Extend The Life Of Your Eyelash Collection

Are you keeping your false lashes clean? We know, at the end of a long day adding yet another step to our beauty regime can feel like a chore—but you’ll thank us when your lash stash is still going strong months into wearing them.

That’s right, keeping your falsies sanitized and clean can extend the life of your favorite set so you can wear them again and again like new. Built up mascara and glue can both dry out real hair lash sets, as well as warp artificial fibers. Plus, worn lashes can carry bacteria that could be harmful to eyes with extended use. There are a few ways to clean a false set, and we promise they’re quick and easy. Your falsie collection will thank you.

Peel away the glue

Glue build-up can warp the shape of the eyelash band over time, causing lashes to look uneven. Plus, built up glue is a bacteria trap. Use tweezers to carefully peel away glue bits on the backs of your lashes without tearing out lash hairs in the process.

Rinse in warm water

Fill a clean sink with a small amount of warm water and drop lashes in for about 30 seconds to loosen any mascara, eyeshadow, or other potential makeup residue. Hot water is a good choice for especially stubborn makeup—but only for artificial lash fibers, as human hair or fur lashes can permanently lose their curl in the heat.

Wipe down and sanitize

Artificial lashes can be sanitized with rubbing alcohol but real hair sets should be treated with a mild water-based makeup remover such as Bioderma Sebium that won’t dry out the fibers. Wipe from base to tip on dry lashes with an alcohol or remover soaked cotton ball to sweep away pre-loosened makeup.

Use caution with fancy sets

Like Dry Clean Only clothing, certain lashes require special care. Soaking or wiping down lashes that contain fragile decorations such as glitter, feathers, or rhinestones is a big no, but removing the glue and spot cleaning with a sanitizer-soaked cotton swab will still keep things relatively tidy so you get even more wear out of your favorite glamour sets.

Image: Nicole Hill Gerulat / Getty Images