Does your hair look frizzy and dull even after a good thorough wash? Do you change your shampoo often to make your hair look healthier… but to no avail? 

Then we have news for you babe: maybe the problem isn’t with your shampoo or conditioner. Maybe it's your hair brush. 

The stuff in your brush isn’t merely dust. It’s also dead skin cells and scalp oil and broken hair clumps and product residue. Without regular cleaning, all this residue can get deposited in your hair each time you use your hair brush. As a result, a dirty hair brush may have a much harder time doing its job and helping your hair look its best.

TLDR: The main purpose of a hair brush is to help your hair stay healthy and in good condition. A dirty and unclean hairbrush makes it less effective.

It’s important to take care of your brush in order to take care of your scalp & hair.
Here’s how…

 

 

So what makes your hair brush dirty?  

Let's face it. Most of us have scratched our heads at some point (no pun intended) and wondered, “why is there lint in my hair brush?” 

Not a pretty sight! The gray lint that you see in your hairbrush is actually the residue of dead skin cells, sebum, old matted hair, and hair products. 

As it accumulates, it gives rise to bacteria that slowly start contaminating your hair brush. 

Sounds gross, right? Lint not only makes hair greasy and oily shortly after washing. 

It also clogs hair follicles which leads to hair damage and scalp irritation. 

 

 

Regular clean up 

 

There are no hard or fast rules regarding how often to clean hairbrushes since there are so many different factors– it depends on the types of products you use on your hair (and how often you use them), on the type of hair brush (and how often you use it), and also, your hair type.

 

• If you regularly use styling creams, gels, or hairspray, a good rule of thumb is to clean your hairbrush once a week. 
• If you don’t use much product in your hair, try to make a habit of cleaning your brush every bi-weekly to once a month.
• To make cleaning easier, try to remove hair that’s accumulated in the bristles every couple of days.

 

Visual indications like lint residue, dandruff, or product build-up are a fair warning that it's time to clean your hairbrush. 

 

A clean brush not only does a better job styling your hair. It also extends the longevity of the brush itself. 

 

 

How to clean your hairbrush?

 

 

 INH Babe @issy.lara using Never Knotty Hair Brush

 

 

Even though it sounds like a tough job, cleaning your hair brush is pretty easy. 

In fact, it's very similar to how you clean makeup brushes! 

 

Steps to follow for a clean, as-good-as-new hair brush: 

 

• Step one: Get rid of all the excess knotted hair from your hairbrush. Use the end of a rat tail comb (a type of comb that has a long pointed end) to remove hair from the base of the brush. If you don’t have a rat tail comb, any pointed object will work, even chopsticks.

 

• Step two: Fill your bathroom sink or a bowl with warm water. 

 

• Step three: Mix a generous amount of gentle shampoo into the water to create a foamy solution. 

 

• Step four: When cleaning a plastic brush, submerge the entire brush in water. Let it soak for 3 to 5 minutes. If the brush has soft padding at the base where the bristles attach to the brush, dip the brush bristles into the soapy water, making sure to keep the padding relatively dry. Then start rubbing to scrub between the rows of bristles and around the handle. Don’t entirely submerge a wooden brush. This could damage the wood and finish. Just submerge the bristles, as described above for a brush with a padded base. 

 

• Step five: Dip & shake the brush several times. This will help loosen and remove oils, dead skin cells and product buildup. If your brush isn’t too dirty, this should remove most of the buildup. 

 

• Step six: If you notice an excess build-up of products or grease, it’s time for a deep cleanse. Dip the damp hair brush in baking soda and continue scrubbing. The Sodium Bicarbonate formula acts as a gentle abrasive and removes the gunk right away. 

 

• Step seven: Finally, give the bristles a good rinse with warm water and let it air-dry.

When should you replace your hairbrush?

One hairbrush can last you for years if you take proper care of it!

Think of your hairbrush just like your toothbrush. It needs to be replaced as soon as you notice missing bristles or pins. 

Might we suggest our absolute favorite – the NEVER KNOTTY hair brush?! Your mane multi-use hair tool for adding shine, smoothing, styling, de-frizzing & detangling. Insert Name Here's vegan paddle brush works perfectly as a dry or wet hair brush, and helps to easily & painlessly detangle tough knots in seconds. 

 

 

 

This award-winning vegan, mixed bristle brush comes with a lightweight ergonomic wooden handle and is super easy to clean. It's the perfect hair tool to easily detangle those stubborn knots & conditions hair by evenly distributing natural hair oils for healthier, softer, shinier strands while gently massaging the scalp, increasing blood flow & unclogging hair follicles

Use daily for a happy, healthy scalp & hair! 

 

Let us know how these tips worked & share any insider tips we may have left out. Tag us on Instagram, Tiktok, Pinterest, Twitter & Facebook and use the hashtag #INHBabe