You Probably Aren't Cleaning Your Eyelash Curler Enough (Or At All...)

Your makeup game is as strong as what you put on your eyes. Ravishing eye makeup alone easily elevates your entire face. That's why beauty influencers are always finding new ways to make their eyes pop. For an explosively sweet and shimmery look worthy of the Pride Month celebration, look no further than the confetti eye makeup. On the other hand, when it comes to Bambi shadowy eyes, we can think of nothing better than the mod makeup look.

Although style combinations vary, all successful eye makeup styles share one common thread: luscious eyelashes. Thick and long eyelashes lend more depth and fluidness to the eyes, making them look more awake and emotive. Luckily, it's not difficult to give your lashes a manual boost. If you don't have a steady hand for falsies, you can simply curl your lashes and coat them with mascara. Whatever method you prefer, curling your lashes properly before heaping makeup on them is the key to natural-looking lashes with added sultriness.

Although your eyelash curler is an essential makeup item, it doesn't seem to get the attention it deserves maintenance-wise. In other words, just because the surface of your eyelash curler doesn't come into direct contact with your skin, it doesn't mean it's not a hotbed for bacteria that could give your eyes an infection. So, if your eyes feel irritated after wearing makeup, it's probably because you aren't treating your eyelash curler right. 

Many of us overlook the importance of cleaning our eyelash curlers. It's probably because there's no visible product residue left on the pad after every squeeze so we think it's still clean and there's no rush. On the other hand, we tend to be extra careful with other makeup tools that have visible stains on them, like foundation residue on a beauty sponge or powder leftover on a brush. If that's how you've been dealing with your makeup tools, you're setting yourself up for some major health hazards.

In the world of makeup, there's always more than what meets the eye. Your eyelash curler is the thing that makes direct contact with the hair follicles on your lash line. And according to All About Vision, out of all makeup tools, eyelash curlers are the vehicles for the most germs with over half a million colony-forming units (CFU) per square inch, which you don't want anywhere near your eyes. In fact, using an old eyelash curler can lead to blockage of the lacrimal glands that are responsible for the health of our eyes' tear film, causing potential eye infections such as styes, dry eyes, blepharitis, and other eye issues, explains Artelac. So, aside from cleaning your pad between uses, you should also change it every six months if you use it daily, shares makeup artist Katey Denno via Good Housekeeping. 

The germiest spot of an eyelash curler is usually the rubber pad at the base of the curler, where bacteria prefer to ride underneath, per Vivienne Sabó. To clean it, remove the rubber cushion from the indent and give the pad a thorough scrub. Then, use a cotton pad dip with eye makeup remover or a washing liquid to clean it, and dry it before putting it back in the indent. For your eyelash curler, you can submerge it in dish soap. Then, use a cotton swab to remove any gunk stuck in the crevice. Finally, run it under running water and pat it dry with a cloth.

If you want to disinfect your eyelash curler fast, use 70% isopropyl alcohol, which is a powerful disinfectant effective against various bacteria and fungi. After removing the rubber pad from the curler, use a cotton ball or swab saturated with alcohol to wipe the curler in and out. Do the same for your rubber pad. Once you're done, pat everything dry and put the pad back in the indent. Or, you can soak both your curler and the pad in a glass with alcohol. Then, use a cotton pad to wipe excess fluid from the items.