Should I Remove All My Makeup Before Getting Eyelash Extensions

Unsplash / Blueprint by Michela Buttignol

Eyelash extensions accept the power to completely change your beauty routine. Instead of waking up looking drowsy and bleary-eyed, having to reach for a curler and multiple coats of mascara, we simply wash our faces and head out the door—no eye makeup necessary. There's just something almost the major lift and length of extensions that makes united states look perennially broad awake (even if we feel one-half-witting and in drastic need of caffeine). As one beauty blogger put it while attending a skincare launch event, "with eyelash extensions, you wake upward and you're ready to go." Besides true.

While lash extensions are convenient and time-saving, they're non e'er easy to clean. At least, not if y'all're a lash extension newbie. Whether yous practical makeup atop your extensions or you just feel that they're in need of some budget, cleaning them can easily event in tiny blackness filaments littering the bottom of the bathroom sink. That'south not platonic, specially if it's long before the six-week mark (which is how long they'll last with proper care). So, to keep your lashes in place and your money in your wallet, proceed scrolling to learn how to properly clean lash extensions, according to experts.

Imaxtree / Graphic by Cristina Cianci

For anyone who might be new to the world of lash extensions, Clementina Richardson is hither to explicate everything, from summit to lesser. "Lash extensions are synthetic fibers that are fastened to the natural lashes using a medical-class adhesive," she says. "They come in many different sizes ranging from six millimeters to 18 millimeters with a few coil width options as well. With proper placement, lash extensions can make the eyes appear wider and more lifted. Some clients even say how it's a groovy mode to look younger without going under the knife."

Meet the Good

Clementina Richardson is a celebrity lash creative person and founder of Envious Lashes boutique with locations in both Manhattan and Long Island.
Amanda Robinson is the founder of buzzy 50.A. and San Francisco–based lash company Iris + Westward.
Lindsay Ford is the marketing director at Bella Lash.

They're customizable, too, unlike basic simulated lash strips. According to Amanda Robinson, "Your starting time appointment will generally take about 90 minutes, depending on the type of lash await you are going for." During this fourth dimension, one extension is placed on every single natural eyelash, which is what provides the dramatic increase in length and book. "Every bit your natural lashes shed...the extension comes off with it, and then you maintain your ready past getting fills, which are usually about one-hour appointments," she explains.

The awarding isn't that difficult; it'southward simply like getting your hair colored or nails painted in a salon. You lot volume an date, sit back, and get transformed. Next comes the upkeep—namely, cleaning the lash extensions, which keeps them salubrious and in place.

01 of 05

Avoid Wearing Whatever Mascara or Eyeliner

Bella Lash Natural Touch Mascara $16.00

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"The best thing about extensions is that you can completely ditch your mascara and lash curler," Robinson says. That'south kind of the whole indicate of eyelash extensions: to make your lashes look bigger and fuller sans makeup. However, Robinson says you can still wear liners and shadows if you lot please, simply if y'all'll exist certain to accept the time and care involved with removing it. "My main rule for anyone who is wearing eye makeup with their extensions is to brand sure y'all are taking it all off at the stop of the day. Letting makeup build upwards around your extensions can cause them to come off early, and information technology can crusade inflammation on your eyelids."

That said, some people aren't ever then conscientious with makeup remover after a long day. That'southward why makeup is generally a no-get. "I recommend not wearing mascara or eyeliner, every bit it'southward hard to remove and will crusade the bail to break. If you need to wear mascara on your lower lashes, avoid waterproof mascaras," Richardson says.

Also, avoid glycerin and oil-based makeup products. "Oil-based or glycerin makeup products crusade the adhesive to break down prematurely and eyelashes to fall out," explains Lindsay Ford. "Use mineral-based or eyelash extension–safe makeup to go along lashes healthy and potent. Non-eyelash-approved eyeliners and mascaras should be avoided, every bit they tangle and damage extensions as well every bit the natural lash, adding too much weight to the pilus follicle." That's why she recommends Bella Lash mascara. "If y'all are someone who loves the black and inky look of mascara, we have three types of extension-safe mascara. Our mascaras can be applied directly to the extensions in the aforementioned way that you would apply normal mascara to your natural lashes."

