It’s a rare beauty miracle when artificial lashes can be removed in one neat sweep. I think I’ve only experienced that twice; the other 200 times were excruciating hair yanking with lash adhesive residue all over my hair.
When I first started wearing lashes, I would stupidly tear them off as soon as I got home and use tweezers to remove any extra adhesive. This was the beginning of my week-long struggle. And what do you know? Even after cleansing my eyes, the next day would still be sticky.
I immediately discovered that my tried-and-true method of using sharp tools to chip away at residual glue would not work for seven days in a row. (please don’t ever do it). Rather than causing irritation to your sensitive eye skin or yanking out your real lashes, I devised a three-step method for taking off false eyelashes. In addition, I found an unexpected component that instantly removes the sticky residue from eyes.
Step 1: Use a steam cleaner to get clean.
There are two methods for doing this:
Regarding fake lashes: Put a microfiber towel on your face after wetting it with warm water. Cover your eyes with the handkerchief gently. To release the eyelash adhesive, repeat this process three to four times. Your lashes should come off with little to no straining, depending on how much adhesive you’re applying. They might even come off entirely to allow for painless removal.
Premium eyelashes: Avoid soaking premium eyelashes in a wet washcloth as this will damage the pattern. Alternatively, to help remove the glue, rub a warm, damp cotton swab down the lash band a few times. Lift off your lashes gently, starting from the outside border.
Step 2: Get a potent remover for makeup.
After having your lashes removed, reserve them for storage and cleaning. Using a cotton pad dipped in waterproof eye makeup remover, gently wipe away any remaining makeup and glue from your eyes without rubbing.
Step 3: Grab some extra virgin olive oil and dash to the kitchen.
To be honest, any kind of oil works well to remove leftover lash adhesive, however coconut oil is the most popular choice. But over the course of my week-long adventure, extra virgin olive oil proved to be my glue-removing savior. I placed some oil in a cup, took a cotton swab and gave it a little push to loosen the adhesive that was stuck between my lashes. The adhesive instantly falls off your lid and lashes when it comes into contact with oil. Additionally, EVOO provides thickening and conditioning qualities for hair (hello, luscious lashes!). I never had any irritation from the oil, but make sure to rinse the area with water afterward.
