Removing eyelash extensions can be a pain. Thankfully, there are ways to remove eyelash extensions at home with relative ease – and one of the best ways to do so is with Vaseline!
You can remove eyelash extensions with Vaseline using a Q-tip, Vaseline, and oil-based cleanser. Brushing the Vaseline gently through your lashes will help to loosen the adhesive of your extensions, and they will fall away as a result.
Is It Safe To Remove Eyelash Extensions At Home?
It’s completely safe to remove your eyelash extensions at home, but if you can spring for it, it’s always safer to get this done at a salon. The cost usually varies between $25-$50.
Your lash technician is a professional, and they do this every day, at least once a day, so it’s as easy as breathing for them!
However, if you can’t get to a salon, there are some at-home tricks that you can use in order to remove eyelash extensions at home.
Just always take care to clean your hands before doing so. Your eyes are particularly vulnerable to infection, and any kind of dirt or bacteria might lead to problems down the line.
You should also only ever remove your extensions when you’re not wearing make-up, so take care to properly cleanse your face.
Can You Remove Eyelash Extensions With Vaseline?
You can remove eyelash extensions with Vaseline. To remove eyelash extensions at home, you will need the following:
- Vaseline
- Cotton buds or Q-tips
- A clean mascara wand or spoolie
- A microfiber cloth, or lint-free towel
If you don’t have Vaseline around the house, don’t panic, as there are other items that you can also use to remove eyelash extensions – we list those below.
How To Remove Eyelash Extensions With Vaseline
This is how best to remove eyelash extensions with Vaseline:
1. Wash your hands and face
Before going anywhere near your eyes, ensure that your hands are thoroughly clean. You should also aim to remove any make-up from around your eyes, as this can interfere with the removal process.
Dry your clean hands with a clean, lint-free towel.
2. Grab your cotton swab and Vaseline
Using a Q-tip or cotton swab, dip this in your Vaseline. You should aim for an amount that’s about the size of a grain of rice.
If you find that you haven’t used enough Vaseline in the first instance, you can always add more to your lashes, but use a new Q-tip each time you do so. This minimizes the risk of cross-infection.
3. Brush your lashes with the Vaseline
Close your eyes and use a downward sweeping motion to spread the Vaseline along your lashes. Start at your lash line and move downwards towards the tip of your lashes.
Take care that every lash is covered in the Vaseline, paying particular focus to the area where the adhesive of the extensions would have been applied.
4. Leave the Vaseline
Let the Vaseline do its job. There are mixed messages about how long to leave the Vaseline on your lashes for it to work properly.
Try leaving it on for a few minutes – up to five – before removing it per the instructions below. If, however, you find that this isn’t long enough to loosen the lash adhesive, you can leave your Vaseline on for longer.
Some individuals discuss leaving the Vaseline on for up to an hour, but if you do this, you’ll want to open your eyes, which risks getting the Vaseline in your eyes.
If you do get Vaseline in your eyes, you’ll have to seek medical assistance and go in for an eye bath.
As such, it’s probably worth leaving the Vaseline on your lashes for a shorter amount of time.
You can always repeat this procedure as many times as you need to remove your eyelash extensions.
5. Remove the Vaseline
Take your clean mascara wand or spoolie, and use it to gently brush the Vaseline out of your lashes.
If the Vaseline has dissolved the adhesive of your extensions, you should notice some of them gently come away as you do this.
Use a gentle brushing moment to sweep the Vaseline away from your lash line towards the tip of your lashes. You can repeat this downward motion until all of the Vaseline is removed.
If you don’t have a clean mascara wand or spoolie, use a clean cotton swab or Q-tip and perform the same downward brushing motion.
Remember never to tug or pull on your lashes! You should be as gentle as possible so as to remove the eyelash extensions without ripping out any of your natural lashes.
6. Clean the excess Vaseline
Take your microfiber cloth or lint-free towel, and soak it in clean, warm water. Use this to carefully remove any excess Vaseline from your lashes.
Again, it’s all about being gentle to minimize damage.
7. Wash your face
Use a gentle cleanser to clean your entire face. This will help to remove any residue missed in the above step.
Circular motions are the best way to ensure that any dirt or debris has been thoroughly cleansed away.
8. Discard your extensions
Unlike fake eyelashes like magnetic eyelashes or strip eyelashes, professional eyelash extensions are not designed for repeated re-use.
You should therefore throw them away once you’re done removing them from your lashes.
What To Remember When Removing Eyelash Extensions With Vaseline
If you’re planning to remove your eyelash extensions with Vaseline, we recommend keeping these things in mind.
1. Never tug or pull
Being gentle is the name of the game. We know that you want your eyelash extensions out but never tug or pull at them.
Use a gentle nudging motion to help loosen the adhesive and gently work the extensions away from your natural lashes.
