Your best beauty tool may also be your skin’s worst enemy. While makeup residue, oil and dead skin can collect on makeup brushes and impact your skin’s health, 39 percent of women who use these tools clean them less than once a month. Moreover, 22 percent admitted to never cleaning them, according to a recent online survey conducted by Harris Poll on behalf of Anisa International, a global leader in the design and creation of unique beauty tools and solutions.

“Interestingly, 65 percent of women who clean their brushes do so to avoid bacteria, breakouts and blemishes. They understand the consequences, but they still don’t clean them as often as beauty experts recommend,” said Anisa Telwar-Kaicker, founder and CEO of Anisa International. “We suggest cleaning cosmetic tools a minimum of once a month, but twice a month would be best.”

The most common reasons cited for not cleaning makeup brushes:

• 22 percent say it takes too long to clean them or for the brushes to dry
• One in five (21 percent) weren’t aware they needed to
• 19 percent just buy new brushes
• 17 percent don’t know how to clean them properly. Ask millennials and that number jumps to 31 percent.

Among women who do clean their makeup brushes, the majority (85 percent) use household products such as water, shampoo, dish soap or olive oil.

The survey also found that 60 percent of women who have purchased a makeup brush have spent $10 or more on a single brush, while a quarter have spent $20 or more.

“Today’s consumers are spending a significant amount on cosmetic brushes in order to achieve desired makeup looks, but they’re not protecting their investment or their skin by properly caring for these tools,” said Telwar-Kaicker. “This survey indicates that there’s a need for beauty brands to educate consumers about the importance of cleaning, the proper techniques and the revolutionary new products available that minimize the amount of time it takes.”

An industry innovator in makeup brush design, Anisa International has collaborated with top beauty brands to develop brush cleansing wipes and sprays that combine ease-of-use and convenience, allowing brushes to dry in just minutes. While the traditional method of brush cleaning is still effective, these new products offer a stress-free solution to cut the cleaning and drying time and avoid damaging the brush.