I reach for my beloved Shu Uemura lash curler every day. Without it my lashes would disappear into thin air, *poof*.
But while my curler and I are practically inseparable, I probably don’t clean or replace it as often as I should…
Yesterday, I took a good, long look at my Shu curler and found HELLA eye makeup caked onto both the rubber strip and metal part that crimps the lashes.
Better late than never, I grabbed a Wet Ones wipe (click here for more on makeup wipes) and scrubbed it down really well.
It’s clean again, but EWW!
I’m usually not this lax when it comes to cleaning other makeup tools. I use soap to thoroughly clean my brushes every weekend and wipe them down with makeup wipes after I finish using ’em throughout the week.
But I always forget to clean that lash curler.
How often do you clean your lash curler? — occasionally, after every use, or do you just let it get crusty and fuhgetaboutit?
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
I give it a scrape everyday because its always encrusted with mascara!!! Difficult asian lashes you see, need curling after mascara too!
Hi Rowena,
Sometimes I curl after mascara, too. I know you’re technically not supposed to do it but I’m always very careful.
I’m not going to lie… I typically realize that I need to wash or clean my eyelash curler once I can notice that there’s all kinds of crusty bits on it. I mean, what is that stuff anyway? I never curl my lashes after mascara, so is it my lashes’ natural oils, moisturizer, or maybe eye cream? Hmm…
Yeah, I don’t want to think about the day my Shu Uemura eyelash curler will die on me! I just hope I’m prepared when that day does come because my lashes are so straight once I started curling, I never went back!
Hi Lesley,
Yeah… I think for me it’s bits Fluidline and other various types of liner. Maybe some cream shadow, too?
Every week or so, around the time I deep clean my brushes. I don’t find the eyeliner and mascara on the shu very crusty or difficult to remove though. My gunk slides right off w/ a towel. Sometimes I think my shu has like a invisible protective layer b/c it’s the SHU UEMURA curler afterall
Hi Stephie,
Ya know, that’s true. When I was cleaning the curler yesterday I guess it could’ve been much more difficult to remove the gunk. It did slide off fairly easily…
Oh, I wish I could say that I clean it every week. Cause really, who wants to putting something dirty DIRECTLY up to their eyes?
But sadly, I just peeked at mine and it looks like it hasn’t seen a Wet One in weeks. *hangs head in shame*
Thanks Karen, I’m cleaning mine right now!
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Karen, I’m supre OC..I clean them each time I use them! LOL
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I cant live without my shu uemera curlers either and I used to just curl and go but I realised I was overdoing the curling and had managed to cut the rubber strip, so over time I was actually cutting my eyelashes away =(
super short asian eyelashes are now super super short! so i inspect and clean my curlers everytime I use them now =)
I clean out my mom’s curler every now and then, because she’s never remembered to and it starts to look scary after a while. xD
I don’t clean it as often as I hope but I do not curl my lashes after applying mascara so it looks clean for a while (bad, I know!) I have problem finding replacement pads since mine is chewing on the metal crimper right now.
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Yikes. I never think about that thing! Okay, that’s gross. Time to find a Wet One…
I curl my lashes before putting on mascara/eye makeup so it doesn’t get too dirty. Every once in a while, I wipe it down with a tissue to remove any oil that may be there.
Ever 3-4 uses i clean it with a strong anti-bag, spot fighting cleansing wipe. I never curl after I apply mascara.. yet tere always seems to be make-up on it!
Im a bit of a hygene freak. I wash my brushes weekly!!
Haha, I thought I was the only person in the world to have such dirty eyelash curler but looks like I’m not alone! I clean it only when I use a mac wipe (about every other leap year) but there’s still some clean area on it and I don’t want to throw it away just yet. Then I just clean the surface of my beauty corner with it (to get rid of eyeshadow fall outs) and then the shu curler 😛
Hey Karen! I clean my eyelash curler once in a blue moon…by then it usually has a thick black gunk of mascara on it (ew). I usually run it under hot water and it just falls off. I like knowing the germs are gone too =).
Hi Mishel,
Ah, good call! I didn’t think to try that. Do you just let it air dry afterwards?
You’re supposed to clean your eyelash curler? Oops, I better start doing that.
Hi Kate & Zena,
Yup, who knew?
