Can I Wash My Face With Eyelash Extensions?

You can, yes, but you should be incredibly careful. For at least the first four to six hours after your lash extensions were applied, keep your eyes completely dry, though most aestheticians would advise you wait twenty four hours before risking anything.

After that, it’s okay to go on and wash your face, avoiding the eye area as much as you can. There are some buts, though. You need to keep water and oil away from the lashes at all costs, as they dissolve the glue holding them onto your own.

Using any scrubs, moisturizers or other oily skincare products is a bad idea. A wet washcloth and gentle cleanser is the best, though you should make sure that it adheres to the following guidelines:

When you’re washing your face with lash extensions, you should take care to remove any eye makeup with an oil-free remover. If it feels thick or greasy? Don’t put it on your lashes! You shouldn’t apply it with your fingers, either.

Get a cotton swab and delicately dip it into a makeup remover – preferably one specially designed for use with extensions – then very very gently clean your entire eye, avoiding direct contact with the lashes if you can help it. Repeat if necessary!

You should then go ahead and wash your face, but rather than starting at the forehead where water can easily drip down, begin directly underneath the eyes, below the cheekbones. Lather up your cleanser until it’s lovely and foamy.

Apply some of that foam to the forehead, which should be dry (ignoring any instructions to wet the face before applying cleanser) and wash from the eyebrows up, again taking care to avoid the eyes and lashes.

Squeeze out a round facial sponge or small washcloth and remove any excess water from the face, so there’s no possibility of dripping, then pat your face dry carefully with a clean towel. It sounds tricky, but after some practice, you’ll get the hang of it.

 

Can I Use Face Wash To Clean My Eyelash Extensions?

It is acceptable to do so, yes, but with some caveats. In an ideal world, you would get yourself some face wash that has been created especially for lash extensions, or even just a specific eyelash extension cleaning solution.

In a pinch, you can definitely wash eyelash extensions with a cleanser that is both free of oil and alcohol, as both are known to dissolve the glue that holds the extensions to your natural lashes, leading to fallout.

Foaming cleansers and face soaps for sensitive skin are likely to be your best bet, or in a pinch, you could even use oil-free baby shampoo. Dilute them with water in order to make them a little less harsh on the lashes, just in case.

 

Can I Use Makeup Wipes With Eyelash Extensions?

No! The majority of makeup wipes have been made using all of the lash glue’s natural enemies: oils, emollients, and glycols, which are of course designed to moisturize the face but have the unwanted side effect of loosening adhesives.

Unless you’ve found a brand of makeup wipes or remover that is especially suited for use with lash extensions, then steer clear. It’s impossible to completely avoid the eyes, even if you think you have, as whatever it contains will spread across the face.

Again, even when you’re washing your face it’s important to steer clear of your lashes and the general eye area, so makeup wipes aren’t any different. Nobody’s going to stop you, but you’ll regret it when they all fall out prematurely!

 

Can I Use Micellar Water To Clean My Lash Extensions?

Absolutely! Provided that the micellar water that you’re using is free of any oils, it should be gentle enough to carefully and delicately clean them. Avoid absolutely any of those “extra strong” micellar waters that “guarantee” to remove eye makeup.

This is because the majority of such formulas contain some kind of oil designed to break down the harder to budge makeup like foundation, eyeliner and lip stains. Even if the lashes don’t come off right away, the glue will be significantly weaker.

Even if the ingredients list of your micellar water appears to suggest there are no oils, you should still be very careful and do your best to steer clear of the eye area. After all, any water at all is an enemy to the adhesive holding those lashes on.

Substances to avoid include propylene glycol, PEG, hexylene glycol and butylene as these are notorious for destroying the bonds of the adhesive. Anything with alcohol in is a no-go, essentially.

 

How Often Should You Clean Russian Lashes?

At least twice a week if not more – though those with naturally oily skin or who wear a lot of eye makeup should probably wash them every night. Remember, it’s important to use a gentle, oil free cleanser or face soap in order to avoid damaging the glue.

You can also use a spoolie to gently give them a little brush and remove any dirt, dust, debris or gunk that manages to gather in between washing. Be incredibly gentle though, as you don’t want to yank at them or apply unnecessary pressure.

 

Should You Brush Your Eyelash Extensions When Wet?

Absolutely not! You should never brush your lash extensions when they are wet, because the added weight from the water makes it a lot easier to pull them out accidentally, and you’ll end up ruining your beautiful new set.

