Why? Anything that touches your skin daily can hurt, or help, your skin.

Makeup brushes come into direct contact with your skin regularly.

They should get a good cleaning to prevent triggering an infection. Makeup brushes pick up minute traces of moisture, sweat and bacteria, and transfer them back and forth between product and skin. Over time, this can cause skin problems like acne, infection, and even contribute to atopic dermatitis (eczema) as well as other inflammatory skin conditions — 90% of people with atopic dermatitis have Staphylococcus aureus on their skins, which is linked to the inflammation of the skin condition.

In addition to proper cleaning, the brushes themselves can cause acne and irritations.

• For skin-friendly options, check out Skintelligent Beauty brushes.
• For the daily cleaning of your makeup brushes, try Instant No-Rinse Hypoallergenic Brush Cleaner.
• For a more thorough cleaning with Essence Skin-Saving Superwash or Clark Wash, check out How To Clean Your Brushes (Hypoallergenically!) In 4 Steps.
• For more on how brushes can help or hurt your skin, check out: Your Makeup Brushes Could Be Causing Your Acne.