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Thursday, September 6, 2012

My favorite brush cleaner

Psssst: would you like to know what I use to clean my brushes?

Aaaah. I love the smell of clean makeup brushes in the morning...

It's actually not even a "real" brush cleaner, but it's awesome, inexpensive, and it's good for the environment. 

Any guesses?

 Dr. Bronner's Magic Soaps 18-in-1 Pure Castile Soap in Almond
(retail: around $7, 8 oz)

I'm sure that many of you are already quite familiar with Dr. Bronner's Magic Soaps. But if you're new to the brand, let's get you up to speed before I tell you why I love this stuff so much for cleaning my makeup brushes:


Long before planet-friendly ingredients and products were in fashion, Dr. Bronner's was busy making their famous "All-One" products in Escondido, CA (a suburb of good 'ol San Diego, where I was born and raised and still reside). They've been at it for over 150 years and they seem to become even greener as the years roll by.


(from drbronner.com)
Completely Biodegradable and Vegetable-Based 
Made with Certified Fair Trade and Organic Oils 
Multi-Purpose: 18-in-1 Uses 
No Synthetic Foaming Agents, Thickeners or Preservatives
100% Post-Consumer Recycled (PCR) Cylinder Bottles and Paper Labels
Simple, Ecological Formulations Based on Old-World Quality and Expertise
 #1-Selling Natural Brand of Soaps in North America

INGREDIENTS: Water, Saponified Organic Coconut*, Organic Palm* and Organic Olive* Oils (w/Retained Glycerin), Organic Hemp Oil, Organic Jojoba Oil, Essential Oils**, Citric Acid, Vitamin E

* FAIR TRADE Ingredients
** Available in Peppermint, Lavender, Almond, Tea Tree, Eucalyptus, Rose and Citrus Orange

All soaps are not only certified by Oregon Tilth to the same rigorous USDA National Organic Program standards that certify organic foods, but also are certified Fair Trade by the respected Swiss certifier IMO.


The thing that Dr. Bronner's Magic Soap is probably best known for is its iconic packaging. Some may call it "rambling" and some may called it "prose" but, regardless of your opinion, it makes for some good shower-time reading (that I can personally attest to).

Since this is an 18-in-1 product, here are some of Dr. Bronner's Pure Castile Soap's more common uses (in addition to cleaning brushes):

(from the Dr. Bronner's website)
For everyday body-washing: Get wet and pour soap full-strength onto hands-washcloth-loofah. Lather up, scrub down, rinse off, and tingle fresh and clean.

For other uses, dilute from one part soap into 40 parts water for light cleaning, to cutting it in half or using it full strength for heavy-duty grease-cutting jobs.

For shampoo, people have been telling us for years that they like using our soaps to shampoo their hair. Now, paired with our new Citrus Conditioning Rinse and Organic Leave-In Conditioning Crème, it works better than ever. For details, click here.

For the laundry, use 1/4 cup to 1/3 cup for one regular load; adjust as needed depending on hardness of water. I've been told that adding a dash of baking soda makes it even better.
 
For pets, lather up well and apply to their body. Be careful to keep the soap and the lather away from their eyes. I find a mixture of peppermint and eucalyptus works best.

For toothbrushing, apply a drop or two of Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soap (I prefer the peppermint) to a wet toothbrush. Brush as you normally would, rinsing accordingly. Be careful about using more than a couple drops of soap, as you might start foaming at the mouth (last time I checked "rabid chic" was not hip). Many people with sensitive or softer teeth like to use our soap as toothpaste because it lacks abrasives.
Sidenote: a few years ago, I was chit-chatting with a woman in line at the grocery store. When I saw that she had a bottle of Dr. Bronner's in her cart, I said something like, "Oh, I love that stuff." She then proceeded to tell me that she was in the Navy, and right before every deployment, she buys herself a big bottle of Dr. Bronner's to take with her on the ship. She said she uses it for everything--washing her clothes, her hair, her body, her hands...she said she'd be at a loss without it, and that one 16-oz bottle usually lasts her a full six months out to sea. For some reason I always think about that every time I use this product. I just think it's great that she found something that worked so well for her and that is so truly multi-purpose.


