Makeup brushes are filthy — how often you should wash them

This cosmetics guru has made up her mind regarding how often one should clean their brushes.

A makeup professional, who posts on TikTok under the name @AskEllenBeauty, revealed the top five things she would never do as a beauty expert.

In a viral video with more than 2.1 million views, the Aussie said using makeup brushes too often without properly cleansing them can cause infection.

“I would never use my personal brush more than once before sanitizing it,” she said in her clip while putting on eyeshadow. “I once had a client who got a staph infection from using a dirty sponge — like her own dirty sponge obviously.”

While she suggested to “regularly sanitize and change” brushes, another tip was to never buy a limited-edition or holiday eyeshadow palette without testing it with swatches first.

“The items don’t have an economy of scale, so brands sometimes use a cheaper pigment in those items to save money,” Ellen explained. “That means even with a brand you know and like, the holiday palette is often chalky and not very good.”

She also suggested letting foundations dry before buying in order to ensure they’re a proper match.

Testing mascaras in beauty stores is also a big no-no. “Eye infections are just not worth it,” she said.

In a follow-up video, the makeup artist showed viewers how to properly wash the brushes using a small squeeze bottle of quick-drying spray by squirting a few spritzes on a cotton pad.

She then took her dirty brushes and scrubbed them vigorously until the gunky makeup wiped off, noting the whole cleaning process takes a mere 30 seconds to perfect thanks to Cinema Secrets’ makeup brush cleanser.

“No excuses,” she said.

A United Kingdom study published earlier this year revealed that makeup brushes can actually be dirtier than a toilet, with microscopic photos showing the brushes full of mold, bacteria, yeast and other nightmarish microbes.

“It’s awful to see the amount of bacteria that could potentially sit on a makeup brush,” Dr. Suhail Alam, medical director at the Aventus Clinic, which conducted the research, told Jam Press in April.

“Even after a person uses a makeup brush for the first time, it will already be forming colonies of bacteria,” Alam said. “With daily use, the brushes will automatically start collecting dirt, pollutants, oil and dead skin cells, which is why makeup brushes act as a breeding ground for bacteria which can lead to breakouts and skin irritations.”