Is Humidity Bad For Eyelash Extensions?

Humidity plays a larger role in affecting your eyelash extensions than many lash artists and consumers would believe.

When you have your eyelash extensions done, you want them to last for as long as possible. But different weather conditions can sometimes get in the way of their lifespan.

If you’re living in a region that experiences all four seasons, you may have noticed that your lash glue’s performance has varied throughout different times of the year. This could be down to humidity and heat.

If you want to put a stop to humidity negatively affecting your eyelash extensions, then you will need to regulate and control your environmental humidity. Is it bad to swim with eyelash extensions?.

Of course, this is impossible when outdoors but when indoors, there are steps you can do to limit the risk of your eyelash glue becoming weaker. So, why does humidity affect your eyelash extensions? Well, all lash extensions contain cyanoacrylate.

This is the main ingredient in lash glue and it is responsible for ensuring the lash glue dries quickly and holds the extensions securely in place for a month or more. 

What many don’t know is that cyanoacrylate can only cure when moisture is present. In other words, humidity acts like an activator for your extension’s glue adhesion. 

The majority of lash glue manufacturers, such as BL Lashes, regulate the drying speed of lash extension glue. They do this by fine-tuning the levels of cyanoacrylate and other hardening agents in the mix.

This tuning is controlled depending on the speed at which they want the glue to dry. For instance, one-second drying glue such as Mach glue contains a greater amount of cyanoacrylate when compared to a 4 or 5-second drying glue.

To achieve the best humidity levels in your room or home, it should be between 45 and 60 percent. At this percentage, your eyelash extensions should last a lot longer.

Of course, not all areas of the world fall into this range of humidity. But if possible, you should try to keep your room humidity at a level of 45 to 60 percent as often as possible.

You can measure your room’s humidity by using a hygrometer. Honestly, this is a must-have tool for all eyelash artists! 

Hygrometers are compact machines that tell you the humidity level and temperature in your room. If you’re a lash artist, always use a hygrometer close to the lash bed. This way, you get a more accurate humidity level within your workstation. 

You’re probably wondering what happens to eyelash extension glue when humidity levels are high. If the room humidity is higher than the ideal set out above (around 60%), the cyanoacrylate contained in the glue will become overly activated.

This is because of too much moisture in the air. The result? The lash adhesive will cure and dry a lot faster than in usual circumstances.

When the room’s humidity levels are supremely high, over 70%, the cyanoacrylate that is overly activated will just stop working. The adhesion will become very poor and you will find it difficult to glue your eyelash extensions into place.

Does heat affect eyelash extensions?

Let’s get this out of the way: high temperatures plus eyelash extensions do not mix well!

If you experience high temperatures from weather conditions, your eyelash extensions should be able to cope but only with proper care. However, the same is not true when you come up against high heat sources. 

For instance, devices such as blow dryers, stoves, ovens, and grills that are all direct, high heat sources, can severely impact your eyelash extensions. Anything with an open flame can cause your synthetic eyelash extensions to singe or even melt completely.

Not only can this damage your extensions but it can damage your natural lashes. Singeing or burning your lashes can also make them appear clumpy after cooling back down which is not the best look. It certainly will not be the look you’re going for! 

There are ways to improve the performance of your eyelash extensions in hot and humid weather. As we mentioned, all lash extension adhesives require moisture and heat to set properly.

The heat helps the glue dry while the moisture causes a chemical reaction within the adhesive so it can set. All adhesives are designed to work under ideal conditions.

Therefore, they can behave differently when your environment gets hotter or colder and wetter or drier.

Most lash adhesives work best in the 19 degrees to 23 degrees temperature range. While this is the case for the majority, some have different sweet spots when it comes to the best temperature.

The reason 19 to 23 degrees is considered ideal is that this is the normal room temperature in most cases. 

If you’re an eyelash artist, you should ensure your lash adhesive lasts as long as possible. One step is to store your adhesive properly. Once lash adhesive is opened, it should never be stored in the refrigerator.

If a brand new bottle is stored in the fridge, you should bring it up to room temperature for several hours before you open it. Doing this will stop condensation from forming on the inside of the bottle. 

Eyelash adhesives should be stored in dark, dry, and cool places. They should be kept away from other products too. An ideal storage solution is to use a wide-opening vacuum flask.

Try placing a little bag of dried rice or silica gel in the flask too. This will ensure the container remains dry.

Always manage your use of adhesive. If it’s a hot and humid day, try putting out smaller drops of adhesive every few minutes. You should never add adhesive to the same drop or put more in the same adhesive cup.

When the adhesive is exposed, it will begin to cure straight away. When you top up with more adhesive, it will not stop the curing process. It will just make your drop gloopy, affecting its strength and making the glue much harder to use.

With the right steps and preparation, you can make your eyelash extension adhesive last longer. Not only will this save money but it will leave your lashes, or your customer’s lashes, looking healthier for longer.