Your fake lashes might be reusable. But are you cringing at the thought now that your lashes are covered in glue, dirt, and other nasties? Well, it’s important to clean your fake lashes between uses so that they look good and don’t cause eye infections.
We’ll show you how to clean lashes properly. We’ll also help you remove glue and other particles that might be stuck to your lashes. We have a few different methods to try, so keep reading to find one that works well for you.
This post will cover fake lashes, lash extensions, mink lashes, and magnetic lashes. The next time you put your lashes on, you’ll be feeling more glam than ever.
Key Takeaways
- Clean fake lashes after each use to maintain hygiene and extend their lifespan.
- Remove glue from lashes using tweezers and rubbing alcohol to disinfect them.
- Clean lashes using micellar water, dish soap, makeup remover, or baby shampoo and allow them to air dry.
- Store cleaned and dried lashes in their original box or a contact lens case to keep them in good shape.
Are False Lashes Reusable?
Most false lashes are reusable. You can reuse synthetic lashes 2-3 times. You can reuse higher-quality synthetic lashes a few more times than that. Always check the manufacturer’s advice.
If you have natural false lashes, such as mink lashes, you can reuse these 20-30 times.
You should stop reusing your false lashes when they are visibly dirty, misshapen, become damaged, or irritate your eye while you’re wearing them. It’s then time to toss them out.
How to Clean Lashes From Glue
The glue is one of the main elements you want to remove from your fake lashes. We’ll show you how to do so with rubbing alcohol and tweezers. When you remove the glue properly, your lashes are ready for reuse.
- Time: 15 minutes (plus drying time)
- Difficulty: Easy
What You’ll Need
- Tweezers
- Rubbing alcohol
- Bowl
- Cotton swab
- Soft cloth or towel
1. Remove Glue With Tweezers
Hold the lashes in your hand, making sure to hold the fibers rather than the strip part. Use your tweezers to gently pull the glue off. Continue until all or most of the glue is gone.
2. Clean Lash Strip
Pour a little bit of rubbing alcohol into a small bowl. Dip a cotton swab into the rubbing alcohol and wipe it along the lash strip to remove any remaining glue. This will also disinfect the lashes, so it’s safe to wear them again.
3. Dry the Lashes
Lay the lashes flat on a soft cloth or towel to fully air dry before you wear them again. This could take a couple of hours.
How to Clean Fake Lashes
Let’s get into the top methods for deep cleaning false lashes. We have four options for you to choose from. You can try them all to find your favorite.
Wash your hands before you start to prevent transferring more dirt to the eyelashes.
- Time: 15 minutes
- Difficulty: Easy
What You’ll Need
- Micellar water, dish soap, makeup remover, or baby shampoo
- Water (optional)
- Cotton balls
- Towel
- Bowl (optional)
1. Prepare Your Cleaning Solution
You have two options here. You can either clean the lashes with a cotton ball or cotton swabs. Or you can put the cleaning solution in a bowl and soak the lashes.
Either way, we’ll start by preparing the cleaner. If using a cotton ball, apply your chosen cleaner directly to the cotton ball.
If using a bowl, pour the solution into the bowl. If cleaning with dish soap or baby shampoo, put one teaspoon in the dish and dilute with one cup of warm water.
2. Clean the Lashes
If you’re using a cotton ball, gently sweep it over the lashes. Start from the tip of the lashes and work towards the strip. Make sure to clean the strip. Repeat on the other side of the lashes using a fresh cotton ball.
If you’re using a bowl, place the lashes in it and leave them to soak for a maximum of five minutes.
3. Dry the Lashes
Place the lashes on a soft towel to fully air dry. This can take a couple of hours.
Repeat the above steps if necessary.
You can remove the glue before or after this cleaning method, but ensure you don’t forget to do so!
How to Clean Lash Extensions At Home
Lash extensions are slightly different, but you must clean them regularly. Here’s how to clean eyelash extensions at home while you’re wearing them.
- Time: 10 minutes
- Difficulty: Easy
What You’ll Need
- Lash shampoo or eyelash cleanser
- Oil-free makeup remover
- Cotton swabs
- Reusable makeup wipes
- Fluffy lash extension brush
- Clean mascara wand
1. Remove Your Makeup
Remove your makeup with an oil-free makeup remover and a reusable makeup pad. It helps to use a cotton swab dipped in makeup remover to clean along the lash line, in the inner corners, and underneath the bottom lashes.
2. Apply Lash Shampoo or Eyelash Cleaner
Apply the lash shampoo or cleanser to your eyelashes with a fluffy eyelash brush. Close your eyes and brush into your lash line, moving in circular motions. Then brush from the base of the lashes down to the tips. Reapply until your lashes are clean — this usually takes about one minute per eye.
3. Rinse Your Eyelashes
Dampen the lash extension brush under water, then wipe the lashes in the same motions as above to rinse the cleanser from the lash extensions. Repeat on both eyes.
4. Blot Lashes Dry
Use a clean reusable makeup pad to blot your eyelashes dry.
5. Brush Lashes
Use a clean mascara wand to brush the individual lashes. This helps separate them and prevent clumps.
