Rinsing. Rinsing is the first step in cleaning a makeup brush. Take your makeup brushes and rinse only the tips, using lukewarm running water. This will help to wash off residual makeup products. Take care not to get the whole brush head wet because the lukewarm water may dissolve the glue that holds the handle and brush head together.

Shampoo the brush. For this step, you can use either clarifying shampoo or gentle shampoo. Put a tablespoon of any of the two shampoos into a bowl of lukewarm water. Avoid using soap on your brushes because that may cause the bristle to dry out.

Swirl and massage.  After mixing the shampoo and water, swirl the tips of your brushes in the mixture. You can also massage the brush tips in the palm of your hand to create more lather.

Rinse. Rinse the tips of your brushes a second time using running water.

Repeat the process. Try repeating the shampooing and rinsing until you notice that the water running from the brush has become clear. That’s the indicator that your brushes contain no more makeup residue.

Squeeze out the water. After making sure that your brushes are clean, squeeze out excess water from the bristles using clean, dry paper towels.

Dry the brushes. Now that your brushes are a bit dry from the squeezing, lay them flat on a dry towel. Make sure that the tips of the brushes are hanging off the edge—not upright. Placing the brushes upright may cause the water to flow down the bristles and loosen the glue.