02 of 05

Use an Oil-Free Makeup Remover

Bella Lash Lash Cleanser With Makeup Remover $8.00

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Makeup preferences and products aside, the true offset step in effective cleansing is to use formulas that are specifically made for lash extensions. "Other products may comprise ingredients that tin can weaken the bond of your lash extensions and cause them to shed prematurely," Richardson says. "If you are making an investment in extensions in the first place, y'all surely don't want to encounter them go to waste."

At the very least, make certain whatever eye makeup remover or cleanser you utilise near your extensions is oil-gratis. This is an important tip, considering some of the internet'southward most popular cleansers contain oil. "Oil-based removers will weaken the extensions and cause them to interruption and shed," Richardson says. Once y'all find the perfect oil-free remover, "use a few pumps of the remover on a spoolie brush or a disposable mascara wand and brush through several times to help break down the mascara and remove whatever debris."

Try reaching for a cleanser that checks off both boxes, like this one from Bella Lash. "Our Lash Detox ($23) and Lash Cleanser With Makeup Remover ($8) are popular aftercare products for a reason," Ford says. "They gently sweep away debris and bacteria to keep your eyes and lashes healthy and potent. These cleansers are perfect for removing makeup because they aren't oil-based like most conventional makeup removers on the market."

03 of 05

Don't Use Cotton Pads

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Now that we know the experts advise using clean fingers or a spoolie brush to gently clean extensions, information technology's important to note that they propose against using cotton pads or swabs. "Practise not utilize cotton effectually or on your lash extensions," Richardson says. "The reason existence that they snag and rip them out. And then afterward brushing through with the makeup remover, dab with tissue to remove the product. Repeat this footstep until all the mascara is gone."

04 of 05

Use a Protective Production Post-Cleanse

Follow the theme of tender love and care correct through to the end by finishing your cleansing routine with a protective product. Information technology will nourish your lashes and help keep your extensions in identify. "But like you lot are with your blowouts, be gentle with your lashes," Richardson says. "Apply a protective coating like our Envious Lashes Protective Coating ($xviii) 48 hours after service from base of operations to tip."

Even if you don't take eyelash extensions in yet (or maybe you lot're caught between appointments), information technology's recommended that you use a serum. "Conditioning serums are great for people who just want to get their natural lashes in better shape," Richardson says. "Our Luxuriating Lash Conditioner ($45) contains a unique blend of natural and botanical ingredients to help your lashes reach their full potential, creating both density and length. I highly recommended using it a few times per week to ensure the strength and wellness of the natural lashes. Mary J. Blige and Jenna Dewan love it!" Practise annotation that non everyone reacts to botanicals well, and some people may exist highly sensitive and/or allergic. Brand sure to exercise a spot examination if yous tend toward sensitivity.

05 of 05

Apply a Silk Pillowcase

Shhh Silk two Pack White Marble Silk Pillowcases $165.00

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And now for a tip of our own. Sometimes, traditional pillowcases tin tug on your lashes, something you don't want to happen. We recommend using a silk or satin pillowcase instead of a cotton pillowcase to try to avoid snagging your lashes while sleeping.

FAQ

How do I brush my lash extensions with a spoolie?

When it'due south fourth dimension to brush your lashes, make certain to use a clean spoolie or lash brush each time. You'll want to place the spoolie at your lash line, and gently castor downwards to the end of the lash. Take care to avoid brushing the base of your lashes so you lot don't inadvertently loosen the bond between your peel and the lash.
How often should you brush your lash extensions?

To help your lashes last longer, you should be brushing them daily (ideally in the morn) or whatsoever time they go wet.
Should y'all castor your lashes when they are wet?

You should not brush your lashes when they are moisture. Instead, look for them to dry or gently dab them dry with a make clean towel before brushing.