So now let's get to why I love this product so much for cleaning my brushes:

The ingredients. I use my makeup brushes on just about every nook and cranny of my face. We worry about controversial ingredients in our makeup enough as it is, so it's nice not to have to worry about them in our brushes too.

It's readily available. Granted, I live in San Diego, where their headquarters are located, so I probably have easier access than most. Our CVS stores in San Diego have an extended natural beauty aisle with a nice selection of Dr. Bronner's products, and they're also available at Target, my local Japanese market, as well as most natural foods markets in my area. I suspect you can find Dr. Bronner's products at your natural foods markets as well, and you can also order their products online via their own website and others.

It's inexpensive and one bottle lasts forever. The eight ounce bottle that I currently own will set you back about $7, and it will last you a very long time if you only use it for your makeup brushes. They sell their liquid soap in increments ranging from 2 oz ($2.99) all the way up to 1 gallon ($59.99).

It's fast, efficient, rinses clean and also conditions your bristles. I like to get my brush wet, apply a few drops of Dr. Bronner's directly onto the bristles, and then rub my brush in the palm of my hand to work up a good lather. I then rinse my brush under cool water, and repeat the process until the lather in my hand is pure white, with no makeup residue. What I love is that Dr. Bronner's seems to instantly pull my makeup out of my brushes, so much so that I rarely need to do a second cleaning. I also love that this product rinses very quickly and easily.

NOTE: Not all Dr. Bronner's formulas are the same. In other words, the formula I'm featuring in this review is Almond. The Almond formula contains almond oil, and thus it leaves behind a very light coating of almond oil on both skin and brushes (it also make my brushes smell yummy). This may or may not be for you, but I find that if my brushes are feeling particularly dry after repeated cleanings, I like to use Dr. Bronner's Almond soap to get them nice and soft again. The natural almond oil really makes dry bristles soft and plush. But I don't recommend using the Almond soap every time--Peppermint and Citrus are great, as well as Baby Mild. And those three varieties don't leave the slight oil residue behind.

I hope this long and Dr.-Bronner's-esque rambling post has given you a better insight into why I love this soap so much as a brush cleaner. Mr. G loves this soap for bathing (he also loves Dr. Bronner's Bar Soaps and has a bar of Tea Tree in the shower as I write this), and whenever he sees that I've purchased a new bottle for cleaning my brushes, without fail, the bottle mysteriously find its way into the shower.

What do you use to clean your brushes? Have you tried Dr. Bronner's? 

PS: I also enjoy their lip balms; especially Orange Ginger

The product feature in this post was purchased with personal funds.
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120 comments

  1. I use the baby one for my brushes!

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  2. I never have but I like Mona Lisa's Pink Soap.

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    1. I use that for my paintbrushes. It's fantastic!!

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    2. I've been scared of that one since it can remove oil paints...those are so hard to get out of paint brushes! Are the ingredients safe for skin, especially the face/eyes?

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  3. I just replied to your tweet that this is what I use to wash my brushes also.I used to use baby shampoo but like this better.

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    1. Me too! I was using baby shampoo and also hair shampoo off and on for years, but kept coming back to Dr Bronners, which is now my fave. So glad to hear you agree. :)

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  4. I use Dr. Bronner's almond soap to wash my brushes too. I've tried multiple brush cleansers but none worked as well and required as little product to do so. I use it in the shower and in the past have used it as shampoo (diluted).

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    1. Totally agree. You're right--it works so effortlessly it's crazy. How do you like it as shampoo? Thanks!

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  5. I've tried Dr. Bronner's in almond for washing my brushes. It left an oily residue that was so bad I had to wash them again with something else. Maybe I just used too much.

