You need to clean your Beautyblender and makeup sponges way, way more frequently than you currently do (which I’m guessing is, um, once or twice a year max? Seriously—take it from me, someone who genuinely hates cleaning my makeup brushes, when I say that actually taking five minutes to just do the damn thing is significantly better than letting your Beautyblender or makeup sponge continue to sit and fester with built-up skin gunk and grime, makeup, skin oils, and bacteria. Yum!
This isn’t to gross you out or scare you (fine, maybe a lil bit, if it will actually get you to clean your sponges), it’s just facts. Even if your Beautyblender or sponge is “antimicrobial,” that doesn’t mean it magically stays clean—antimicrobial properties just make the sponge a less hospitable environment for bacteria to grow. But that doesn't do anything to help the build-up that can lead to breakouts, irritation, and inflammation. Which brings us to...
How often should you clean a Beautyblender?
In a perfect world? After each use. But since that'll never happen, most experts agree that you should clean your Beautyblender or makeup sponge at least once a week. "Ideally, you'd wash all of your makeup tools every single day, but I know this is unrealistic," dermatologist Geeta Yadav, MD, founder of Skin Science Dermatology, has told Cosmo. So instead, stick to cleaning your Beautyblender weekly. "Make it a Sunday-night activity so that you can start your week off fresh," she added.
Luckily, washing your makeup sponge really isn't that time-consuming. It's 2021, baby, and there are a trillion makeup brush cleaners and tried-and-tested YouTube tutorials to guide you through the process, whether you're working with a cleansing pad, your hand, or just some dish soap. Keep reading, and please wash your sponges tonight, ok?