#1 Beauty Tool You Ignore to Clean But You Should – How to Clean Your Eyelash Curler

Pretend you’re at a gathering. And then there’s this person whose eyes are like Anne Hathaway’s, who has those large, wide, gleaming eyes with the beautiful curled lashes. If people see those eyes, they will most likely stare.

You would probably be envious with those luscious eyes. Those lovely eyes are something I’d love to have.

People are naturally drawn to the eyes.

As the saying goes, the eyes are the windows to the soul. People see you through your eyes, sensing your emotions and feelings.

However, maintaining your eyes as beautiful as they are requires constant priming.

Maintaining the eyelashes is one of the components of keeping them in good shape.

As the curtains to the windows, lashes protect the eyes from various particles that may enter and cause harm and discomfort.

Pampering the lashes makes the eyes extravagant and classy. They use eyelash curlers to get the extra curl and lift.

Even so, have you ever wondered how safe eyelash curlers are?

Here’s What to Read

1. The Importance of a Clean Eyelash Curler
2. Cleaning and Disinfecting Your Eyelash Curler
   2.1 Steps on Cleaning a Manual Eyelash Curler
   2.2 Steps on Cleaning a Heated Eyelash Curler
3. What is Disinfection?
   3.1 Steps on Disinfecting an Eyelash Curler
4. To Clean or Not to Clean?

The Importance of a Clean Eyelash Curler

Eyelash curlers are generally safe for sensitive eyes. How safe depends on you, though. A tool is only as safe as you use it.

While an eyelash curler looks harmless, it may not be so on the microscopic level. You may cringe but that is a reality that is invisible to the naked eye. Pathogens like bacteria, viruses cannot be seen but are existing. You don’t see the danger but it’s there.

Sadly, the eyelash curler is one of those tools that are often neglected after use. But just like any other tool, it needs to be cleaned. Chances are you don’t remember the last time you cleaned it or if you ever did clean it at all. The eyelash curler deserves the same amount of care given your sponges, brushes, and other beauty equipment.

Just think – You put it together with your other stuff. You lay it down on surfaces. You touch it with your hands and then it comes in contact with your lashes that are very near to the eyes. In other words, your curler is prone to dirt and bacteria.

In turn, it makes your eyes prone to infection. They may develop a stye, a painful bacterial infection that looks like a boil or a pimple that is usually filled with pus. Who would ever want that?

The eye is a sensitive organ. A curler needs to be sanitized before use to make sure no infection occurs due to improper maintenance.

Cleaning and Disinfecting Your Eyelash Curler

Eyelash curlers are generally made of metal. It’s easier to clean the metal surfaces. But don’t forget that curlers have rubber pads at the base that can gather dirt and germs. Mascara remnants get caught in there, too.

Steps on Cleaning a Manual Eyelash Curler

Cleaning your curler only takes a bit of effort. It basically requires soap and water. Do this, perhaps, after every month.

1. Remove the rubber pad from the curler.
2. Place the curler under running water for an initial cleanup. That should get rid of some of the dirt.
   Pro Tip: Avoid letting water reach the metal joints to avoid rusting.
3. Rub soap on the surfaces. Better to reach and loosen any grime lodged in corners.
   Pro Tip: Use a cotton swab/ball to get to the hard-to-reach crevices. Don’t forget the indent where the rubber pad goes.
4. Rinse off the soap from the curler then dry it with a paper towel or washcloth. Don’t miss hinges and joints.
   Pro Tip: Do not air dry metal to avoid rusting. Oxygen makes metal rust. Avoid rooms with too much moisture. Try coating the metal curler with powder to dry instantly and just shake the powder after.
5. Clean the rubber pad itself. Scrub, check for hair strands, clean. Once dry, put the rubber pad back on the eyelash curler.

Another way:

1. Clean off left-over makeup using a cotton pad with eye makeup remover. Baby oil is a good alternative.
2. Make a solution out of dish liquid and a bowl of water. A few drops of dish liquid will suffice. Dampen the kitchen paper with it. Wipe the curler with the damp paper. Be sure to wipe off makeup remnants completely.
3. Rinse the curler under running water. Avoid large amounts of water. Do not wet the joints to avoid rusting.
4. Dry the eyelash curler with a paper towel or washcloth. Repeat the whole process if there’s still makeup residue.

Steps on Cleaning a Heated Eyelash Curler

Not all curlers are the same. Soaking a heated eyelash curler doesn’t seem like a good idea. To clean and disinfect one:

1. Detach the comb part of the curler.
2. Place the comb part (just this part!) under running water to rinse off trapped mascara residue and lashes. The other parts should remain dry.
3. Soak a cotton swab with makeup remover and use that to remove more of the mascara remnants. Remnants of powdered cosmetics keep the lashes sticky.
4. To disinfect the tool, spray alcohol on it and simply let it air dry.

Done? No.

It’s not enough to simply clean your makeup tools. Disinfection is also necessary. Cleaning and disinfection, though related, are still different things.

What is Disinfection?

“Disinfection is the treatment of surfaces/equipment using physical or chemical means such that the amount of microorganisms present is reduced to an acceptable level.” (Science Direct)

In other words, it is a deeper level of cleaning. You need to do this on a weekly to monthly basis to reduce and prevent the accumulation of more microorganisms. It’s necessary especially if you share your things with other people.

Steps on Disinfecting an Eyelash Curler

How long you disinfect your item depends on how long you can wait. Both are easy and do not take a lot of time.

The Fast Way

You can use any of the following as a substitute: cotton pad, paper towel, or washcloth.

The Slow Way

1. For 10 minutes, soak the eyelash curler together with the rubber pad (temporarily separated) in a glass filled with 70% alcohol.
2. Dry everything with a cotton pad before attaching the rubber pad to the curler again.

For Stubborn Residue

• Blow-dry for 30 seconds then wipe away the residue with a clean cloth.
• Wrap a little cotton around the pointed end of a cuticle stick. Dip it a little in olive or coconut oil then use that end to get to the residues that are stuck to the eyelash curler’s crevices.

That is how to disinfect makeup tools in general. Do the same with other items.

To Clean or Not to Clean?

Well, that is not the question that can be answered with a yes or no. Keeping your eyelash curler clean is a requirement that you should not ignore. Thus, the answer should always be YES.

Here are a few tips:

• To avoid mascara residue, curl your lashes before applying mascara. Eyeshadow first, eyeliner second, eyelash curler next (liquid eyeliner should already be dry), then the mascara last.
• You can substitute a makeup remover pad for alcohol.
• Replace the rubber pad every 3 to 6 months, or when it is already cracked.

Always make sure that you have a clean eyelash curler to keep you looking fresh and your eyes glow.

Want to know more about eyelash curlers? Read more on our blog section.

Let’s learn more. See you in the next one!