How To Remove Tubing Mascara Without Losing Your Lashes (or Your Sanity)

By nath84 March 11, 2025 Beauty 0 Comments

If you’ve ever Googled how to remove tubing mascara, chances are you’ve either rubbed your eyes raw trying to get it off, questioned if your lashes were falling out, or stared in horror at the weird little tubes flaking into your sink. Relax. You’re not alone.

Tubing mascara is fantastic for long wear, smudge-proof performance, and zero raccoon eyes, but figuring out how to remove tubing mascara can feel like an unsolvable mystery. Fortunately, it’s actually the easiest mascara to remove – if you do it right.

Let’s break it down, step by step, and finally answer the question: how to remove tubing mascara without turning it into a crime scene.

How to Remove Tubing Mascara (Step-by-Step Guide)

1. Keep Your Hands Dry and Clean

Before you start, don’t reach for makeup remover, oils, or cleansing balms. What is tubing mascara if not a formula that plays by its own rules? Unlike traditional mascaras that need oil or micellar water to dissolve, tubing mascaras react only to warm water.

2. Splash Your Lashes with Warm Water

Think of this like washing dirt off your hands – only, in this case, you’re washing tiny polymer tubes off your lashes.

Use lukewarm (not hot) water to splash your lashes a few times.
If you want a mess-free option, wet a washcloth with warm water and press it over your closed eyes for 20–30 seconds. This softens the mascara tubes, making removal effortless.

3. Gently Slide the Tubes Off with Your Fingers

Once your lashes are soaked, use your thumb and forefinger to pinch them lightly and slide the mascara off. The mascara will come off in tiny tube-like pieces, and you might have a moment of panic thinking you’ve just lost your lashes. (You haven’t.)

4. Rinse Again to Remove Any Leftover Tubes

Some tubes might still be clinging to your lashes like that one friend who overstays their welcome. A few more splashes of warm water will help get rid of the stragglers.

5. Pat Dry and Condition Your Lashes

Use a clean, soft towel to pat your face dry – don’t rub. If your lashes feel dry or brittle, apply a lash serum or a drop of castor oil to keep them hydrated and strong.

READ ALSO: Is Tubing Mascara Waterproof

The Best Tools for Removing Tubing Mascara

While warm water and fingers are all you really need, some tools can make the process even easier:

Microfiber Face Cloth – Holds warm water longer for a more controlled removal.
Silicone Face B r ush – A soft, flexible silicone brush can help gently lift mascara tubes without pulling on lashes.
Reusable Makeup Remover Pads – If you don’t like using your fingers, these are gentler than cotton pads and don’t absorb too much product.

How to Apply Tubing Mascara for Maximum Lash Drama

Now that you know how to remove tubing mascara at home, let’s talk about how to apply tubing mascara properly so you get sky-high lashes that last all day.

Step 1: Start with Clean, Dry Lashes

Tubing mascara sticks better to clean lashes, so make sure there’s no leftover mascara, oils, or residue from yesterday’s eye makeup.

💡 Pro Tip: If your lashes feel slippery, use a tiny bit of translucent powder or an oil-free lash primer before applying tubing mascara.

Step 2: Wiggle from Root to Tip

Instead of just swiping mascara on, wiggle the wand at the base of your lashes and slowly pull it upward.

This helps coat every single lash with tiny tubing polymers, giving you major definition and length.

Step 3: Let the First Coat Dry Before Adding More

Unlike regular mascaras that stay wet for a while, tubing mascaras dry quickly – which means you can’t keep layering while it’s wet.
Apply one coat, let it dry, then add a second for extra volume.

Step 4: Skip the Eyelash Curler Until After Applying

If you’re a lash curler fan, use it after your first coat of mascara dries. Tubing mascara helps hold curls better than traditional formulas.

Step 5: Don’t Panic If It Feels Different

Tubing mascaras don’t feel crunchy or stiff like regular mascaras – they feel lighter and more flexible. But once they set, they won’t smudge, flake, or budge until you remove them with water.

Why Tubing Mascara Won’t Budge with Regular Remover

If you’ve ever tried to remove e.l.f. mascara tubing or any other tubing formula with oil-based makeup remover, you probably got nowhere. That’s because tubing mascaras aren’t wax-based like traditional mascaras.

How Tubing Mascara Works

Instead of coating lashes in pigment like regular mascaras, what is a tubing mascara if not a high-tech innovation? Tubing mascaras wrap each lash in a flexible polymer that doesn’t dissolve with oils or micellar water.

So, while oil cleansers work wonders on regular mascara, they do absolutely nothing for tubing mascara taking off.

Common Tubing Mascara Removal Mistakes (and How to Avoid Them)

❌ Mistake #1: Rubbing Your Eyes Like a Maniac

🚨 Why it’s bad: Rubbing too hard can weaken your lashes and lead to breakage over time.

✅ The Fix: Let warm water do the work. Patience, my friend.

❌ Mistake #2: Using Oil-Based Removers

🚨 Why it’s bad: Oil literally does nothing to tubing mascaras – it’s like using butter to clean a chalkboard.

✅ The Fix: Stick to warm water and light pressure.

