by Ané Auret 4 min read
There are several ways of cleaning your makeup brushes. The most important thing is to find the best way for your personally so that it fits easily into your routine.
Cleaning your makeup sponges, the inside of your makeup bag, lash curlers and tweezers are also important and shouldn't be left behind.
Personally I clean my makeup brushes with a silicone/rubber cleansing mat (or the palm of my hand) and a little baby shampoo, but you could also invest in an electronic brush cleaner as an alternative option. This certainly cuts down on the drying time, but I prefer the old school way of washing by hand.
*Never share your makeup brushes or applicators.
*To save time I often wash 2-3 brushes together but bundling together in my hand, especially the eye brushes - it's just a little quicker and is just as effective.
I love using a rubber / silicone cleansing mat to clean my brushes - you can easily get these on Amazon. It just means a bit more friction to swirl your brushes around on instead of using the palm of your hand.
Using a little baby shampoo and a cleansing mat is my preferred way of cleansing my makeup brushes. You could also use a dedicated makeup brush gel or cream cleanser - it really depends on your personal preference.
There are several versions of these electronic brush cleaners on the market. They work with a centrifugal spin technology that cleans and dries your makeup brushes and can be a super quick way to speed up the process. I'll admit that I've never tried one - I prefer my baby shampoo and cleansing mat for now.
You can use an antibacterial spray to sterilise your brushes in between uses or to get rid of excess product, ie. while you're creating an eye look and you have too much pigment on your brush. Just spritz a few short burst then swirl it on a tissue or paper towel to rub off the excess product.
1. Submerging and / or soaking in water. Soaking the handles will damage and dissolve the glue used between the bristles and the brush handle and lead to brush shedding.
2. Using very hot or boiling water. This could also affect the bonding between bristles and the handle and cause shedding. Lukewarm water is best.
3. Drying incorrectly. Lay your brushes flat over the sink, or at a downward angle - or if you can hand them up with the brush heads pointing downwards. Avoid hot hair dryers and give yourself enough time for your brushes to be dry the next day. The bigger brushes especially don’t always dry overnight when the temperatures are cooler.
4. Not having a regular routine to clean your makeup brushes. Cleaning your brushes should happen at least weekly, with your main face brushes ideally every 2-4 days. When you're cleaning regularly your brushes will be much easier and quicker to clean - and your skin will be happier too!
by Ané Auret 14 min read
You've probably seen the terms "hydration" and "moisture" used interchangeably everywhere, used as if they're the same thing. One adds water to your skin, the other seals it in, and both are essential, especially after 35 when our natural processes start to slow down.
While it may be true that both refers to water levels in the skin, there is a difference in terms of the mechanisms, as well as product formulation practices and ingredient choices - and therefore the product choices in your routine.
If your skin feels tight, dull, or dry no matter what you use, the missing link might be knowing whether you need (more) hydration, moisture, or both.
In this blog guide, I’ll unpack the science and show you how to balance hydration and moisture for smoother, stronger, more radiant skin.
by Ané Auret 12 min read
Could hidden inflammation accelerating your skin ageing without you realising it?
In this comprehensive guide, I unpack the science of inflammaging, what it is, how it impacts your skin and overall health, and why it’s especially important for women 35+.
This is following on from the previous blog where I share more about my recent personal exprerience and discoveries.
You’ll discover 9 key triggers behind chronic, low-grade inflammation and 12 practical, evidence-based steps to help calm it.
Small, consistent changes can make a visible difference, building stronger, healthier, more radiant skin from the inside out.
by Ané Auret 7 min read
Many women in midlife assume that struggles with weight, energy, and hormones are simply “part of ageing.” But often, there’s something else quietly driving these changes: hidden, low-level inflammation.
This type of silent inflammation doesn’t always show up as obvious skin problems or dramatic allergic reactions. Instead, it works beneath the surface — disrupting hormones, draining energy, locking weight in place, and slowly accelerating the ageing process in both body and skin.
Food intolerances, gut imbalances, and hormonal shifts are all connected. Addressing inflammation and gut health is just as vital as supporting hormones if we want to feel better and protect our skin health in midlife.
This blog explores how hidden inflammation impacts hormones, metabolism, and skin, and what practical steps can help calm it down. If you’ve been doing “all the right things” and still feel stuck, this may be the missing piece.