We all know the feeling, we want to curl our eyelashes, but it is so gross when the eyelash curler gets coated with gunk. Everything from mascara and powder to bacteria forms on the eyelash curler actually making it an infection risk. The good news is that they are easy to clean, and I will cover several methods to do just that.
I’ll start with my favorite method.
You will need to gather your tools. Go ahead and get a towel, your favorite go to eye makeup remover, a bit of baby oil, a cotton ball, a clean cloth and some dish soap. You will need to position yourself where you have easy access to water as well.
First you will use the cotton ball and make up remover. If you do not have makeup remover to wet the cotton ball then by all means, use baby oil. Use the wet cotton ball to clean the rubber pad and metal bar. Try to get all of the makeup off that you can this way.
With a bowl of water drop a bit of dish soap inside. Go ahead and get your cloth damp with the solution. You do not want the cloth to drip, it should be rung out as well as possible. You want to get all of the residue off of the instrument that you can with the damp cloth. Hold it under hot running water for about 20 seconds. NOTE that you do not want water to get on the metal joints of the tool, you merely want to rid it of soap residue.
Use your towel to see if any makeup transfer occurs. If it does, then repeat the process. A final way to sterilize is to use a tad bit of alcohol after the process, followed by an immediate rinse to avoid drying out the pads and dry it thoroughly with a clean cloth.
Did you know dirty eye tools can lead to infections? Look, these are not necessarily disposable. They can be long lasting and easily maintained. Here are a few other methods people use to maintain and clean their eyelash curlers.
Tissue and a blow dryer
This is great for in between deep cleans. You simply grab your hairdryer, put in on high and take aim for around 30 seconds. Not only does the heat kill bacteria, it will melt the makeup and make it easy to wipe off. Make sure it is rinsed and dried well avoiding getting water on metal joints. This is not a way to sterilize the instrument though. It merely maintains it in between cleanings. Do not use the instrument until it has cooled down.
Alcohol and a makeup remover pad
Get a fresh, clean makeup remover pad. You will also need a clean cloth. If you have a spare spray bottle use it to spray a bit of alcohol on the tool. You can wet a cotton ball with alcohol to get the same effect. Put the alcohol on the tool both front and back. Rinse it thoroughly, but avoiding getting water on the metal joints. Use a makeup wipe to check for residue. If there is some them repeat the process.
Here are some additional tips for maintaining your eyelash curler.
Never submerge the instrument in water. This will lead to rusting and difficulty using, if not making it impossible to use. If you see rust, even if it is not making usage difficult, you will need to toss it and get a new one.
You can use makeup remover to clean the instrument, but it can’t contain acid or alcohol. Both of these agents dry out the pads of the eyelash curler. You should replace the pads at least three times a year for safety and functionality.
Curl on!
