Beauty expert shares simple two-ingredient trick to clean makeup brushes fast: 'It worked perfectly' (2025)

Skincare and makeup can be a fun way to doll yourself up or do a little self-care, but it's important not to forget about caring for your tools.

One beauty expert on TikTok shared one way they keep their makeup brushes clean.

The scoop

Sbkliving (@sbkliving) is a home and beauty influencer sharing tips and tricks to more than 150,000 followers.

In one clip, they showed a simple recipe that will clean your brushes without expensive products from stores like Sephora.

@sbkliving DIY makeup brush cleaner✨ Since I couldn't find a good clean option, I decided to make one myself🙋🏻‍♀️ I use 2 tablespoons of non-toxic dish soap + 2 tablespoons of olive oil (or sub coconut oil). Mix together and clean your sponges/brushes while keeping them moisturized and lasting longer!!👌🏻👌🏻 I do this multiple times and week - it's SO easy!✨✨ #cleanbeauty #nontoxicbeauty #nontoxicliving #makeupbrushcleaner #makeupbrushescleaning #brushcleaning ♬ Passionfruit - Instrumental - Aaron Richards & October Child

To try this tip, all you need are some dirty makeup brushes, mild dish soap, and a little olive oil. Their recipe is four tablespoons of non-toxic dish soap mixed with two tablespoons of olive oil or coconut oil. Stir these together until it forms a nice foamy mixture, and then you are ready to take action.

Sbkliving recommended dipping makeup sponges in the mixture, giving them a little rub down, and then rinsing and squeezing out any makeup — you may have to repeat this a few times to get them fully clean.

For brushes, they suggested grabbing a strainer from the kitchen to help accelerate the cleaning process. Dip your brush in the soap mixture and then rub it in a circular motion along the strainer. This will help work out any makeup or debris that has gotten lodged in the brush.

How it's helping

This hack will help keep your makeup brushes fresh for longer, avoiding the need for a premature replacement.

Extending the life of your existing items is one of the best ways you can support the planet. It's even better than buying the perfect eco-friendly item — you can do that when your current favorites wear out.

According to the Plastic Pollution Coalition, "In 2018, in the U.S. alone, almost 7.9 billion units of rigid plastic were created just for beauty and personal care products." This emphasizes the importance of using products for as long as possible.

While recycling is a great way to curb this waste, not all makeup packaging can be disposed of in this way.

Some beauty brands are working towards a more sustainable future and a circular economy, though. One beauty creator shared how Neen has been using wood and glass packaging to curb plastic waste. Some brands have also created products that can be refilled with a bit less waste than buying a whole new container.

What everyone's saying

Makeup lovers were thrilled to learn this easy way to keep their brushes clean.

"I just did this, and I'm in shock," wrote one person. "It worked perfectly! Thank you for sharing."

"I have been looking for a good DIY cleaner for a long time," another said. "I just did this. It is amazing."

"This worked like a miracle," added a third. "Thank you so much."

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