While else, your beauty blender may look okay from the outside, the inside of the sponge is the biggest concern. Sponges are known to be the perfect breeding sites for bacteria, which means, holding on to your beauty blender for longer than you should is a disservice to your skin.
How long does a beauty blender last? Ideally, you should dispose of your beauty blender every month. However, you and I will agree, these sponges are not cheap and disposing them may be a hard decision to make. For this reason, you could extend its usage for up to three months. If you tend to use your sponge daily, then you may have to replace it earlier and for those that do not use it regularly, you can stretch its longevity for a little over three months.
This article will look into signs that you need to replace your beauty blender, how to clean it, if and how you should microwave your beauty blender, other tips on maintaining your beauty blender and other reacted questions. Read on for more insight.
Signs That It Time To Replace You Beauty Blender
Although 1 to 3 months is the recommended life span for a beauty blender, as mentioned above, its lifespan may depend on how often you use it. So how do you tell its time to replace your beauty blender if you have lost track of time? The following are signs to look for.
- It has started to deteriorate. Look, we all agree that beauty blenders are made from high-grade foam but at some point, they also become worn out. Therefore, if you notice rip, peel, or flake on your sponge, it might be time to replace your beauty blender.
Notice that a deteriorated beauty blender tends to lose its shape, therefore defeating the primary use of it. It is the egg shape of the sponge that makes it is a better tool to navigate your face as compared to other makeup tools
- If you notice that the sponge is not squishy after cleaning, it might be time to change it. The bounce property of a beauty blender helps us blend our make up well and gives us that ultimate airbrushed finish. Thus, the blender should be replaced if it is no longer serving its function.
- Did you know that beauty blenders could cause breakouts? Yes, if you continue to use your old beauty blender then you may be signing up for skin rashes and damage. First, if you are certain your breakout is not because of allergies or hormonal body changes, it may be time to check your sponge.
Remember, beauty blenders are used to apply different types of makeup. That means that with time, it accumulates layers of makeup, dead skin among other things. If not properly maintained these conditions tend to be breed sites for bacteria, which are then introduced to your skin, leading to the breakout.
- I hate to be the bearer of bad news but there is no amount of makeup that can conceal the breakout, just toss the old beauty blender away, already.
- If the vibrant pink color of your beauty blender becomes discolored, it may be time to replace it. Note that, it is normal for the pink to fade after being cleaned regularly. However, what is not normal is the color of makeup adhering to your sponge. Get a new one for your lovely face beat.
How to Clean Your Beauty Blender
We might have mentioned cleaning your beauty blender and by now, you already want to know how. The truth is, makeup tools are one of the most neglected tools when it comes to cleaning. In as much as this is a common practice, it has individual repercussions.
Therefore, if you are looking to improve your beauty hygiene, start with cleaning your beauty blender. Here is how
Step 1: Fill a bowl with warm water and soak the beauty blender in the water.
Step 2: To the wet beauty blender, pour some beauty blender cleaning solution over it. Be keen to pour the solution especially on the stained and spotted areas. Alternatively, you can use antibacterial dish soap or any other soap of your liking.
Step 3: Work the cleaning solution so that it spread to all the parts of the sponge. You can do this by rolling the sponge on your palms. Make sure it absorbs the soap.
Step 4: Once you have worked the soap or solution and attained lather, submerge the sponge into the dish of warm water and leave it to stay there overnight
Step 5: The next day, gently wring out the sponge and run it under clean water until all traces of soap are rinsed.
Step 6: With the clean beauty blender, you are ready to apply fresh make up.
There are other different methods for cleaning your sponge; however, this method has proven to be effective since it leaves your sponge clean and damp, which is ideal for applying your make up. However, feel free to use whichever cleaning procedure floats your boat.
If you are trying to get rid of stubborn stains, you can pretreat your beauty blender using a thinner oil like olive oil before cleaning it.
Can I Microwave My Beauty Blender?