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    1. I bet you're right and you used a bit too much. Like I mentioned above, it leaves oil behind due to the almond oil, but I don't find it to be heavy if I just use 2 or 3 drops per brush. Have you tried another formula like peppermint or citrus? They don't leave any residue behind for me. :)

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  6. I use the lavender one to make my own household surface cleaner. I wonder if it would work on my brushes. I've been using Johnson's Baby Shampoo on mine.

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    1. I bet it work well for your brushes too, plus they'll smell nice as well! I would definitely give a try on a powder brush or one of your bigger brushes, so that you can see and feel how it works (easier than trying to examine a smaller brush like an eyeshadow brush).

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  7. I use the Baby Mild to clean brushes, shower and wash off my makeup. The miracle of this product is that it literally dissolves dirt and makeup. It is indispensable in the dog days of summer. If you think youre clean, believe me you're not until you use this stuff.

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    1. Totally agree! And it dissolves makeup quickly too! So glad to hear it works for you. :)

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  8. i love the peppermint formula. it's a great post-work out body and face wash!

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    1. I love using that one in the shower in the summertime. So tingly!

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  9. I've never thought of using this for cleaning brushes. Sounds better than some of the brush cleaners out there that make me feel like I'm submitting them to a chemical bath.

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    1. I would love to know what you think if you give it a try! And I know exactly what you mean about the ”chemical bath”! Lol!

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  10. Ahhhh, thank you!! I was beginning a google search on how to clean my make-up brushes - they've been getting so much use since I've started following you (lol, no complaints!) and I need to clean them. Do you lie them flat to dry or standing up (bristles up)?

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    1. Lol!! :)

      Never dry your brushes standing up. The water will drip back down into the handle and it can cause rust. I dry mine flat, on the bathroom sink. I let the bristles hang over the sink, so that the air can circulate 360 degrees (plus, any water that drips will just drip right into the sink!). I wash at night, put them on the lip of the sink, and by morning they're dry (except for kabukis which always take longer to dry). Hope that helps! :)

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  11. I adore Dr. Bronners soaps,especially the peppermint. I have so many allergies that I have had to really search to find things that are safe for me. I use the Dr. Bronners for pump dispensers in my kitchen and bathroom, and in place of a shower gel. I have found the hard way to make sure that anything I use on my makeup brushes is also something that I could use on my skin; once a brush cleaner cause me a bad reaction to when I used the brushes later on my skin.

    I have to say that my family goes through a 16 oz bottle about every month because my whole family uses it for so many things. It is expensive, but worth it.

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    1. So mice to hear this works so well for both you, and your entire family. Glad you were able to find something gentle and non irritating for your skin!

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  12. Cleaning my brushes is such a pain. But it really is worth it when the brush smells so good and feels clean.

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  13. I have the Baby Mild and Tea Tree ( I use tea tree for brushes). They are both great!

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    1. Thanks! I might have to steal Mr G's tea tree and give it a whirl! ;)

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    1. Yay! Which one did you get? I would love if you'd come back and let us know how it works for you! *fingers crossed*

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  15. I use the Burt's Bees Mango & Orange Energizing Body Bar to wash my brushes - I got the tip from Karen over at Makeup and Beauty Blog.

    I keep it sealed in a small rubbermaid container that it fits snugly in, and when it's time to clean my brushes, I just wet them, stroke the bristles on the bar, massage the lather in, rinse out, and repeat as necessary.

    I lay mine flat with the bristles extended over the edge of my little dressing table/vanity/makeup station, and overnight they usually dry completely, except for my EcoTools Bamboo Bronzer Brush, which is so awesomely fat and dense that it needs longer. :)

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    1. What a cool idea! Thanks so much for sharing! Since my boyfriend has a stockpile of Dr Bronners bar soaps, I might just have to give this technique a shot. ;)

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  16. I use 91% alcohol.. gets everything out very quickly, disinfects, and dries much faster.