I chucked my shu uemura curler a few years ago because I’m just not into curling my lashes everyday. The idea of putting a metal clamp close to my eyeballs is scary, lol. Instead, I just put on TONS of mascara.
Hi Heidi,
You’re lucky you get to skip that step. I bet it saves some time. I wish I could go without it but if I chucked my curler my lashes would be no-shows. 🙂
Not very often, usually when it’s smeared with eyeliner. Before I upgraded to a Shu, I had a drugstore one and the pad had a crack in it. It was eyelash heaven! So gross, I cleaned it and all these eyelashes were hiding in there. My poor lashes.
Hi Tatiana,
OHMYGOSH that’s me before, too. You open sucker up and there’s HELLA inside. It’s gross and fascinating at the same time!
Well, I just started using an eyelash curler again after a few years of not doing so. But, I had no idea you were supposed to clean it, too. I’m reaching for a baby wipe right now.
Hi HoneyBrown1976,
Yah, it slips my mind to clean that sucker!
I wipe mine off with a Kleenex after I each time I use it and clean it off with an alcohol wipe every so often – whenever I happen to think about it.
Hi Okami,
Ahh, that’s a good idea to keep those on hand!
you have to clean your eyelash curler too?
I have a small bottle of 99% alcohol that I use to spritz my eyelash curler after I use it. I’ve had my Shu lash curler for awhile now and it’s still going strong. 🙂
I don’t clean mine very often at all!!
But, last weekend I had to. I did makeup for my sisters/friend/sil (6 peeps including myself) and soaked the curler(Shiseido)in alcohol after each use. Took out the rubber and soaked that too.
I keep a piece of tissue around when I’m putting my makeup on to roll the excess mascara off the wand before I apply and I usually use the same tissue to wipe the prior day’s eyeliner/shadow off the eyelash curler. Nothing accumulates if you wipe it off everyday before you use it. Just make sure you have a tissue handy so you don’t forget.
Karen, speaking of lashes, have you heard of a product called Latisse? It’s supposed to make your eyelashes grow in thicker and fuller. I have wimpy, short, straight lashes and I’ve been thinking about trying it. I think you need an Rx but I’m a little wary of putting anything (except makeup of course) in or around my eyes. The website makes it sound pretty safe but I’m still kind of hesitant. Not to mention I have no idea how much it costs and don’t want to shell out money for a doctor visit just to get the prescription.
Hi Sole,
Yeah, I wrote about it awhile back. It sounds promising, but I’m freaked out about potential side effects.
I briefly thought about getting a prescription… and them I told myself to buy some Ardell falsies at the drugstore, LOL!
Lol… yea. I usually don’t wash my curler every week like I do my brushes, but every two weeks or so. Otherwise it starts getting really gross and doesn’t curl my lashes as well.
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Oh my… I hate to admit it. I just got rid of my very first eyelash curler (a Revlon)… I had it for about 12 years and NEVER cleaned it. Not once. Gross, huh? I just got a Shu and I plan to take much better care of it. 🙂
Probably every second time I use it I give it a wipe w/ toner or alcohol…for me I like to keep it clean because I don’t want the eyeliner residue (from the last time I used it) to transfer to my eyes.
Thanks for the reminder! I wipe my brushes off everyday but have been forgetting the curler — won’t forget tomorrow!
Hi DanielleO,
Sure thing! 🙂
Karen!
I usually just wipe it off with a clean hand towel and let it sit there…cleaning it makes me feel so accomplished, haha!
Hi Mishel,
I feel the same way when I do a quick Wet Ones cleansing with my brushes. 🙂
i actually jus restarted buying them agian, bought my first one today for the first time in years, ( i stopped using mine because i found a mascara that would curl my eyelashes just by using that, but they stopped selling it after my first tube :@) but i think im just gonna get5 back in the habit of wipeing it down them u wash my makeup brushes.
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Hi Lyndsey,
That’s too bad about the discontinued mascara! Well, at least you can always fall back on the good ole’ lash curler, right?
I clean them with alcohol at last the metal part every time.
I don’t curl my lashes after applying mascara (usually) but when I do, I clean them as well.
If I leave it, because my face is oily and prone to breaking out, I want to keep my tools as clean as possible.
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I clean my curler as often as I deep clean my brushes which is about 2 times a month.
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