How to Wash the Face with Eyelash Extensions on?

This article contains the general rules on how to wash the face with eyelash extensions on, and how to manage the face cleansing process after fixing the eyelash extensions. The article contains detailed answers to most of the questions that your clients would ask you concerning the use of eyelash extensions.

You have just finished applying eyelash extensions for your client. They are excited about it and so are you, especially for a job well done. Now, your client can enhance their natural beauty without using makeup and they have your professionalism to thank for it. However, an average eyelash extension should last at least, 4 weeks, before showing signs of removal. This is obtainable with good maintenance, and this is where the problem is.

If you are worried about your clients maintaining their eyelash extensions very well, you have come to the right place. In this article, we will discuss important aftercare tips, especially for washing the face after the application of eyelash extensions. With these tips, your clients should get the best out of their eyelash extensions and enhance their natural beauty for longer periods using eyelash extensions.

Should the Eyelash Extension Get Wet?

The rule regarding the retention of eyelash extensions is simple. All you have to do is watch out for the lash glue. As long as you can protect the lash glue and retain its efficiency, the eyelash extensions can last long. Now, water and oil are two of the things that easily break down the adhesive in the lash glue and make the eyelash extensions fall off before time.

From this explanation, one might infer that getting the eyelash extensions wet is a no-no for the retention of the eyelash extensions. However, this is not true. The rule about not getting the eyelash extensions wet holds for the first few hours after the application of the eyelash extensions.

It is recommended that your clients refrain from letting water get to their eyelash extensions for the first 24-48 hours after the application. Once this timeframe has passed and the lash glue has properly cured, then it is okay to allow water to touch the eyelash extensions. As a matter of fact, after curing, the natural lash regularly needs some quantities of water to grow strong and healthy. With a strong and healthy natural lash, the eyelash extensions get more retention and last longer.

Thus, the answer to the question is that clients can get their eyelash extensions wet. The lash glue doesn’t dissolve in water and once it has cured, there is no problem with getting the eyelash extensions wet. However, they should refrain from getting the extensions wet within the first 48 hours of applying for the eyelash extensions.

Can Clients Regularly Wash their Face with Extensions On?

As long as your clients want a clean, smooth, and radiant face, there is a need to wash their faces regularly. By washing the face regularly, people can remove excess oil, dirt, and debris from makeup on the face. This is even more important for people with oily skin or an active lifestyle as the face (and other parts of the skin) naturally produces oil.

Now, with a face that has eyelash extensions on, the rule still stands. Clients can wash their faces regularly even with eyelash extensions on. It is okay as long as it is done after 48 hours of applying for the eyelash extension. The eyelash extensions even benefit from regular washing of the face.

If the face is not washed regularly, sebum and dirt start to build up within and around pores, clogging them. The clogged pores start to break down the adhesive in the lash glue over time, allowing the eyelash extensions to fall off prematurely. Also, clients risk an eye infection, if they allow debris and sebum to build up in the pores around their eyes.

Thus, to answer the question, clients can wash their faces regularly even with lash extensions on. It helps with the longevity of the lash glue, thereby helping with the retention of the eyelash extensions.

Ideal Products for Washing the Face with Extensions on

Before telling your clients that they can wash their faces even with eyelash extensions on, it is also important to consider the products they would be cleaning their faces with. As a piece of professional advice, your clients should refrain from using cleansers that contain oil or alcohol. Both of these ingredients are known to cause the gradual disintegration of the lash glue when they come in contact with it.

Instead, they should use a gentle face wash or a cleanser that is oil and alcohol-free to wash the face when they have the eyelash extensions on. The best or ideal products for cleaning the face with eyelash extensions are water-based products. These products cause the least irritation to the eyes and also affect the lash glue the least. If your client has a sensitive face, it might help to use a foaming cleanser or face soap, or even oil-free baby shampoo. These products are less likely to irritate the face and eyes, and also lash glue.

As a professional lash expert, you should have your clients check in with you before using any facial cleanser. Or better still, provide a recommendation on the type of products that are safe for their lashes. Also, you can advise your clients to dilute their facial cleanser with water before use. This way, they get to reduce the concentration of any ingredient that might want to disintegrate the lash glue used to hold the eyelash extensions to the natural eyelashes.

Finally, some lash experts also advise the use of micellar water for cleansing the face as it has been proven to help with eyelash extension retention.

Tips for Washing the Face with Eyelash Extensions On

The following are some of the tips that your clients might need for washing their faces with eyelash extensions on;

Refrain from exposing the lash extensions to water within 24 to 48 hours of fixing the extensions

This is the first and most basic precaution that anybody with eyelash extensions should know. This precaution is essential because it gives the lash glue adequate time to cure without interference from water. The adequate curing of the lash glue ensures that the extensions are well affixed to the skin.

Do not use Running Water

Another precaution that users of eyelash extensions should bear in mind is to avoid running water. It is allowed to wash the face with eyelash extensions on, however, your clients cannot do it the way everybody does. The idea is to wash the face in batches and steer clear of splashing water on the face or allowing the running water to touch the eyelash extensions.

The ideal system of washing would include the use of a handheld showerhead or anything that can control the amount of water that gets to the face. Your clients can also use goggles to protect the eyes while using the shower.

The face should be washed strategically and regularly. This can be done by using the options stated above or with the aid of a facial cloth or round facial sponge.

Gently Remove the Makeup

Makeup debris is not good for the skin, especially with eyelash extensions on. Thus, if your clients are using eyelash extensions and still use heavy makeup, then it is best to use a round facial sponge when removing the makeup around the eyes. 