You should let them air dry – have a little patience! Though some advice suggests that using a hair dryer on the cold setting is acceptable, this could put strain on the glue and cause you to have lots of unnecessary fallout, if not right away then later.

This may sound obvious, but you should also avoid rubbing your lashes dry. No matter how gentle you are, placing any amount of pressure on them can cause the glue to be loosened or messed with – just wait until they dry alone.

 

Should you Wash Eyelash Extensions?

Of course you should! It’s very important to give them a clean at the very least every other day, though if you have naturally quite oily skin or wear a lot of eye makeup then every day is probably for the best, just in case. Can I Wear Makeup With Eyelash Extensions?.

It is especially important to wash them after vigorous exercise (yes, sexy time is included in that) as well as swimming or if you’ve worn sunscreen – though do make sure to get an oil free formula when you’ve got extensions!

This is because any oils, salt or chlorine from your sweat, the cream or the water can affect the strength of the lash adhesive. It’s strong, but unfortunately it can be very easily worn down if you don’t take care to avoid getting them wet or oily.

Left unwashed, this can cause bacteria to build up, which leads to severe and potentially very nasty infections in and around the eyes. Just like your normal lashes, things can develop very quickly, so this is something to take seriously!

Remember, you can shower, exercise and swim as you normally would, just try to avoid coming into contact with large amounts of steam. Be careful not to pick at or pull on the lashes, and definitely don’t rub your eyes if you can help it.

Always allow the lashes to dry naturally, as any heat or rubbing can cause the adhesive to become dislodged and pull the lashes out. Is Humidity Bad For Eyelash Extensions?. Once nice and dry, gently brush with a spoolie in order to give them a nice natural shape.

 

What Happens If You Don’t Wash Your Eyelash Extensions?

At best, they look a little grubby and worse for wear, or you get a little bit of unnecessary fallout earlier than expected. At worst, you get yourself a nasty eye infection that could end up making you seriously ill! Either way, not worth the risk.

Primarily, washing your lash extensions prevents the growth and gathering of bacteria which could end up in your eyes if you’re not careful. Cleaning them thoroughly a couple of times a week is for the best to avoid this.

One of the biggest potential problems here is eyelash extension blepharitis, where the hair follicle is infected because of a blockage. Your skin’s oils, known as sebum, clog them up and leave a dandruff-esque residue behind. Nasty! This condition if left untreated can cause natural eyelashes turning white.

Symptoms of such infections to look out for include red, itchy and irritated eye lids, with watery eyes. You may also experience a burning or stinging sensation, with flaky crusts forming at the base of your lashes, or a feeling of grit in the eyes.

Failure to groom them appropriately will also leave them looking sad and droopy, with old makeup or other dirt and debris stuck to them. The clumpy, dusty look is probably not what you were going for when you had extensions done!

Plus, as more gunk and junk gathers in your lashes, the potential for them to get heavier and fall out increases. The adhesive has a better chance of sticking to your natural lashes if the extensions are clean and not interfering with the glue’s integrity.

 

Can You Use Eyelash Curlers With Lash Extensions?

No, it isn’t recommended that you do. This is because they have the potential to not only damage the extensions, but in the process yank out your own natural lashes, which may never grow back again the same. How can I regrow my eyelashes?.

Likewise, even if you don’t accidentally rip them out, you’ll definitely weaken the glue, and you could even bend the lashes into a strange shape, making them look weird and unnatural. This defeats the point of getting extensions in the first place!

Most beauticians suggest avoiding lash curlers unless you learn how to use them correctly. Even your natural lashes can be easily ripped out of their follicles by using them in the wrong way, so be careful or leave it to the professionals.

 

Which Product Is Best For Washing Lash Extensions?

Anything free of oils and gentle on the skin is probably fine, but you should try and get yourself a lash shampoo that has been specifically designed for washing extensions, such as LASHGAME’s Eyelash Extension Foaming Cleanser. Is salt water bad for eyelash extensions?.

Other popular products include Lyon Lash Eyelid Foam, Stacy Lash Eyelash Extension Shampoo, SMPL Aesthetics Eyelash Extension Cleanser and Forabeli Eyelash Extension Shampoo – those that come with soft brushes are great!

If you wanted to try getting a micellar water that won’t weaken the adhesive, stick to the softest and gentlest ones, like those made by Nivea or Simple Skincare, but again, a specifically designed shampoo recommended by your beautician is best.

Remember – avoid any contact with the lashes where possible, steering clear of the whole eye area and preventing any water from dissolving the glue.