The Right Way To Clean Your Strip Lashes

Are you one of those girls (or guys) who simply peels your false lashes off, sticks them into your makeup bag, and then pulls them out and reapplies them the next time, without so much as a thought about cleaning them?

The chances are that you wear them a few times and then when they become too clumpy and damaged, you simply toss them aside for a new pair. Per Cosmopolitan, if this is you, it's time for a change. Stop wasting your false lashes (and your money) and learn how to make them last that much longer.

According to Greatist, a good pair of realistic-looking false lashes can be rather pricey, so it's wasteful to assume that they're a single-use beauty product. Surprisingly enough, looking after your falsies is actually far simpler than you might assume, it's just a case of knowing what approach to take — that's all.

Professional makeup and lash artist, Tymia Yvette, believes that just one pair of false lashes can last for multiple uses. She told Greatist, "You can reuse strip lashes two or three times ... Just make sure they're still in good condition.

The truth is that by understanding how to approach cleaning your lashes, you can ensure that they not only stay looking fresh, but that they also last for far longer.

Before we look at how to clean your false lashes, let's look at why it's important to keep your eyelash extensions clean.

Per Cosmopolitan, Ophthalmologist Ilyse Haberman, MD, from NYU Langone Health, says that when false eyelashes aren't cleaned properly, bacteria can grow on them and result in a rather nasty eye infection. (After all, No one wants an eye infection, do they?)

In addition, leftover glue and makeup residue can collect on the lashes and cause irritation and soreness to skin. So cleaning your falsies is oh so important.

According to Greatist, it's common to apply a couple of coats of mascara over fake lashes, which also needs to be removed from the lashes, in addition to the glue. Product buildup can cause the lashes to not only look gunky, but it can also cause the lashes themselves to crease or break.

The good news is that to clean your false lashes you don't need anything extravagant, just a few simple items, such as cotton or reusable makeup remover pads or swabs, a clean towel, and rubbing alcohol or an oil-free makeup remover.

According to Greatist, the first step is to dip the end of your pad or swab in your solution of choice — either rubbing alcohol or makeup remover — and place the false lashes on a clean towel.

Using the soaked swab, gently rub away any makeup and glue from the strip lashes, making sure to pay extra care to the bands of the lashes which tend to get the most gunky.

Follow this by taking a clean swab or pad, dipping it in warm water, and using it to carefully rub over the lashes and band to remove any remaining makeup, dirt or glue. (If you can notice any glue that hasn't come off, try gently peeling it away from the lashes.

Cosmopolitan recommends that after you clean the lashes of any makeup, glue, and dirt, it's important to properly disinfect them using rubbing alcohol and a clean pad or swab.

Don't make the mistake of squeezing your lashes to help them dry more quickly as this can damage the lashes. Instead, lay them flat on a clean towel to air dry.