The Pre-treatment Lash Cleanser is the most critical component of your preparation line, designed to strip away the barriers that cause poor retention. This professional-grade degreaser removes natural oils, proteins, and stubborn makeup residue, creating a pristine, high-adhesion surface for your glue to lock onto.
Who is the Lash Cleanser for?
This is an essential tool for every lash professional who prioritises retention above all else. Whether you are a beginner or an expert, this cleanser is the key to ensuring your sets don't "slide off" due to residual oils or sebum.
What is the Lash Cleanser?
It is a concentrated de-oiling solution available in three pleasant options: Cherry, Coconut, or Unscented. Now housed in stylish, recyclable glass packaging with a precision pipette, it allows for total control over product usage with zero wastage.
When should you use it?
Use this as Step 3 of your pre-treatment routine. It should be applied after the Lash Shampoo (to ensure all suds are gone) and before the Lash Primer (to restore moisture to the now-purified lash).
Why choose London Lash Cleanser?
Because standard washing isn't enough. While shampoo cleans the surface, this cleanser works at a molecular level to remove proteins and oils that the eye can't see. It is the foundation of the "London Lash 5-Step Prep," ensuring your adhesive bonds to the hair, not the oil.
To ensure a safe and effective cleanse, follow the "sandwich" technique:
Engineered for the European market, this cleanser ensures a clinical level of cleanliness in any salon environment.
How should my clients be washing their lashes?
We always recommend advising your clients to use a professionally formulated product that has been specifically developed and safety-tested for use around the delicate eye area. Our Lash Foam Shampoo has been clinically approved for use with lash extensions. It effectively dissolves makeup and primes the lashes ahead of application. Regular use also removes the build-up of oils, sweat, and cosmetic residue that can shorten the lifespan of the extensions.
Generic products such as baby shampoo, or anything not specifically formulated for lash extensions and the eye area, should be avoided entirely. These can cause dryness or irritation to the sensitive skin surrounding the eyes.
For clients with sensitive skin or a known allergy to Tea Tree, we recommend exploring the InLei Delicate Foaming Shampoo range as an alternative.
Our digital aftercare guides are designed to help educate your clients on the correct care routine following their appointment. These are available to purchase for use in your salon.
My client's lashes are clean but I'm still having retention problems. Why?
Retention issues can persist even when lashes appear clean, so it is worth reviewing your full pre-treatment process carefully. Lashes that look clean to the eye are not always thoroughly cleansed, and any remaining residue can directly impact how well the adhesive bonds. Always work through a complete pre-treatment routine without skipping steps, and revisit our adhesive guidance to confirm you are working within the correct conditions for your chosen glue.
It is also worth checking in with your client about their aftercare habits at home, as this can have a significant effect on how long the extensions last.
What is the difference between Booster and Superbonder?
Retention & Speed Booster is applied exclusively to the lash extension strip, never to the client's natural lashes. It accelerates the curing process, prevents the adhesive from travelling up the lash fibre, and stops volume fans from closing during the fanning process. This makes Russian Volume applications quicker and more efficient while supporting stronger retention. It is compatible with all adhesives, however it must NOT be used alongside Easy Fanning lashes.
Superbonder works differently, it adds elasticity directly to the adhesive bond. This added flexibility means the bonds are far less likely to break under everyday stress, resulting in improved retention. Superbonder instantly polymerises the glue without shock curing, sealing in the adhesive fumes in the process. With the fumes locked in, the risk of irritation and sensitivity is significantly reduced. As an added bonus, because the bonds are fully sealed, lashes are immediately safe to get wet, no more advising clients to wait 24 hours after their appointment!
What is the difference between Cleanser and Primer?
London Lash Cleanser is an alcohol-based formula designed to remove moisture, oils, and proteins from the surface of the natural lashes, leaving them completely clean ahead of application. London Lash Primer is a water-based product that works to reintroduce moisture to the lashes and balance their pH levels, creating the ideal surface for a strong bond between natural lashes and extensions.
We strongly advise against using Cleanser without following up with Primer. Due to its high alcohol content, Cleanser is intensely drying on the lashes, and without adequate moisture present, the adhesive will struggle to cure correctly. Primer is an essential follow-up step to restore that moisture balance.
For a little extra touch of luxury, our scented Cleansers and Primers are available in Cherry and Coconut, a small detail that can genuinely elevate the overall client experience!
What is your recommended pre-treatment routine for the best retention?
Your pre-treatment process has just as much influence on retention as the adhesive you choose. Done correctly, it can be the difference between two weeks and five weeks of lasting results, so it is absolutely worth getting right. Strong retention means happy clients who keep coming back.
Always begin with makeup removal. You can either carry out a full lash bath using a Lash Foam Cleanser yourself, or hand it to your client to wash their own lashes before the appointment begins.
Once all makeup has been removed, work through the following steps:
Step 1 — Protein Remover Pads: If there is any remaining mascara, makeup, oil, or sebum build-up around the lash line, protein remover pads will draw out those final traces of unwanted residue with precision.
Step 2 — Cleanser: With its high alcohol content, Cleanser is thorough — removing any oils, foam cleanser residue, and the most stubborn traces of makeup in one step.
Step 3 — Primer: Following Cleanser with Primer is non-negotiable. The high alcohol content of Cleanser can be drying, and Primer restores the moisture the lashes need to accept the extensions and allow the adhesive to cure correctly.
Step 4 — Booster: Apply Retention & Speed Booster to the lash extension strip only — never to the natural lashes. It speeds up curing, keeps the adhesive where it should be, and prevents fans from collapsing during the fanning process. Compatible with all adhesives, but must NOT be used with Easy Fanning lashes.
And that's it, your lashes are prepped and ready to go!
Can I use Cleanser alone to prepare the lashes?
We always recommend completing every step of the pre-treatment routine in full, skipping steps can compromise both cleanliness and retention. In particular, we would never recommend using Cleanser without following it immediately with Primer. Cleanser contains a high concentration of alcohol in order to fully strip away oil residue from the lashes, which also makes it quite drying on the natural lash. Primer must be applied afterwards to replenish that lost moisture, without it, the adhesive may cure too slowly, unevenly, or not at all.