Microwaving your beauty blender is a hack that has recently trended. It is meant to emulate using a washing machine. Although some people have confessed to it working, there is still a debate on if it kills bacteria or not. Some experts have dismissed it for only melting things and not killing any bacteria. On the other hand, other experts have endorsed it. Here is a step-to-step guide on microwaving your beauty blender
Step 1: Mix water and dish soap or beauty blender cleaning solution in a microwave-safe cup
Step 2: Wet the sponge slightly in the water to pre-wet it then fully submerge it in the cup
Step 3: Place the cup with the sponge in a microwave
Step 4: Microwave for about one minute. Wait for it to cool down for about 30 minutes before removing it from the microwave
Step 5: When you remove the cup, the soapy water will have turned into a liquid makeup residue and your sponge will be looking as clean as new
Step 6: Once you are sure the water has cooled won, remove the sponge and ring off any excess water.
Step 7: Run the sponge under clean water to rinse off any traces of soap
Step 8: Once the sponge is rinsed, store it properly, or proceed to use for your new makeup
Note that for this method to work, you must follow the above procedure. For instance, do not place your beauty blender on the microwave tray and power the microwave. Doing this will melt the makeup residue, which by the way will be a mess and a possible mood spoiler.
Tips for Maintaining your Beauty Blender
Other than cleaning, the following are tips that can help you expand the life of your beauty blender
- Do not Wash Machine your Sponge
Although this is still a hot debate, avoid placing your beauty blender in a washing machine. First, the machine may be too hard on the sponge. Secondly, the drying cycle in the washing machine may end up completely drying up your sponge. This means that either it may be broken or its shelf life reduced significantly
- Storage
Cleaning your beauty blender is not enough. You must store it properly. First, you should not store your beauty blender in a make-up bag. As we have mentioned before, beauty blenders should always maintain a certain level of dampness. Due to this, placing them in a makeup bag means the damp sponge is denied light, which may encourage the growth of molds or a foul smell. Your beauty blender should be placed in a properly aired container with light.
So where do you store your beauty blender? When you bought your pink sponge, it came in a canister with holes, right? That canister should not be disposed of, it is meant for storing your beauty blender after use or cleaning.
If you have already disposed of the container, store your sponge in a zip lock bag or any other breathable bag. When traveling, place it in an organza bag
- Use your Sponge Wet
Unlike a makeup brush, a beauty blender should be used when wet. Dry beauty blenders tend to absorb the makeup rather than applying it on your face. Also, the damp surface of the blender gives you a steak free blend. Note that using your sponge while dry reduces its longevity.
Notice that as you progress to other parts of your face, the sponge tends to become dry. As such, when applying makeup, keep a cup of water nearby where you will wet the sponge as you move along
Related Questions
How often should I clean my beauty blender?
You should clean it after every use. You might be wondering why not just clean it with your regular makeup brushes. The thing is blenders have high absorptive power, this is enhanced by the fact that they should be used when wet. This means, unlike brushes, beauty blenders tend to accumulate a lot of makeup that should be washed out regularly.
Moreover, remember that while brushes may be used for a specific makeup, beauty blenders are used for all types of makeup. This necessitates the need to clean it after use lest you want to alter your blending during your next face beat.
What if I use my beauty blender for more than 3 Months?
If you insist on using your sponge past its life span, you are setting yourself up for some negative results. Old and dirty beauty blenders are a breeding site for bacteria, I cannot emphasize this enough. Therefore, once you keep using the same sponge, you pile up layers of bacteria and dead skin.
What happens is, every time you use the sponge, you re-apply the microbes on your skin. Now the skin is not used to handling such levels of microbes, therefore, in an attempt to control the overload, your skin may end up developing a rash, skin eruption or even blistering which all mean a breakout.
Other than a breakout, an old sponge could result in a smudged makeup application, skin irritation, viral infection among other consequences. How much do you value your skin? Is using an old beauty blender worth it?
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