How to clean and care for your brushes (without having them fall apart)!

by Cara

Broken Powder Brush

I have had a really hard time figuring out what is the best way to clean and care for my brushes. I have gotten lots of opinions about what the best way to do this is, but I really haven't found anything that seems to work too well. I have been told to wash them once a week by soaking them in a mild shampoo or soap (in a bowl), and then air dry. I am finding that when I do this, the brushes have been falling apart quite quickly on me. Most of the time the wooden handle will detach or loosen from the brush head. I try to make sure the wood portion is not in the water, but I get the same result. I have been using many styles of brushes, from cheapy drugstore, to Bare Minerals, to Everyday Minerals...and have the same results. I would like to find a way to clean these while preserving the brushes integrity, and saving me money. What type of soap/shampoo would you suggest? What method of washing them? Any brushes to recommend that seems sturdier than others? When should I expect to have to buy new brushes (what seems to be a reasonable life for a brush?) Thanks for the help!