The Ultimate Guide to Lash Adhesives: Mastering Humidity, Retention, and Care in Malta’s Climate
there is one nightmare every lash technician shares, it’s the dreaded text message from a client two days after an appointment: “Hey, my lashes are falling out.”
For technicians in Malta and similar Mediterranean climates, this struggle is all too real. You prep perfectly, your isolation is flawless, and your placement is precise yet retention remains inconsistent. The culprit? It’s rarely your skill. It’s almost always the invisible enemy in your lash room: Humidity.
Lash adhesive is the most chemically complex tool in your kit. It is temperamental, sensitive, and widely misunderstood. To be a true “Lash Boss,” you need to understand the science behind the bond.
In this comprehensive guide, we will break down exactly how humidity affects your adhesive, how to choose the right glue for your environment, and the specific protocols you need to follow to guarantee 6–7 weeks of retention for your clients.
Part 1: The Science of the Bond
How Lash Adhesive Actually Works
To master retention, you must first understand what is happening at a microscopic level. The main ingredient in all professional lash adhesives—including our Pro Expert and Pro Master lines—is Cyanoacrylate.
Cyanoacrylate is an acrylic resin that cures (hardens) rapidly. However, unlike regular glue that dries by evaporation, lash adhesive dries through a chemical reaction called polymerization.
Here is the secret: Moisture is the activator.
Cyanoacrylate needs water vapour from the air to turn from a liquid into a solid plastic.
- Too much moisture (High Humidity): The glue cures instantly, often “shock curing” before a strong bond is formed.
- Too little moisture (Low Humidity): The glue stays wet, leading to “stickies,” irritation, and slow attachment.
Finding the “Goldilocks” zone where the humidity is just right is the key to long-lasting lashes.
Part 2: The Humidity Headache (And How to Fix It)
Malta presents a unique challenge for beauty professionals. Our island climate is naturally humid, often soaring above 70% or 80% relative humidity. Most international lash brands formulate their glues for the dry, temperate climates of Northern Europe or Asia. When those glues arrive in Malta, they fail.
Scenario A: High Humidity (Above 60%)
This is the most common scenario in Malta. When the air is thick with moisture, the cyanoacrylate in your adhesive is “attacked” by water vapor the moment it leaves the bottle.
The Symptoms:
- The Glue Dries Too Fast: If your glue is rated for 1 second but the humidity is 70%, it might dry in 0.5 seconds. By the time you dip the extension and bring it to the natural lash, the glue has already partially cured. It creates a weak, brittle bond that will snap off within days.
- The Glue Drop Gets Gloopy: You’ll notice your glue drop on the jade stone getting thick and stringy within 10–15 minutes instead of lasting 20–30 minutes.
- Shock Polymerization: This occurs when the outer layer of the glue hardens instantly, turning white (blooming). The inside remains wet, creating a fragile seal.
The Solution: You need an adhesive that is stable enough to resist premature curing. This is why we developed the Ursocute Pro Expert Adhesive. While many glues panic in high humidity, the Pro Expert is formulated with a balanced viscosity that resists the “shock” of Malta’s air, giving you a reliable 1.5-second drying time even when the weather isn’t cooperating.
Scenario B: Low Humidity (Below 40%)
While less common in Malta, this happens during winter when heaters are running, or in summer when AC units are blasting directly into the lash room.
The Symptoms:
- The Glue Won’t Stick: You place the extension, but it slides around or leans to the side.
- Stickies: Because the glue stays wet longer, neighbouring lashes stick together when you release your isolation tweezers.
- Irritation: Wet glue emits fumes. The longer the glue takes to cure, the longer your client is exposed to fumes, leading to red, watery eyes.
The Solution: In dry environments, you need speed. You need an adhesive with a higher concentration of cyanoacrylate to grab onto whatever moisture is available. This is where the Ursocute Pro Master Adhesive shines. With a lightning-fast 0.3-second drying time, it compensates for the lack of moisture in the air, ensuring an instant bond.
Part 3: Choosing Your Weapon – Pro Expert vs. Pro Master
At Ursocute Lashes, we don’t believe in “one size fits all.” We believe in “the right tool for the job.” We have engineered two distinct adhesives specifically to combat the retention issues faced by technicians in our region.
1. The Reliable Workhorse: Pro Expert Adhesive
Best for: Beginner to Intermediate Artists, Classic Sets, and High Humidity Days.
The Pro Expert is the “safety net” for your business. It is designed to be forgiving without sacrificing power.
Drying Time: 1.5 Seconds. This gives you a brief moment to adjust the extension if your placement isn’t perfect immediately.
Viscosity: Slightly dense. This thicker consistency wraps around the natural lash, creating a “lock” that is less likely to become brittle in humid weather.
Retention: Up to 7 weeks.
Ideal Environment: 40–65% Humidity / 20–27°C.
Why we love it: If you are a newer technician, or if your salon gets very humid, a super-fast glue will actually hurt your retention because it dries before you attach it. The Pro Expert buys you that extra millisecond you need to ensure a perfect magnetic bond.
2. The Speed Demon: Pro Master Adhesive
Best for: Advanced Artists, Volume/Mega Volume, and Controlled Environments.
The Pro Master is for the technician who works faster than their glue. If you find yourself waiting for the extension to stick, you are ready for Pro Master.