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    1. I've used alcohol for spot cleaning in a pinch, but you use it for deep cleaning as well? Do you find that it dries out your bristles at all? I tried it once on an ecotools brush and it fried the bristles. Thanks!

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  17. Seriously cant wait to try this! I have a "must buy" list for when i head over to sd again...oh my gosh g! Im going to go broke! Lol its never been this big of a list! ^.^

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    1. Oh my goodness! Please don't go broke!! I'm all about *saving* money, not helping you spend *more* money! ;)

      That said, what's on your must-buy list? Maybe we can narrow that down to an ”absolutely must buy” list!

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  18. I use the peppermint and unscented version to wash my brushes but sometimes I'll use any facial cleanser on hand or something that doesn't work well directly on my face to clean my brushes.

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  19. I have been seeing this brand's products for years but never purchased, even though I've always only read great things about them. Because of this post I am definitely going to purchase this in baby mild and citrus and maybe the lavender. What a wonderful idea to use it this way. Thx for the tip!

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    1. Glad I could introduce you to this other way of using this soap! And I'd love to know how it works for you if you end up trying it. :)

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  20. I'll have to see if I can find this next time I'm in a CVS. I've been using softsoap in the same manner you use Dr. Bonner's. Occasionally I'll use baby shampoo, but I quite like the softsoap, it doesn't dry out the bristles nearly as much and removes the makeup just as well. =)

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    1. If your CVS has an extended natural beauty aisle, they should have it. :)

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  21. I have been using the lavender one as my soap/shower gel for some time that I never thought to use it on my makeup brushes! Thanks for the tip! And to think I've been using it so many ways like for hand washing delicates, shampoo, hand soap, foot soak, etc. Love Dr. Bronner's!

    The peppermint one is nice for the summer.

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    1. Glad I could give you an idea for *another* use! I'd love to know what you think of the lavender, if you try it on your brushes.,:)

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  22. Vote Hemp has partnered with Dr. Bronner's and when you make a donation in the amount of $100 usd you have the option to select a gift package worth a good amount OVER $100 in Dr. Bronner's products, while the money goes to a good cause. You get eleven 16oz. bottles of the liquid castile soap in assorted scents, and a bottle of Dr. Bronner's lotion!!! I did it last month, and I'm so stoked to be this stocked up. It is sooo worth it!
    http://www.votehemp.com/contribute.php

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    1. Wow, that's a great deal. Thanks so much for sharing!

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  23. I currently clean my brushes in a mixture of 1/2 c distilled water, 1/4 c alcohol, 1/2 t dishwashing liquid, 1/2 T baby shampoo and 1 T leave in conditioner. I keep a big bottle on hand for spot cleaning in between deep cleaning my brushes. I'm going to try to find this at the store though and try it out, might be a good alternative!

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    1. I'd love to know how you think this compares to you diy cleaner, if you try it!

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  24. Yayyy, Dr Bronners! Have you seen the documentary? I keep meaning to watch it on netflix. At home we use the Sal Suds as a household cleaner for a lot of things. For my brushes, though, I'm currently working through a bottle of aquanil, which I did not love for my face but which is OK as a brush cleaner.

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    1. I have! But it was a long time ago. :)

      I haven't tried Sal Suds yet...how do you like it? Thanks!

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  25. (My comment just got deleted, so here's a second shot...)
    I can't believe I've never thought of this! I always have DB around because it smells awesome and it's so useful around the house. I know you can use it on your body and hair and such, but I never have yet. But this is a great tip, and I'm long due for a brush-cleaning session this weekend!

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    1. Ugh. Sorry, honey. Comments seem to be getting eaten up more than normal lately. :(

      Please let me know what you think of it as brush cleaner if you give it a whirl!