❌ Mistake #3: Using Cold Water

🚨 Why it’s bad: Cold water won’t soften the tubes enough, making removal a struggle.

✅ The Fix: Warm water = happy lashes.

How Long Does a Tube of Mascara Last?

Whether it’s traditional mascara or tubing mascara, the shelf life remains the same. Most mascaras should be replaced every 3–6 months to prevent bacteria buildup.

A good rule of thumb: If your mascara smells weird or has dried out, toss it. Keeping mascara for too long can lead to eye irritation or infections – and no one wants that.

The Best Tubing Mascara (And How It Affects Removal)

Not all tubing mascaras are created equal. Some slide off effortlessly, while others cling a little harder. The best tubing mascaras tend to:

✔ Have a smoother removal process
✔ Not flake or break during the day
✔ Give long-lasting definition without smudging

Some top-rated options include:

e.l.f. Mascara tubing – Affordable, easy to remove, and gives great length.
Thrive Causemetics Liquid Lash Extensions Mascara – The OG tubing mascara, loved for its drama-free removal.
Blinc Mascara – The pioneer of tubing mascaras, known for its bulletproof staying power and easy removal.

How to Remove Tubing Mascara Without Losing Lashes

Worried that your lashes are falling out? They’re not. The little tubes might look like lashes in the sink, but your real lashes are still there.

However, if you notice more lash loss than usual, here’s what to do:

Be gentler when removing mascara.
Strengthen lashes with a lash serum or castor oil.
Take a break from mascara a couple of times a week.

How to Remove Tubing Mascara at Home (Without Losing Lashes)

If you’ve ever ended your day standing in front of the sink, aggressively rubbing your lashes while contemplating life choices, this section is for you.

Step 1: Forget Oil-Based Makeup Removers

Your cleansing balm? That expensive oil cleanser? They won’t work.
Why? Because tubing mascara is not wax-based like traditional mascara – it forms tiny polymer tubes around each lash that only react to warm water.

Step 2: Splash Your Lashes with Warm Water

Think of it like softening pasta in boiling water – except this time, you’re softening those mascara tubes.

Use lukewarm water to saturate your lashes.
If you want a zero-mess method, soak a soft washcloth in warm water and press it against your closed eyes for 30 seconds.

Step 3: Slide the Mascara Off with Your Fingers

Once the mascara loosens, gently pinch your lashes between your fingers and slide the mascara off.
It might look like your lashes are falling out, but don’t panic – that’s just the mascara tubes!

Step 4: Rinse and Pat Dry

Splash your face again to remove any lingering tubes.
Pat (don’t rub!) your lashes dry with a clean towel.

Step 5: Condition Your Lashes

After removal, apply a lash serum or a drop of castor oil to keep lashes strong and hydrated.

💡 Pro Tip: If you ever accidentally sleep in your tubing mascara, don’t stress – it won’t smudge. Just follow this method in the morning, and it’ll come off just as easily.

Does Tubing Mascara Make Eyelashes Fall Out?

No, tubing mascara doesn’t make your eyelashes fall out. Raise your hand if you’ve had a mini heart attack while removing tubing mascara because it looked like your lashes were coming off. ✋

The good news? Tubing mascara does not make your lashes fall out. But, there are a few things you need to know.

1. What You’re Seeing Aren’t Lashes – They’re Just Tubes

When removing tubing mascara, the little stringy clumps in the sink are just the mascara polymers, not your actual lashes.

2. Excessive Rubbing Can Cause Lash Breakage

Tubing mascara doesn’t cause lash loss on its own, but if you’re too aggressive while removing it, you might pull out real lashes by accident.

Solution: Be gentle and let warm water do the work.

3. Weak Lashes Can Shed Naturally

If you notice more lashes falling out than usual, it might not be the mascara – it could be:

Not removing mascara properly (too much rubbing)
Sleeping in mascara too often
Skipping lash conditioning (serums or castor oil work wonders!)

So, does tubing mascara make eyelashes fall out? Nope! But being rough with removal can cause unnecessary lash loss. Be kind to your lashes.

Addressing Specific Tubing Mascara Removal Concerns

Is Tubing Mascara Bad for Your Lashes?

No! In fact, tubing mascaras tend to be gentler than traditional mascaras because they don’t require harsh removers. However, if you rub too hard while removing it, you can still damage your lashes.

What If Tubing Mascara Won’t Come Off?

If warm water alone isn’t working:

Check if your water is warm enough.
Hold a warm, damp washcloth over your lashes for longer (about 30 seconds).
Try removing in the shower, where steam can help soften the tubes.

How to Remove Tubing Mascara from Bottom Lashes Without Mess

Use a damp cotton swab to carefully pinch and remove the tubes.
Lean forward slightly to prevent water from dripping down your face.

The Bottom Line on How to Remove Tubing Mascara

If you’ve struggled with how to remove tubing mascara, now you know:

Use warm water (not oil or makeup remover).
Soak your lashes until the mascara tubes soften.
Slide them off gently with your fingers.
Rinse, pat dry, and condition your lashes.

No scrubbing, no panda eyes, no lash casualties. Just easy, clean removal.