How to Clean Mink Lashes
Mink lashes are made from natural fiber. This method will show you how to clean mink lashes and other natural fibers, such as silk.
- Time: 5-10 minutes
- Difficulty: Easy
What You’ll Need
- Micellar water
- Cotton bud
- Tweezers
- Towel
1. Position the Lashes Correctly
The thing about natural fiber lashes is that you don’t want to soak them. This will damage them and cause them to lose their shape. When cleaning them, place the eyelash on your index finger so that the lash tips wrap downwards on your finger, maintaining the curl.
2. Clean With Micellar Water
Soak a cotton bud with micellar water and dab the ends of the lashes and along the lash line. Don’t clean the tips.
3. Remove Glue
Use tweezers to remove loosened glue and extra glue residue from both sides of the lash strip.
4. Dry Lashes
Lay the lashes down on a towel to dry. Make sure that the lashes are in their natural shape. Don’t let them tangle together.
How to Clean Magnetic Lashes
Magnetic lashes are similar to mink lashes in their cleaning approach.
- Time: 10 minutes
- Difficulty: Easy
What You’ll Need
- Cotton swab
- Oil-free makeup remover or micellar water
- Towel
1. Position the Lashes for Cleaning
Only clean one lash at a time to prevent the magnets from sticking to each other. Hold the lash by the strip.
2. Scratch Off Glue
Use your nail to scratch off glue rather than tweezers. If you use tweezers, you are more likely to remove the magnets on the band.
3. Clean With Makeup Remover
Soak a cotton swab with your makeup remover or micellar water. Clean along the lash strip, including the magnets.
If you are without makeup remover, we recommend buying some instead of using any kind of home remedy.
If the actual lashes are made from synthetic fibers, you’ll need to clean them, too. With a separate soaked cotton swab, gently clean the lashes from end to tip. Be careful not to ruin the shaping of the lashes.
4. Dry Lashes
Lay the lashes on a towel to dry. Make sure they’re far enough away from each other that they don’t connect.
How Often to Clean Lashes
It’s best to clean your fake lashes after every use. First, cleaning them after you’ve taken them off ensures that they’re clean and dry for the next time you want to wear them.
Secondly, you want to remove the glue so you can reapply more glue next time you want to wear them. This ensures that you can reuse them.
Third, it’s essential to clean your lashes so that they’re hygienic, fresh, and free from dirt and bacteria. If you don’t clean them but continue wearing your false eyelashes, you risk these nasty elements entering your eye and causing irritation and infection.
Last but not least, cleaning them after each use ensures that they last longer and don’t wear out. Remember, you can get a few uses from your false eyelashes. If you have natural fiber eyelashes, you can get up to 30 uses out of them!
How to Store Fake Lashes Properly
Once your fake lashes are clean and bone dry, you can place them back in the box they came in. this will help the lashes stay in the correct shape. Plus, it keeps them away from moisture, dust, and dirt.
If you’ve thrown the box out, store the fake lashes in a contact lens case or a store-bought false eyelashes case. A nice one to use is this Lash Dime Holder.
Our final tip is to keep them out of direct sunlight. Sunlight can discolor the lashes.
Tips For Caring For Lashes
Let’s make sure your lashes are clean and taken care of so that they can last as long as possible. Here are our bonus tips:
- Avoid oils: Oils can loosen the glue when you’re wearing your false lashes. This is also true for eyelash extensions. This can cause the lashes to come loose. You might lose them or step on one, causing damage. You might have oils in your skincare products, shampoo, and other beauty items, so watch out.
- Brush them: After washing them, you can give them a little brush to ensure all the fibers are properly in place.
- Wash your hands: Before removing or applying false lashes, wash your hands. The last thing you need is bacteria in your eyes.
- Use tweezers: When removing the false lashes from their box or tray, remove them with tweezers. Hold them at the outer corner of the strip, not the tips, as this can cause damage.
- Apply lashes last: Apply your false lashes after the rest of your makeup routine. Getting other makeup all over your lashes can ruin them and prevent you from being able to reuse them.
- Remove with tweezers: When taking your falsies off at the end of the day, remove them with tweezers, the same way you take them out of the box. If you find it hard to remove them from your eye, wipe a little baby oil along the strip to loosen the glue.
FAQs
Is Lash Shampoo Necessary?
For cleaning false lashes, no, it’s not necessary. You can effectively clean your false eyelashes with Micellar water, dish soap, makeup remover, or baby shampoo.
If you have lash extensions, we do recommend a proper lash shampoo. But if you don’t have that, you can use an oil-free makeup remover, a foaming cleanser, or micellar water. Just make sure your product is oil-free.
Should I Brush My Lash Extensions When Wet?
No. Brush your eyelash extensions when they’re dry. Otherwise, you could pull out the individual hairs.
How Do You Reshape False Lashes?
First, remove the eyelashes if you’re still wearing them.
Then use tweezers to bend the lashes or strip them back into place.
Next, boil some water and dip a towel into the water. Lightly press the hot towel onto the lashes to release the bend in the lash.
Afterward, use your fingers to mold the eyelashes back to the original shape.