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  26. I've been using it on my brushes (and everything else) for ages! I tried a brush shampoo - I wasn't impressed. I use the baby mild, and as always I use a water to bronner's ratio of about 4:1 and use a foaming soap dispenser. Bronner's saves me SO much money. And it works.
    Also, for eye makeup remover? I use organic jojoba oil. A tiny bottle lasts me 6 months and it works better than any other remover I ever used AND moisturizes my skin.

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    1. Nine to hear from another longtime fan. Great idea about the foaming soap dispenser! I'm definitely going to have try that!

      By the way, I've been meaning to pick up some jojoba oil to try as makeup remover...can you tell me if it makes your vision foggy at all? Thanks!

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  27. I must be channeling you cos I happened to have used this very same one to clean my brushes and I kept thinking how soft they are.

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    1. Wow! Lol! That's awesome. We're twinsies! ;)

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  28. great idea! I actually have a mix of oils that I use to clean my brushes (almond oil, jojoba and vitamin E). I found that the oil helped remove all the makeup, especially for my eyeliner and lip brushes. No matter how much soap I'd use, they still would not get clean. Then I do a dip with baby shampoo. This version you mention seems to combine both my steps. I'll definately try it. I've only tried the scent-free version for my body and loved it.

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    1. Wow, it does kind of seem like a hybrid of the two steps in your system! I would love to hear how this soap compares, if you try it! :)

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  29. I use Dr. Bronners and any other castile soap that I happen to find on sale myself. Currently I am using Kiss My Face Peace soap in Pomegranate and Acai scent. Which I got cheap at Ross.

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    1. Oh, I haven't tried that scent from KMF. Sounds yummy. :)

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  30. Ha! That was my guess. And if I was wrong, I was going to ask what you and your readers thought about using Dr. Bronners for this. I found these on sale at Target a few months ago, and bought a bottle in every fragrance. I've tried the almond so far, and it's very nice.

    I found a biopic called Dr. Bronner's Magic Soapbox at the library once. (And it's free to view online.) He was a very interesting guy.

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    1. Lol! You're good!! ;)

      So did you try the almond as a brush cleaner? Or as something else? If you haven't tried on your brushes yet, please give it a try and let me know what you think!

      And yep, I saw the doc, but it was a while ago. :)

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  31. I love this stuff for brush cleaning- the only thing I've ever found to get thick long lasting foundation out of my brushes (i.e. Revlon Colorstay and Estee Lauder Double Wear) Plus you're totally right- you get a ton of it as so little is needed!

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    1. Yay! So glad it works for you too. And you're right...it really works well on long wear makeup. :)

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    2. Now I will have to pick up a bottle- I usually use babywash or Dawn for tough messes, but even that wasn't getting the Colorstay out. They are kidding when they call it a long wearing foundation!

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    3. I hope it works for you if you try it!

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  32. I've been using DHCs Cleansing oil for my brushes which works wonderfully but it is kind of expensive and I'd rather save the oil for my face! I have a little bottle of the Dr Bronners peppermint in my gym bag - definitely gonna try this instead! Thanks for the tip G!

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    1. I completely agree! Save your DHC for your face, girlie! I love that product too, but I savor every drop for my face. :)

      Please let me know what you think of the peppermint if you try it on your brushes. *fingers crossed* :)

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    2. Woohoo! Works just as well at a fraction of the cost of the DHC Cleansing oil... And there was much rejoicing!

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    3. Yay!!! Soooo glad to hear it! Your follow-up made my day! :)

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  33. Nice post can't wait to go home to try this. Thank you so much.

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    1. Thanks, sweetie! Please come back and let us know how it works for you? Good luck! :)

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  34. Wow, this is such a good idea! I must try this out. I normally use cleaning spray to clean my brushes daily and olive oil and dish soap mixed together to wash my brushes once a week or so.

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    1. If you already use an oil/soap mixture, then I think you might enjoy the almond soap. I'd love to know what you think if you try it! :)

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  35. I love it and use it for just about everything except I've never tried it on my brushes. Must try.

