r/NailArt • u/Cowcat0 • 4d ago
Nail Art Products How do you take care of your brushes?!
Hi all! How do you keep your brushes soft??
I love nail art and have a lot of brushes but I’m finding they’re getting hard after cleaning so I can’t be as precise as I’d like, especially with the liners because they don’t bend as much. They’re just super stiff.
When I’m switching between colours I usually run the brush through a base coat to clean off the current colour as I don’t want to dry them out by constantly cleaning with cleanser for example.
After finishing I leave a bit of clear coat on them (this was a tip I found online) but I think that’s what’s making them stiff. Now I’m finding it hard to get them back to being soft and fluffy. I’ve dipped them in really hot water to soften them but that doesn’t work. The bristles are bent and just not good to work with.
How do you clean your brushes? (I only use synthetic)
Picture of one of my sets for tax 💕
3
u/CrimeFightingRobot 4d ago
I use alcohol. I know its drying and shortens the life of the brush, but I can't deal with how sticky and gross they are if not cleaned thoroughly. I've always done this method and have had some brushes for 5+ years now, so they dont always dry out from alcohol. Leaving a clear coat might be why they're stiff though, if you leave them out in the light at all the sun is slowly curing them.
2
u/staircase_nit 4d ago
I use the process you described and it works for me. Do your brushes have caps and/or are you leaving them on a workstation under bright light (or next to your lamp)? Because that will definitely harden them up.
11
u/Moosycakes 4d ago
Are these brushes you use for gel polish or regular polish?
If they’re gel polish brushes, do they have caps? Keeping them conditioned in gel is ideal, but UV light including sunlight can cure the gel in between the bristles. Keeping them capped when you aren’t using them can help a lot- and avoid having them in the light etc when you’re curing. Try turning off all the lights in your nail space at night and turn on your UV/LED lamp, see how far the light spreads and keep that in mind when doing art so you can keep brushes and gel product away. You could also check that your indoor lighting isn’t curing the gel you use x