Drying Time: 0.3 Seconds. It bonds instantly.
Viscosity: Thin and liquid. Perfect for volume fans, as it won’t close them up or add excess weight.
Retention: 6+ Weeks.
Ideal Environment: Stable humidity.
Why we love it: For volume lash artists, time is money. The Pro Master allows you to “dip and place” rapidly. Because it cures so fast, it significantly reduces the chance of “stickies,” allowing you to move through a full set in record time.
Part 4: The “Lash Boss” Protocol for Perfect Retention
Having the best glue is only half the battle. How you handle it determines your success. Here is the step-by-step protocol used by top master technicians to ensure 6–7 week retention.
Step 1: Environment Control
Invest in a Hygrometer. You cannot manage what you cannot measure. This small device tells you the temperature and humidity of your workspace.
Too Humid? Use a dehumidifier or turn on the AC (but do not let the air blow directly on the client).
Too Dry? Use a humidifier or a nano-mister.
Step 2: The Shake
The ingredients in your adhesive separate when the bottle sits still. The cyanoacrylate sinks to the bottom, and the stabilizers float to the top.
The Rule: Shake your bottle vigorously for 2 minutes at the start of your day, and for 30 seconds before dispensing every new drop.
Pro Tip: Use a glue shaker or remove the cap and cover the nozzle with a lint-free wipe to prevent the nozzle from getting stuck.
Step 3: The “Fresh Drop” Rule
In Malta’s climate, a drop of glue does not last long.
Standard Rule: Change your glue drop every 20 minutes.
Humid Day Rule: Change your glue drop every 10–15 minutes.
Once the glue drop starts to get “stringy” or develops a film on top, it is dead. Do not try to use it. Fresh glue equals fresh bonds.
Step 4: The Dip
How you dip your extension matters.
Classic Lashes: Dip 2-3mm of the base into the center of the glue drop.
Volume Fans: Dip just 1-2mm.
Crucial: Dip into the middle of the glue dot, not the edge. The edge is where the glue is already curing. The center is where the fresh adhesive lives.
Step 5: Storage
Stop putting your glue in the fridge once it is opened!
Unopened bottles: Keep in the fridge to extend shelf life.
Opened bottles: Store upright in an airtight container (like a glue tank) with silica gel packs, in a cool, dark place.
Shelf Life: Replace your open bottle every 4–5 weeks. Even if there is glue left, the chemical potency degrades. Using old glue is the fastest way to lose clients.
Part 5: Client Aftercare – The Other 50%
You can do everything right, but if your client goes home and rubs oil on their eyes, your hard work will slide right off. Education is part of your service.
Many clients still believe the old myth: “Don’t get them wet for 24 hours.” With modern adhesives like Pro Expert and Pro Master, this is outdated advice. In fact, we want clients to keep their lashes clean.
The “Ursocute” Aftercare Guide for Clients:
- The First 24 Hours While our glues cure fast, the inner core of the bond takes about 24 hours to fully polymerize.
Avoid steam rooms, saunas, and sunbeds.
Avoid direct water pressure (like a shower jet hitting the face).
- Daily Cleansing is Non-Negotiable Explain to your clients that natural oils, dead skin cells, and makeup residue build up on the lash line. This buildup eats away at the adhesive bond.
Instruction: “You must wash your lashes daily with a dedicated lash foam cleanser. Dirty lashes fall off faster.”
- Oil is the Enemy Oil breaks down cyanoacrylate.
Advise clients to check their face creams, cleansers, and makeup removers. If “Oil” is in the top 5 ingredients, it shouldn’t go near their eyes.
- No Mascara Clients wearing volume lashes should never wear mascara. It closes the fans and tugs on the adhesive bond during removal.
Part 6: Troubleshooting Your Retention Issues
If you are using Ursocute Adhesives and still seeing poor retention, run through this checklist:
- Are the lashes “popping” off? If the extension falls off without the natural lash attached, the adhesive bond failed.
Cause: The glue dried before placement.
Fix: Switch to Pro Expert (slower drying) or dispense a fresh drop more often.
- Are the lashes twisting or drooping?
Cause: The bond wasn’t strong enough instantly.
Fix: Check your humidity. If it’s low, use a humidifier or switch to Pro Master.
- Is the client shedding natural lashes? If the extension falls off with the natural lash attached, check the root.
White bulb at the root: This is a natural shed. The lash cycle is healthy.
No bulb: The lash was pulled out prematurely. The extension may have been too heavy, or the client is picking at them.
Conclusion: Quality You Can Trust
In an industry as precise as ours, consistency is everything. You cannot build a loyal client base if your product works one week and fails the next.
At Ursocute Lashes, we didn’t just slap a label on a generic bottle. We tested, tweaked, and formulated our adhesives specifically for the challenges of the Maltese and European markets. We know the humidity you deal with. We know the standards your clients expect.
Whether you choose the forgiving control of the <strong>Pro Expert or the surgical precision of the Pro Master, you are investing in retention. And in the lash world, retention is reputation.
Ready to upgrade your retention game? Stop battling the humidity and start working with it. Shop the full Ursocute Lashes collection today and experience the difference of products made by technicians, for technicians.
[Shop Pro Expert Adhesive] | [Shop Pro Master Adhesive]
Use code XMA50 at checkout for an exclusive 50% discount on your first order (Valid until Jan 31st).