How to clean a beauty blender or makeup sponge correctly

Outlines how to clean a beauty blender or makeup sponge correctly, with steps for daily cleaning or an extreme clean for heavy duty makeup.

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Real beauty junkies among us can’t be without essentials for a long time. We are talking about our all-time favorite beauty tool, the beauty blender or makeup sponge. Why is the little makeup sponge so great? Easy. You can apply and blend your daily make-up without wasting the whole tube or creating unsightly edges.

Why you need to keep it clean

Only after the honeymoon phase with our beauty blender the disillusionment occurs as soon as unsightly pimples arise through the daily use. The reason is always the same. The tool is not cleaned thoroughly enough. This allows bacteria to accumulate in the make-up sponge, thereby promoting inflammation on the skin.

The Beauty Blender or make-up sponge are a true paradise for bacteria. Because even if you clean your face well before making up, there are thousands of bacteria that are all too happy to get stuck in the Beauty Blender. The next time you make up, you put them back on their faces: and that’s not very hygienic. 

It is best to follow the methods below for how to clean your beauty blender after every use, so that your skin is not irritated and no pimples are created. If the thorough cleaning process is too hard or takes up too much time every day, rinse the beauty blender at least daily with non-chemical or pure household soap. 

To disinfect the make-up sponge, put it once a month in a bowl filled with water and place in the microwave for a minute. After the sponge has cooled down, clean the beauty blender as described below.

So here’s our step-by-step guide of methods for how to clean a beauty blender or makeup sponge properly, which makes them like new.

How to clean a beauty blender or makeup sponge: method 1

You need:

• A bowl
• Baby shampoo or the original Beautyblender cleaner (best not to use detergent or chemical soap, which can irritate the skin)
• Non-chemical or pure household soap or the original Beautyblender soap

• Step 1: Moisten the beauty blender under lukewarm water for a short time and then place it in a bowl of warm water (until the make-up sponge is completely covered) with some baby shampoo. The beauty blender should now have reached its original size.
• Step 2: In the particularly dirty places you should soap the beauty blender additionally. Massage the pure soap thoroughly (for about two minutes) into the sponge and gently press the beauty blender so that no cracks appear in the sponge. See our animation above.
• Step 3: Rinse the beauty blender under lukewarm water until there are no soap and make-up residues left and the water is quite clear. Pressing the beauty blender carefully again and again, so you really manage to remove all soap residues.
• Step 4: If the beauty blender is really completely clean, squeeze it out again and then let it dry completely on a towel or paper towel.

If you want to do this daily, but find your Beauty Blender or makeup sponge does not dry completely in 24 hours (for example, if your home is very cold) it is best to buy a second makeup sponge and alternate them so you always have a clean, dry one.

How to clean a beauty blender or makeup sponge: method 2 with olive oil

Cleaning the Beauty Blender in this way is quite easy. 

Follow the steps for method 1, using the bowl of warm water and shampoo. The secret ingredient in this simple method is additionally a small drop of olive oil. The oil contained in the make-up would simply smear when cleaned with water and the result would be dirty hands and a dirty sink. Thanks to the addition of olive oil, the make-up is dispersed and the washing out works very well.

You can also use a drop of some coconut oil instead of olive oil. Then your Beauty Blender is not only clean, but also smells beautiful.

• Step 1: Wet the beauty blender under running lukewarm water for a short time. Prepare a bowl of warm water with baby shampoo and a drop of olive oil or coconut oil and then place the beauty blender in the bowl. The beauty blender should now have reached its original size.
• Step 2: In the particularly dirty places you should soap the beauty blender additionally. Massage some extra shampoo or pure soap thoroughly (for a couple of minutes) into the sponge and gently squeeze the makeup sponge.
• Step 3: Rinse the beauty blender under lukewarm water until the water is quite clear. Repeatedly gently squeezing the beauty blender, so you remove all soap residues.
• Step 4: When the makeup sponge is completely clean of soapy residue, gently squeeze it out again and then let it dry on a towel or paper towel

How to clean a beauty blender or makeup sponge: method 3 for extreme clean

Sometimes you’ve tried to clean your beauty blender or make-up brush under running water with some soap, but it’s almost impossible if the makeup you’ve used contains a lot of moisturiser or oils. Because the oils contained in the foundation and in the make-up only lubricate when washing off and instead of a clean beauty blender you have dirty hands and a dirty sink. With this beauty trick, however, you can clean your make-up sponge super easily.

Incredible, but true: This life hack effortlessly cleans up your makeup sponge.

• Step 1: Fill a microwave-ready vessel half full with water and add a few drops of detergent.
• Step 2: Keep your Beauty Blender or makeup sponge under warm running water so it can soak up the water fully. You need the Beauty Blender or makeup sponge to be wet because a dry one would be too light and just float on the surface.
• Step 3: Now put your dirty make-up sponge in the jar and leave everything in the microwave for about a minute at 900 watts.
• Step 4: And now comes the WOW effect: the water is brown and your Beauty Blender is clean again! 
• Step 5: Remove the mixture from the microwave and allow it to cool slightly.
• Step 6: Last but not least, take out the Beauty Blender and wash it out again with warm running water over the sink. It should now have completely adopted its original color and be bacteria-free.

If you don’t quite trust the microwave tactic, you can also clean your Beauty Blender with another combination of budget. For this you can use a combination of olive oil and detergent,which you massage into the wet sponge. Then express under clear water. Even so, it will be cleaned again in no time! 

By the way: The washing machine is an absolute no-go! The Beauty Blender gets smashed around by the washing machine action and is broken afterwards.

How to blend makeup

Beauty blenders are part of the basic equipment of every make-up artist, but not only make-up professionals swear by the egg-shaped cosmetic sponge. Rightly so, because beauty blenders have many advantages – and can do far more than foundation.

1. Moisten beauty blender under the faucet
2. Wring out gently but well, expressing as much liquid as possible. Then dry lightly with a towel 
3. Add the foundation to the back of the hand or another smooth surface – only then pick it up with the round underside of the beauty blender (see the different sides of the beauty blender).
4. Foundation should be applied gently on the face. Best to pat, don’t wipe.
5. Blend transitions and concealer (if you use it) with the tip of the make-up sponge
6. Clean the beauty blender

What many are doing wrong: Many users do not moisten the make-up before use. However, this is essential for a perfect result without make-up edges and unsightly spots. This is because the open-cell structure of the blender fills up when it comes in contact with water and thus closes the cells of the soft material – so the make-up then only adheres to the surface and is not sucked in as with other cosmetic sponges. 

This also ensures that the use of make-up is kept to a minimum, with a maximum natural result, as there is no need to give unnecessarily much foundation to the skin. To do this, moisten the Beauty Blender with water before use, express it well and dry it with a towel. Only then put the liquid or powder foundation on the back of the hand or another smooth surface, then on the sponge and pat on, but do not wipe – only in this way the look looks particularly natural at the end and make-up edges are avoided.

Most of us use the sponge to apply the makeup and the concealer. But the little thing can do much more! The Beauty Blender is ideal for applying creamy contours, highlighters or blush. The rule is: using the sponge tip, the product is applied by tapping and finally gently distributed on the face with the oval end.

With the sponge you can also apply powder, eyeshadow or even lipstick. Some use it to apply their eye cream or makeup foundation. The sponge is simply an absolute universal instrument with which almost anything is possible.