There’s a misconception that your everyday makeup brushes need to be washed all the time. While I keep a brush cleaner  on hand for daily (think gel eyeliner brushes) or weekly (bronzer brush) cleansing, I only do the whole shampoo-and-water scenario once a month. I start by dividing my brushes into groups, from biggest to smallest, then fill a sink with a little warm water.

Although I’ve tried many different detergents, my favorite is Dr. Bronner’s Castile Soap because it gets the brushes very clean, it disinfects, and leaves them soft and smelling amazing. I add a little of the soap to the sink and swirl around until there’s a little foam.

Next, I dip each brush into the soapy water, gently massaging the bristles until the water runs clear. After I finish with that group of brushes, the dirty water is drained and each brush is rinsed under cool running water.

I do this for each group of brushes then reshape the bristles and lay the brushes out flat on a towel to dry overnight.