Lash Adhesive: How The Environment Impacts Its Bond

When it comes to discussing lash adhesive, you'll most certainly hear about humidity and temperature too! Environmental conditions can influence the performance of lash adhesive, and it's your job as a lash artist to know how to minimize its influence.

 

Humidity is essentially moisture in the air, and this is important when it comes to the curing process of lash glue. The higher the humidity, the faster a glue will cure, while the lower the humidity, the slower it will cure.

All lash adhesives have an ideal range of environmental conditions in which they will work as they should. Our Superior Bond lash adhesive works perfectly at 73°F and an RH between 10% - 15%. It's always important to read about an adhesive you're selecting to work with and get the information regarding its ideal working conditions, and if the information is not available, then try to contact the supplier!

If the environmental conditions are not exactly as prescribed, your chosen adhesive will start to act different than normal, which can impact retention for your client's lash extensions.

This is why checking and controlling the humidity in your lash room is really important!

Your environmental conditions can impact adhesive performance, so if your adhesive isn't working as it should, ask yourself the below questions:

• Did you turn your air conditioner on?

• Is your room getting warmer as the day goes on?

• Did you store your glue properly after your previous lash appointment?

Humidity

Moisture near your lash adhesive can cause the adhesive to not work properly. If the humidity is too high, shock polymerization occurs, which leads to less bond strength in an adhesive. This basically means that the lash extension will not bond to the natural lash.

Making sure your humidity is at the optimum level for your adhesive is a must. Here are a few ways you can lower humidity in your lash studio:

• Remove anything from your lash room that holds moisture i.e. plants, aquariums.

• Air conditioning. If humidity is a real issue in your lash room, you may want to invest in an air conditioner.

• Purchase a dehumidifier. These help to remove moisture from the air as it passes through the system. So, by the time the air reaches you, it’s dry and cool.

Temperature

Temperature is also really important when it comes to working with lash adhesive. To ensure the temperature remains consistent in your lashing studio, it's best practice to check the temperature regularly and ensure your lash area is well ventilated. Invest in a quality hygrometer to help measure the temperature as well as humidity!

Selecting an adhesive

It's really important to consider the climate in which you live in, in order to select an appropriate lash adhesive that will help you to ensure proper retention. It's important to note that if you live in a tropical climate (warm temperature, high humidity), that your glue will typically cure quickly, while a semi-arid climates (cooler temperature, lower humidity) might cause your glue to cure slower.

 

Lashing Pro Tip: Consider researching other lash artists who live in similar environments to you, and see which glues they are using. That way, you can narrow your search down and see what adhesives seem to work properly in your environment!