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    1. Ooh, give it a whirl and let us know what you think! :)

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  36. We don't have air conditioning and the peppermint Dr B's is a summer necessity. I use the almond in the colder months but haven't thought of it for brush cleaning; usually use shampoo. Will have to check it out! BTW a couple dashes of Dr B's in a sink full of water is great for washing veggies, esp leafy greens (rinse well obvs.)

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    1. I don't have a/c either, so I know exactly what you mean! That minty tingle is a lifesaver. :)

      And thanks for the tip about washing veggies--I will totally give that a try, especially for spinach (such a pain to wash!).

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  37. Hello G! I use the "wayne goss" brush cleaning methods that an earlier commenter mentioned to clean my brushes, that being the 91 percent alcohol. It works very well, and then you know your brushes are as wayne put it, hospital grade clean! It hasn't fried any of my brushes and yes I use it for deep cleaning, just a dip, swirl, and light rub then squeeze on a towel then dry like you do and wha la, clean brushes that dry super fast! Not sure what percentage alcohol you used the first time around, but it HAS to new 91 or I think it would fry brushes, I just followed what wayne said in his video, your wouldn't believe how fast a kabuki can dry using this! Overnight for dry brushes, even the thickest ones! You gotta try this!

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    1. Thanks, Kbear11! I really appreciate the details about this. Maybe I did use something higher than 91%? Hum...

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  38. If you're curious about Dr Bronner himself--and if you've read the label, you must admit to at least a little curiosity--there is a wonderful documentary called "Dr Bronner's Magic Soapbox." He was a complicated person, to say the least. Love the soap, have for 30+ years!

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    1. Nice to hear from a longtime fan! I mentioned above in a few of the comments that I did see the documentary, but it was a long time ago and I think it warrants a re-watch. :)

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  39. I'm almost out of my brush cleaner. I know what I will be buying next!

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  40. Hey G, have you tried the rose one? I love rose-scented everything, as long as it's not overpowering. I was wondering if you or any of your readers had tried rose. I wonder if it smells like the Sebamed lotions we like so much. I saw it on the Dr Bronner website (rose, not Sebamed) and am very tempted to give it a try. Maybe my health food store has it.

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    1. You know, that's probably the only one I haven't tried, can you believe it?? It's a little harder to find in store (in my area) but I bet it would make brushes smell lovely. it would be awesome if it seemed like sebamed, huh? :)

      Try using the store locator on the bronners website...hopefully you won't have to go far to get some. :)

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  41. I've only used this to clean my brushes and it does a wonderful job. Mine is lavender scented. I think I'm gonna try it as a shampoo and see how it works.

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    1. So nice to know the lavender works well for your brushes. :)

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  42. Love this stuff! I use peppermint! For some reason it doesn't work getting Inglot gel eyeliner crud off of my eyeliner brush, but for everything else, it's golden!

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    1. I'm sorry to hear that. :( maybe try the citrus?

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  43. Thanks for this, i have a huge bottle and never considered using it to clean my brushes. Currently I use dawn and then baby shampoo.

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    1. You're welcome! I'd love to know what you think if you try it on your brushes.

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  44. I LOVE CASTILE SOAP! I use it for EVERYTHING! I used to use Dr. Bronner's, but since I go through them so quickly, I found a cheaper alternative called Dr. Woods. It basically has the same ingredients, but I noticed that Dr. Woods adds sea salt in their soaps. I buy mine in peppermint on Vitacost, and they are definitely the cheapest seller. iherb is also great! SUPER fast shipping and great prices!

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  45. Thank you so much for this post! I am going to try this out! I looked up store locator and so many places in my neighborhood carry it, I was so surprised! Including my local Target!!!

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    1. You're so welcome! I'd love to know how it works for you when you try it. And i'm happy you'll be able to get some without driving too far! :)

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  46. What would you think of using this for a Beauty Blender? I can't get my foundation out of it for the life of me.

