How Temperature and Humidity Can Affect Your Lash Adhesive

If you’ve been in the Lash Extensions world for a while, you’ll know that Lash Adhesive can be a little... temperamental. Even minor changes in the atmosphere can have a big impact on how your eyelash extensions glue behaves—and in turn, how well your lash sets last.

As the seasons change, especially heading into warmer weather, you might notice that your usual routine just doesn’t quite cut it anymore. Lash retention drops, glue dries too fast or too slow, and suddenly everything feels off. Sound familiar? Let’s break down why that happens and what you can do to stay on top of it during those hotter months.

The Relationship Between Temperature and Humidity

While both temperature and humidity influence the performance of lash extension glues, humidity tends to be the bigger player when it comes to changes in drying time. That being said, most of us notice a shift in temperature more easily—so it’s often the first thing we try to control in the lash salon.

For eyelash adhesives to work at their best, try to keep your lash room sitting around 20–22ºC. Higher temperatures will speed up the glue’s curing time and can make appointments less comfortable for both you and your clients as you will need to dispense a fresh glue drop more frequently, or if noticed too late, it will mean poor retention for the eyelash extensions already applied. Keeping the space cool with some airflow or air conditioning can really help—but be aware these solutions can also affect humidity.

For example:

• Open windows = fresh air, but also increased humidity.

• Air con = cool and comfortable, but it can dry out the room over time.

To stay in control, it’s a good idea to use a Digital Hygrometer. That way, you’ll always know exactly what’s happening in your lash space and can adapt your lash extensions glue or setup to suit.

When Humidity Drops

Lower humidity might not seem like a big deal at first—it doesn’t usually harm retention directly, because the eyelash glue still has time to cure. But it can mess with the rhythm you’re used to. If your lash glue normally cures in about one second, and suddenly it’s taking longer, you’ll likely see lashes leaning, misaligned fans, or even more stickies than usual.

So, how can you raise the humidity without creating other issues? Here are a few simple tricks:

• Humidifier: A must-have for Lash Techs in dry climates or air-conditioned salons. You can get sleek, quiet ones that won’t ruin your salon aesthetic. Just remember not to place it directly over your workstation as you don't want to raise the humidity around your lash glue drastically, but instead gradually.

• Micro Fibre Brushes + water: Lightly dotting some water along the eyepatch can help raise humidity locally (just be cautious of water getting near the lash line).

• Use a Lash Booster: This not only improves bonding but can also help your eyelash extensions glue to work better in drier conditions by giving the adhesive a bit more grip and speeding up its dry time.

What Happens When Humidity Rises

On the flip side, high humidity speeds things up—sometimes too much. When lash glue starts curing before the extension even reaches the natural lash, you’ll likely notice poor bonding and weaker retention overall. It can be harder to bring humidity down, but there are still a couple of helpful solutions.

• Dehumidifier: Great for balancing out those muggy days. If you can get one with a built-in air purifier, even better.

• Slower Drying Lash Glue: In summer, switching to a glue with a slightly longer drying time can save you a lot of stress. If your go-to glue dries in one second or less, it might be too fast for high-humidity conditions. Switch to an eyelash glue which has a longer drying time and in high humidity situations it will speed up more gradually in drying than a 'fast drying' one.

Remember to check out our Glue Chart as a helpful guide to know the best room conditions in which your lash extensions glue will work in.

Also, remember to refresh your glue drop more often—especially when it’s hot and humid. This keeps your application consistent and avoids issues caused by thickened glue. Use a Glue Shaker to make sure your lash glue is mixed correctly (and quickly) so that you're not wasting extra time when dispensing.

A Few Extra Summer Tips

It’s not just your workspace that changes during summer—clients’ habits do too. More sunscreen, sweat from activities, and exposure to water such as swimming pools or saunas all have an impact on retention.

To give their lash sets the best chance of surviving summer:

• Always carry out a thorough Pre-treatment to remove oils, sweat, and any skincare residue.

• Finish each lash set with using a Superbonder to help lock in the glue, add elasticity to the bonds and make the lashes more water-resistant.

• Remind clients that they might need more frequent infills when the weather’s warm, and that good aftercare is key to long-lasting results.

By making a few small tweaks and staying aware of how your environment affects your products, you can keep your lash sets looking flawless—even in the heat. Summer doesn’t have to mean a drop in retention!