A middle-aged woman sat down nervously in the tall director’s chair at the natural food store where I was doing mineral makeovers. “How do you clean your brushes?” she asked.  I explained my almost-obsessive method that includes many steps of sanitation plus clean brushes for each client. She visibly relaxed, telling me that all her life she had wanted to have a makeover like she observed in stores, but the possibility of lurking germs had always stopped her.  Was she overly-phobic or really smart?

Today, I am leaning toward really smart.  I just had a colleague tell me that one of her clients came down with eye herpes. (Eek, I had to look it up–the photos are deeply attention-getting.) She had traced its cause to a department store makeup session.

Doesn’t this send your mind racing through the possible culprit cosmetics?  Mascara, eye liner, eye shadow.  Wooden pencils, for example, must be thoroughly sharpened after each use to be sanitary–ideally with a clean sharpener–which is too much to expect in a quick turnover makeup application. (Bring your own sharpener?)  And community use mascara should ONLY be applied with a new disposable mascara wand and never “double-dipped” into the container. Though brush cleaner is usually sprayed on makeup artists’ brushes, it may be used too sparingly to effectively kill bacteria.  If cleaner is used too heavily, natural fanatics like me imagine, irritating chemicals can remain on the brush to be swept onto the next person’s face.

NB: I’ve been on the lookout for a natural, non-toxic spray cleaner and just found Organic Lavender Brush Cleanser, to order online at www.afterglowcosmetics.com

Because of makeup, oil and bacteria buildup, your personal brushes should be cleaned at least once a week with non-toxic brush cleaner or 91% rubbing alcohol, and washed thoroughly every 3-4 weeks. The best quick, in-between cleaning method is saturating a folded-up paper towel with the alcohol or brush cleaner and wiping the brush along it, making many strokes in the same direction, which maintains the shape of the brush.

In addition to clean applicators, watch out for uncovered makeup display palettes in stores that get swiped with unwashed fingers and swirled by questionably-clean brushes. The solution?  Ask for small sample sizes and let the artist work with them and your own applicators.  Or take samples home where you can try them in daylight and incandescent light for better decision making.  Several good mineral lines have sample sizes available to order online.  Remember, you’re in charge of your face!

Schedule a personal makeover session with Barbara Carr and her very clean brushes by emailing barbara@naturesface.com.