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    1. Oooh, I bet it would be awesome on the BB! If you try it, I would love to know what you think! :)

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  47. This is exactly what I use as well, and I keep a diluted bottle of it at work to wash out my coffee cup with, and to use instead of nasty bathroom soap.

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  48. Oooh, I'll have to try this stuff! I love anything with almond oil, the scent and the taste are one of my faves! (don't worry, I won't eat soap, lol!)

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  49. I have not heard of this brand. Yup, really.

    I've been using Daiso Detergent for my brushes, which work really great on ALMOST all my brushes. It gets a lot of makeup outta of my Shiseido Perfect Foundation Brush, but there's still a stubborn residue on the inner bristles. It drives me crazy. I sorta gave up on getting it completely clean. ):

    I hope I find Dr. Bronner's Magic Soaps in the stores around me. I'd love to give it a try.

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  50. I read your blog post a recently and happen to be grocery shopping at my local Safeway grocery store and found the 16 oz lavender bottle. I immediately picked it up when I recognized it from your blog post. But didn't remember that yours was almond, but I grabbed it anyway and bought it. I will give this a try when I wash my brushes. I had been using Pond's Cold Cream make up remover, but will use this next time. I only paid $9.99, which I figure is better than $7 for a 8 ounce.

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  51. I LOVE this stuff (though I'm currently out) and have been using since I can remember because my Grandma always used it and it brings back good memories of visiting and getting to use her amazing minty Bronners castile soap! I can't wait to try this awesome tip, thanks!!

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  52. Could you tell me what brush that is second from the bottom? :)

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  53. I love Dr. Bronner's baby soap! I use it to clean my brushes and my face. Lathers nicely and never leaves my face feeling "stripped".

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  54. I found some Dr. Bronner's bar soap at Ross Dress for Less for $2.99 each, Bed Bath Beyond has the Peppermint 32 ounce bottle for $10.49 and Lavendar 32 oz for $9.99 each. This is in North VA.

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  55. After reading this post when you first wrote it, I tucked it away in my mind until I saw some of the Dr. Bronner's soap at my local Target (San Francisco Bay Area). I decided to get a small bottle of the peppermint (they only had lavender and peppermint in that size) since it was only $2.

    I proceeded to wash a couple of brushes. One I had already used and one I had probably spot cleaned that LOOKED clean. And like you said, it lifts the makeup right out. I have brushes that are especially stubborn and this gets everything. It took everything right out of my brushes. I normally use baby shampoo which works great except for those few stubborn brushes but I feel like this takes less effort. I'm so happy with how it works, I've now proceeded to wash all of my brushes and I'm taking a break to write this. haha Thanks!

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  56. THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU G!!! I've used Dr. Bonner's soap many years ago prior to becoming a self-proclaimed makeup addict and never thought twice about using it as a makeup brush remover. Yesterday, I washed my brushes with EVOO which got a lot of the makeup stains on my brushes out except that it left a oily film over my brushes, I remembered this post and today ran to my local health food store where I bought Dr. Bonner's soap. This took off all of the oily film and actually the additional makeup that was between the bristles. I'm so glad you posted about this!!

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  57. Oh my, how did I not have this my life. I've seen the soap in my Target (I think its this soap) but just pass by it because I wasn't sure. Months later and yesterday I went to Whole Foods to buy food and walk pass by the skincare aisle and saw this soap and it was on sale for $10 for the big 1 quart. So why not, I need a new bottle of brush cleaner. I usually use any face wash that I have laying around but it doesn't get rid of all the residue so I have to clean it two or three times to make it feel clean. I just tried it just now and oh my gosh, a little goes a long way with this soap and the residue just lifts out. I'm amaze. I bought the Peppermint but I feel like it smells a little medicine-y. It did make my brush feel rough but I shall see when it dries. But it does make my hand super soft..but I'm hoping this would give me an allergic reaction because I do have severely sensitive skin.

