicals associated with allergies, dermatitis, respiratory distress and potential effects on the reproductive system. Companies are not required to disclose ingredients in fragrance since it is a trade secret. Fragrances have been found to contain unnamed toxic ingredients like phthalates which are associated with developmental and reproductive toxicity, endocrine disruption, and cancer.[1][2][3]
Dr. Bronners fresh scent occurs naturally from organic peppermint oil. In addition to containing no fragrance, Dr Bronner’s is free from the following toxic ingredients found in brush washes:
PEGs (polyethylene glycols) - thickening agents and humectants that help retain moisture and enhance penetration of ingredients. PEGs can be contaminated with 1,4-dioxane and ethylene oxide which are associated with reproductive, developmental, and endocrine effects, cancer, and DNA damage. [4]
Methylisothiazolinone - allergenic preservative that is possibly neurotoxic based on lab studies on the brain cells of mammals. It is banned for use in cosmetics by the European Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) and limited to .0015% of rinse off products. [5][6][7]
Phenoxyethanol – skin, eye, or lung irritant. In 2008, the FDA warned consumers not to use Mommy’s Bliss Nipple cream because it contained phenoxyethanol which was harmful to infants. The statement indicated phenoxyethanol could “depress the central nervous system and may cause vomiting and diarrhea, which can lead to dehydration in infants.” Phenoxyethanol remains a controversial ingredient and even “green” beauty products continue to use it as a preservative. [8]
Switch
Bobbi Brown’s Conditioning Brush Cleanser contains methylisothiazolinone and phenoxyethanol.
Sephora’s Detox Deep Cleaning Brush shampoo contains PEGs and fragrance.
How to Buy
Price at the time of publishing is $8.99 for an 8 oz bottle. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Tips
Check out Dr. Bronners dilution cheat sheet for 18 different uses of Pure-Castile. https://www.drbronner.com/all-one-blog/2017/06/dilutions-cheat-sheet-dr-bronners-pure-castile-soap/
References & Resources
[1] https://www.fda.gov/cosmetics/cosmetic-ingredients/allergens-cosmetics
[2] https://ec.europa.eu/health/scientific_committees/opinions_layman/perfume-allergies/en/index.htm
[3] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5093181/
[5]https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16547166#targetText=Methylisothiazolinone%2C%20a%20neurotoxic%20biocide%2C%20disrupts%20the%20association%20of%20SRC%20family,kinase%20in%20developing%20cortical%20neurons.&targetText=Methylisothiazolinone%20(MIT)%20is%20a%20biocide,with%20potential%20as%20a%20neurotoxicant.
[6] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23340392
[7] https://cen.acs.org/articles/94/i16/Preservative-leavecosmetics-banned-EU.html
[8] https://www.healthywomen.org/content/blog-entry/fda-warns-mothers-about-mommys-bliss-nipple-cream
