To quote the great makeup artist Laura Mercier, ”Your eye makeup says so much about you and your style.” From fun and bold play of graphic eyeliners to keeping it classy and simple with just a dash of mascara, we put a lot of thought behind our eye makeup - after all, your eyes are the window to your makeup junkie soul! All fun and play aside, the real task and pain begins at the end of the day when you need to take it all off. Anyone who has ever applied makeup to their eyes, they KNOW it’s not an easy feat to clean up your eyes without accidentally poking and hurting yourself a few times. But not anymore, as your official makeup buddies, we have mapped out some easy and simple ways to naturally clean makeup from eyes - you can thank us later.
As much as we love our waterproof and smudge-free makeup, it serves to be a major pain at the end of the day to remove it all. So, to make sure you don’t end up looking like a panda or worse, we have listed out everything from the correct way to remove your eye makeup to some easy and natural ways to clean up your eyes without hurting them in the process. Read on, people!
- How to perfectly remove makeup on your eyes
- Why is it necessary to remove eye makeup before hitting the bed
- Why is it difficult to remove eye makeup
- Natural ways to remove eye makeup
- Things to keep in mind while cleaning eye makeup
- FAQs about how to clean makeup from eyes
How to perfectly remove makeup on your eyes

Coming to the most important part is how you can remove your stubborn eye makeup without hurting or irritating your eyes; because frankly, that’s the last thing we want at the end of the day. Here are a few ways in which you can achieve this almost impossible-sounding task.
Take your time and be gentle:
Taking things slow and gentle is the key to perfectly removing makeup from your eyes. Apply a good quality makeup remover or use a natural one (read about it in the next section) to gently rub off your eye makeup. Start off by gently dabbing the remover around your eyes and let it sit for a few seconds. This will soften your mascara, eyeshadow and liner, so when you finally sweep with the remover again, it comes off easily.
Cleanse the edges of your eyes:
Don’t ignore the edges of your eyes, it’s where the leftover mascara and liner builds up overtime. Use oil or micellar water-soaked cotton pads to gently, but effectively remove the makeup left around the edges. Make sure you don’t scrub or rub too hard while you’re at it.
Soak it up:
For this, start off by soaking up the cotton pads with micellar water or coconut oil. Then, just place the cotton pads on your closed, makeup-laden eyes for 15-20 seconds and then use the pads to gently wipe away the makeup. This process helps break down the stubborn eye makeup without being too harsh on your eyes.
Double cleanse:
You all must be familiar with the double cleansing method for your face, well, this works in a similar fashion. First, you need to gently swipe every corner of your eyes with a cleansing oil - this helps break down stubborn eye makeup. Follow this up by using a water-based makeup remover or micellar water around your eyes to remove the residue makeup, and that’s it!
Moisturise well:
Moisturization after and before makeup is always a good idea. So, make sure you apply your eye cream in the morning before you apply makeup and also after you remove it at night. This keeps the skin around your eyes replenished and healthy, making it easier to apply and also remove makeup later.
Why is it necessary to remove eye makeup before hitting the bed

As much as we love putting on makeup in the morning (or whenever, tbh), we sure aren’t big fans of the whole makeup removing process, but that’s a necessity we have come to accept. Letting makeup sit on your skin overnight can damage you skin, clog up your pores and lead to flare-ups. And it only gets worse for the eyes.
Not removing your eyeliner and mascara at night can increase the likelihood of bacterias and harmful makeup particles to venture into your eyes that can lead to pain, irritation, rash and worse - eye infections too. Also, removing eye makeup at night can make sure your eyes naturally heal, repair, and relax, before you put on makeup again in the morning.
Why is it difficult to remove eye makeup

We all know our eyes are sensitive and delicate, and so is the area around them. This part of our skin is naturally thinner and delicate as compared to the rest of your skin, therefore it becomes difficult to remove makeup around your eyes. You need to be extra careful and not too harsh while you are scrubbing the makeup off your eyes.
Using micellar water to remove your eye makeup gently before you wash your face with a cleanser, makes sure you actually remove your makeup and not just dry up your skin.


Natural ways to remove eye makeup

If you find makeup removers harsh on your skin or are simply looking for a natural way to remove your eye makeup without hurting them, then we have got you all covered.
Here are some of our go-to natural ways to remove eye makeup that you can make part of your daily skin regimen.

These oils are a great way to soften and dissolve your eye makeup. And the best part is that it is easily available and not too heavy on the pocket either!
Take a few drops of either coconut oil or olive oil in a cotton pad and gently remove the makeup around your lashes and eyelids. Make sure you aren’t harsh around your waterline or lashes.

The good ol’ Vaseline comes to the rescue again! It’s pretty easy to use too, all you gotta do is apply a little vaseline on each eye and massage it gently with your fingers or cotton pad in a circular motion. Then, wipe it away with water-soaked cotton balls and you can see the makeup coming off easily.

Yes, you can use the mild, toxic-free, and pleasant-smelling baby oils to remove your makeup too! It works like a makeup wipe and is gentle on your skin.
Just add a few drops of baby oil on a cotton ball and apply it around your eyes in a circular motion. It works wonderfully to remove makeup from your waterline and lashes.
Things to keep in mind while cleaning eye makeup

Now that you know how to clean your makeup like a pro, here are a few things you need to keep in mind while you are removing your eye makeup -
- Use flat cotton pads instead of cotton balls to make sure you don’t get any cotton fibre left behind on your lashes or eyes.
- Maintain a healthy morning skincare routine to ensure the skin around your eyes is always hydrated and moisturised.
- Never share your eye makeup or makeup in general with anyone. This can cause irritation or discomfort in your eyes.
- Don’t start removing your eye makeup by using a soap or face wash, it doesn’t help remove your makeup.
- Regularly clean up your eye brushes to make sure there is no bacterial buildup in them.
FAQs about how to clean makeup from eyes

Q. Should you remove mascara every night?
A. Yes, absolutely. Sleeping with makeup is bad, period. As for mascara, it can seep into your eyes and cause irritation or cause your lashes to fall off due to clumping up overnight. So, always remove your eye makeup before hitting the bed.
Q. Is micellar water good for removing eye makeup?
A. Micellar water is alcohol-free, and really gentle on your skin, and hence great to remove makeup from your skin and also safe to clean off your eye makeup.
Written by Tashika Tyagi on 20th Oct 2021
A writer who loves to read, travel, eat and explore new places and things. With a bachelor's degree in journalism, she has over two years of experience in writing about food, lifestyle, and travel. She also doubles up as a rom-com expert and home baker when she isn’t writing!