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  58. On the East/Gulf Coast, I can still find this in Whole Foods and some grocery stores and I think Target stocks it sometimes. I usually get it on Amazon though because it's cheaper there and I can get any of the scents!

    Almond is probably my favorite, with Eucalyptus and Peppermint tied for second. Rose is rather nice but I'm not a big rose person. I didn't like the Citrus at all- it smelled too much like floor cleaner to me!

    Have you tried using this stuff to brush your teeth with? I tried once and it tasted horrible- like brushing my teeth with soap! It did get my teeth clean though, I'll admit haha.

    I thought I was the only person who used this stuff to wash my brushes! It makes me so happy that other people use it for that since it's basically perfect! I also use it to remove makeup off of my face and I handwash my delicates in it too.

    The crowning glory of Dr Bronner's for me was when I covered my suede Converse in mud (literally covered) and this soap cleaned them completely! I was in love from that moment on. Sorry for the mammoth comment; I'm just such a big fan of this soap!

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  59. I've been using this to clean my brushes for about a year now. It works great! And I've been using the same bottle the entire year... this stuff lasts forever. You only need a little at a time.

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  60. Omg!!! I am IN LOVE with this little miracle in a bottle!!! A few months ago I picked up a travel size bottle (in my absolute favorite scent for cleansing peppermint) and have been using it daily ever since!!! I will never clean my makeup brushes with anything else ever again!! It literally dissolves all of the makeup off my white MAC brushes in seconds....I never thought Id be able to get them back to the bright white color they were when I bought them, so I was beside myself after using Dr. Bronners soap for the first time!!!! Everyone needs to try this soap out....trust me you will not regret it!!! ...oh and BTW...Im still using the same 2oz bottle from 3(!!!!) months ago if that tells ya anything about how a little goes a long way and a bottleit will last you forever!!!! Thank you SOOO much D. for the heads up on this....reason 12,765 why I love and read your blog everyday!!!! Cheaper for life!!!!! LOL :•)

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  61. I am so glad I found your blog! I bought a bottle of peppermint Dr. Bronner's a few months ago to make shampoo for my dog and I wondered if it would be good for makeup brushes. I usually dread deep cleaning my brushes because it used to take so long, but not anymore! All of my brushes were pristine in about 10 minutes. Thanks for sharing such a great cleaning technique!

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  62. I usually use a 50/50 mixture of Dawn dishwashing soap with olive oil. The soap cleanses wonderfully, the oil moisturizes the brushes. I have the peppermint Dr. Bronner's, so I think I'll start alternating it out as my brush cleaner, so I don't get too much oil residue build up on my brushes. Or maybe I'll just invest in the almond version once I've gone through my dawn and olive oil combo! Thanks!

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  63. Oooh I must try this! I love anything almond! And I used antibacterial soap on my brushes and it dried some of them out, so they need some conditioning now.

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  64. Hahaha I just saw I commented when you originally posted this! Somehow I forgot about it, but now I am reminded and will definitely pick some up soon!

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    1. Finally picked some up today, in almond and peppermint. Only took me a year! Haha! :P

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  65. Thank you so much for this post. This is time/money saving and I am soooooo grateful for the fact that you shared this. I am recently having a really hard time struggling from adult acne so I have been doing everything possible to keep my skin clean. Changing pillowcases every other day washing my face like a maniac..watching what I eat etc. I knew my brushes could be a huuuuge part of it, but I HATE the process. This has made my life so much easier that I actually do not mind doing it. I just picked up a bottle at my local Walgreens yesterday. I washed two concealer brushes, foundation brush, stipple, two kabuki, blush brush all in less than ten minutes. I used your tip on using a silicone gripper thingy. It worked amazingly. I bought the Dr. Bronners Lavender, it was either that or peppermint. Thank you, thank you, thank you! This worked a million times better than any high priced brush cleaner I have ever bought from sephora, bare minerals, etc. Thanks bunches!!!

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