Lash Pre-Treatment: The Bare Minimum vs The Ultimate Cleanse
We ALL know how important a good lash pre-treatment is for your eyelash extensions retention, so we won’t bore you with the ‘why’. However, since there are so many pre-treatment products and routines on the market, it can be difficult to know where to begin.
Then, when you find a routine you like the sound of, it can work out to be kind of expensive if you’re just starting out.
So, to help you get started, we’ve compiled two lists for you - the bare essentials, and the whole 9 yards of pre-treatment. You'll never have to choose between cutting costs and maintaining a great reputation, you can easily do both!
The Bare Minimum: One Product Wonder
If you have a tight budget, a foaming cleanser is a good single step pre-treatment product which will remove any makeup, dirt and oils on the lashes and skin around the eyes. Although, you should be aware that it’s not quite as thorough as a three or five step routine.
You also need to be very sure that you’re rinsing all of the foam off of the lashes, as any residue will prevent the eyelash glue from bonding to the natural lashes.
Simply dispense a pump of foam onto your clients' lashes, and massage it into the lash line and skin around the eye with a lash cleansing brush. Rinse with saline solution and pat dry with a tissue before applying your eyepatches and carrying on with your lash set.
Product Cost: £13.99
Time Spent: 3 Minutes
The Absolute Essentials: 3-Step Lash Pre-Treatment Routine
When you begin any lash set, you will need to cleanse the eye area and lashes thoroughly to ensure that your eyepatches stay put, and the lash extensions do the same.
Start with Protein Remover Pads to gently cleanse the skin around the eyes and lashes. For an extra deep clean, take two small micro brushes and press them into the top of the Protein Remover Pads to pick up some product, then cleanse along the lash line - you’ll be surprised how much dirt is still hidden there!
If you are doing infills instead of a full set, you’ll need to take care to avoid the glue bonds with the Protein Remover Pads, as the fibres can get stuck to the bonds.
Wrap the protein pad around your finger tip and carefully wipe the skin around the eyes. You can use a dabbing motion on the glue bonds themselves, or you can use your micro brushes again to get a bit closer without the risk of fibers getting caught on the bonds.
Next, you’re going to grab your Cleanser and two micro brushes. Dispense a drop of cleanser onto your two micro brushes and dab the excess onto a tissue to avoid it running into the client’s eyes. Now sandwich the lashes between your two micro brushes (yes, a fresh set or infills) and brush through from root to tip, focusing on the bottom two millimetres of the lashes- this is the glue bonding zone.
The Cleanser has an alcohol base to ensure all the oils are broken down, and can be a bit dehydrating for the lashes. What we need to do now, is use a Primer to add moisture back into the lashes, so your glue doesn’t take too long to cure. Moisture is what causes glue to cure, so eliminating moisture from the lashes will affect your glue’s behaviour.
Apply your Primer to two clean micro brushes just like you did your Cleanser, and again dab the excess onto a tissue. You’re then going to sandwich the lashes between the two brushes and brush from root to tip.
Now those lashes are ready to be lashed!
Product Cost: £43.97
Time Spent: 10 Minutes
The Ultimate: 5-Step Professional Lash Pre-Treatment Routine
Now, if you’re ready to take your pretreatment game to the next level, you’re going to combine the two methods above, and add a fifth and final step.
Dispense your Lash Shampoo and cleanse the lashes and skin with a lash cleansing brush. Rinse with saline solution and pat dry with a tissue.
Use the Protein Remover Pads to ensure all residue is removed, and to tackle any stubborn, leftover makeup.
Apply some Cleanser with your two micro-brushes, followed by the Primer in the same way.
Finally, you’re going to add your Booster. This magical product increases your lash retention by opening up the hair cuticle and giving the glue more surface area to grip onto. This is because the Booster has a slightly alkaline pH level.
Apply a drop of Booster to two micro brushes, dab off the excess and apply to those natural lashes in exactly the same way that you applied your Cleanser and Primer.
Now the lashes are completely clean, and ready to receive extensions better than they ever have been before!
Product Cost: £79.95
Time Spent: 15 Minutes
One thing to keep in mind if you do want to use a Booster, is that it will also speed up your glue’s drying time, so you need to ensure you are ready for that. We recommend trying a sample of Booster first, if you’re not 100% sure that it’s right for you at the moment, and only invest in a full-sized bottle when you’re ready to take that step.
However you choose to carry out your lash pre-treatment routine, be sure to never ever skip it, and always be thorough. Remember - lash retention is client retention!