If they would opt for a makeup remover, it should be non-oil based. Oil is a potent solvent for the eyelash glue and using a makeup remover or cleanser that contains oil puts the lash glue and the extensions at risk. Finally, when cleaning the makeup off their face, they should be careful around the lash lines or eye area.

Wash the Face in Sections

After removing the makeup, the next step is to wash the face. Now, washing the face here entails two things. Using the right face cleansing product as well as dividing the face washing process into sections. We have already touched on the ideal products that are safe for cleaning the face when with eyelash extensions on.

Before washing the face, you can divide the face into two areas, the area from the cheekbones downwards and the area from the browline upwards. The washing should start from the cheekbones downwards, using face cleanser and water. This section can be washed as normally as possible, but remember to tell your clients to avoid splashing water haphazardly on the face. For a more controlled approach, it might be nice to use a facial washcloth instead.

For the area from the browline upwards, your clients need to be careful while washing the area. To wash this section, they should create a foam with the cleanser while ensuring that water doesn’t get to the eyelashes. Then use a round facial cloth soaked in water, squeeze the water out and start removing the foaming cleanser with the sponge. This should also be done while ensuring that water doesn’t get to the eyelashes. They should repeat the process till all of the cleansers are removed.

Pat the Face Dry

It is wrong to rub the towel on the face after cleaning, especially when there are eyelash extensions on. There is a need to be gentle with the process. The face should be gently patted with the towel, focusing on the areas above and below the eyes. This should be done while ensuring that the towel doesn’t touch the eyelash extensions.

Moisturize the Face

Clients can moisturize their faces even with eyelash extensions on. The moisturization helps with the hydration and elasticity of the skin. This makes the skin look youthful and prevents undue aging of the skin. The use of eyelash extensions doesn’t have to impede these benefits.

To use a moisturizer with eyelash extensions on, the face should be dry and a lash-safe moisturizer should be used. This ensures that the eyelash extensions are not affected while the face gets its regular dose of moisturization.

Invest in an Eyelash Sealer

Apart from the aftercare tips explained in this section, some products help with the retention of eyelash extensions and make them last longer. An example of such a product is the eyelash sealer.

The eyelash sealer is a product that protects the lash glue and the eyelash extensions from skin secretions. Remember that the skin naturally produces oils, and there is also moisture (water) in the air. Even after cleaning the face, these elements may start to gather on the skin and around the eyes. This accumulation could result in the gradual disintegration of the lash glue, thus affecting the eyelash extensions.

This is why your clients need an eyelash sealer. The sealer would serve as a protection for the eyelash extensions before the next time your clients clean their faces.

Brushing Wet Eyelash Extensions

After the lash glue had cured and the eyelash extensions start getting wet, one of the questions your clients will start asking is if they can brush the extensions if they get wet.

The answer to this question is quite straightforward. It is a bit risky to brush the eyelash extensions when they are wet. Here is why. When the eyelash extensions get wet, they become heavier as water adds more weight to the extensions. Thus trying to brush the extensions could lead to accidentally pulling out the extensions while brushing. This is because the new weight of the extension puts more pressure on the lash glue and the glue was not built for that type of pressure.

Also, the risk remains the same when people try to dry the wet eyelash extensions using hair dryers. This is usually common in cold areas or settings, and it is a bad practice, especially for the retention of eyelash extensions. This is because hair dryers also put lots of pressure on the eyelash extensions and the lash glue used to hold them. Inevitably, these extensions might fall off prematurely due to this pressure.

Finally, rubbing the extensions dry with a towel is also not appropriate for the eyelash extensions. During rubbing, there is a huge probability of frictional movement on the eyelash extensions, thus affecting the lash glue. The glue starts to loosen and this causes the extensions to fall off before time.

The answer to drying wet eyelash extensions is patience. You need to be patient and allow the road extensions to dry out by themselves. This is the only way to ensure that the lash glue doesn’t get affected after getting the eyelash extensions wet.

Using Makeup Wipes with Eyelash Extensions On

Another question that you may get asked by your clients is if they can use makeup wipes when they have eyelash extensions on. To answer this question, there is a need to understand the constituents of makeup wipes. Most makeup wipes contain oils, glycols, and emollients. The purpose of these ingredients in makeup wipes is to moisturize the skin (face) and make it look radiant.

While the ingredients are helpful for a radiant face, they are the sworn enemies of the lash glue as they have the side effects of dissolving and disintegrating the lash glue.

Thus, it is best to steer clear of these makeup wipes. There are makeup wipes are made especially for people with eyelash extensions on. These wipes do not contain elements or ingredients that affect or dissolve the lash glue.

Trying to manage oil-based makeup wipes could prove costly. Even if your clients manage to avoid their eyes during the application of the wipes, the wipes spread and their constituents get to the eyes and ruin the eyelash extensions.

Conclusion

Fixing eyelash extensions is a strenuous process that requires some degree of precision, professionalism, and care. Thus, the joy of a lash professional is to see their clients carry the extensions for as long as they want to, without the extensions falling off prematurely. This is the reason for the aftercare tips discussed in this article.

Now, it is not enough to fix the eyelash extensions as perfectly as possible. Your clients also have a part to play in the retention of eyelash extensions. This is why you need to provide them with tips and instructions on how to care for the eyelash extensions after fixing them.

This article contains the general rules on washing the face with eyelash extensions, and how to manage the face cleansing process after fixing the eyelash extensions. The article contains detailed answers to most of the questions that your clients would ask you concerning the use of eyelash extensions. We also recommended the use of one of the best eyelash sealers in the market for protecting eyelash extensions.

Check out Gollee for more tips on eyelash extensions and the professional process of applying and caring for lash extensions.