If you tug, you’ll likely pull out your natural lashes. If you do so, you risk experiencing gaps in your natural lash line, and in the worst instances, this may even result in traction alopecia.
2. Always take care
Although it is safe to use Vaseline to remove eyelash extensions, you should nonetheless take care when doing so.
If you get Vaseline in your eyes, you may experience blurred or impaired vision.
You’ll need to rinse the eye that’s got Vaseline in it with cold, clean water, and you should also seek medical assistance, as you may need an eye rinse.
If you’re concerned about removing the eyelash extensions yourself, why not seek the help of a friend or family member to help you?
Having two hands might ease your concerns about performing the process yourself.
3. Nourish your natural lashes
Now that your eyelash extensions are removed, ensure that any remaining glue residue is thoroughly cleansed. Using an oil-based cleanser can help with this.
You can also use a lash growth or conditioning serum on your natural lashes, too, so as to boost their health and appearance.
4. Don’t reuse the extensions
You might see rumors that you can reuse your eyelash extensions once you’ve removed them with Vaseline, but we don’t recommend doing so.
Your eyelashes naturally collect dirt and debris throughout the day – in fact, their purpose is to prevent this from falling into your eyes and causing potential irritation and infection.
When you have eyelash extensions in, your extensions will also collect this residue.
If you haven’t properly cleansed your extensions after use, and then re-wear them, you’re therefore risking irritation and infection.
Plus, most professional eyelash extensions aren’t designed to be re-used – unlike fake eyelashes including strip lashes and magnetic lashes.
Other Ways To Remove Eyelash Extensions
If you don’t have Vaseline at home, don’t panic – there are other store cupboard items that you can use to remove eyelash extensions.
If you have a professional lash extensions remover, you can skip to the next section, which tells you how to remove eyelash extensions at home using this product.
Otherwise, these are alternative ways to remove your eyelash extensions at home:
Olive oil and coconut oil
Both coconut oil and olive oil will remove your eyelash extensions at home.
They’re very gentle and budget-friendly – you just have to take care that you don’t get them in your eye, as they will cause vision impairment, and you’ll need to seek medical help.
Baby oil
Like coconut oil and olive oil, baby oil can be used to remove eyelash extensions at home. Use it in the same way you use Vaseline to remove eyelash extensions by following our instructions above.
Baby oil in general is great for your natural lashes. It not only soothes and cleanses but the oil helps to condition and soften the lashes.
Read more about the ways baby oil can benefit eyelashes.
Professional eyelash extension remover
There are different kinds of eyelash extension remover that you can specifically purchase to remove your extensions at home.
Some will come in a solvent form, which is liquid. These tend to be very chemically intense and may cause some burning and irritation of the eyes.
You should therefore always patch test for use, or head to a professional if you’re concerned.
There are also cream-based, gel-based, and oil-based removers. Many can be purchased from drugstores and are very affordable.
These will all work to remove eyelash extensions. Just take care to always patch test before use, so that you know you’re not at risk of sensitivity or irritation.
How To Remove Eyelash Extensions At Home Using Lash Remover
Remember to follow our advice for taking care with removing your eyelash extensions at home. No tugging or pulling, and only remove them with clean hands.
This is how to remove eyelash extensions at home using a pre-purchased lash remover:
1. Steam your face
Jump in a hot shower and allow the steam to rise.
You can also fill a bowl with hot water, cover your head with a towel, and put your head down close to the surface of the water, allowing the steam to loosen your eyelash extensions.
2. Cleanse your eyes
Next, you want to grab an oil-based cleanser. When you’re wearing eyelash extensions, your lash technician will advise against using oil-based products around your eyes, as the oil interferes with the adhesive of your extensions.
That’s why you use an oil-based cleanser if you’re trying to remove your extensions.
Use gentle circular motions to cleanse your eyes and extensions with the product. Take care to be gentle, as you don’t want to pull – this step is just to loosen the glue somewhat.
3. Soak your extensions
Grab your lash remover, and soak a cotton pad in the liquid. Apply this pad to your eye area, and wait for around 30 seconds.
Once the time is up, carefully sweep the soaked cotton pad down away from your closed eyes and eyelids.
You should notice some eyelash extensions begin to peel away from your natural lashes.
Repeat this step as many times as necessary to fully remove your eyelash extensions.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
It may take a few attempts to remove your eyelash extensions, depending on the strength of the adhesive used. You may find that they fall out on the first go, but this is unlikely, so expect to have to repeat the process a few times before all of your extensions fall out.
Your natural eyelashes have a growth cycle, which includes a shedding period. If you allow your lashes to do their thing, your eyelash extensions will fall out on their own. They may look a little ragged for a while as they do so, but you can leave your extensions to fall out in their own time.
Although some resources suggest that you can use nail polish remover to remove eyelash extensions, we would advise against it. Nail polish remover isn’t designed for use around the delicate skin of your eyes, and, should you accidentally get some in your eyes, may cause serious damage.