XXL Lashes Eyelash Adhesive 'Ultra'

How to use lash adhesive for best retention

Quick answer: Let the bottle reach room temperature naturally, shake well, keep the nozzle clean, refresh drops on time, and always pick up adhesive from the centre of the drop.

Pro steps (do this every appointment)

1. Bring to room temperature (naturally): Let the adhesive sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before treatment. Do not heat it up (no warm water, no radiator, no hair dryer). Fast temperature changes can damage performance. Thinner adhesives may separate more; this is normal. Shake for about 20 seconds before dispensing.
2. Cap discipline: Do not leave the bottle open unless necessary. Air and moisture enter quickly and can cause the glue to deteriorate.
3. Clean the nozzle properly: After every use, wipe the nozzle with a lint-free wipe. Do not use cotton wool or baby wipes. Fibres can react with cyanoacrylate and may cause an exothermic reaction.
4. Refresh your glue drop: Replace the adhesive drop every 15–20 minutes. Adhesive cures from the outside in, so dip into the middle of the drop to pick up the freshest adhesive.
5. Control the pull-out: To prevent excess adhesive sticking to the extension, pull the lash or fan out slowly from the centre of the drop. This helps keep the adhesive layer thin and consistent.

Client prep (this is where retention is won)

Quick answer: Even the best adhesive won’t hold if the natural lashes are coated in oils, skincare, makeup residue, or dust. Proper prep improves bonding and reduces early shedding.

1. Cleanse properly: Start with a professional lash cleanser / lash shampoo to remove oils, makeup, and skincare residue from the lash line. Use XXL Lashes Eyelash Shampoo and dry thoroughly before you start.
2. Remove remaining oils: If the client wears heavy skincare, sunscreen, or makeup, do a second cleanse or a targeted lash-line cleanse to ensure the surface is squeaky clean.
3. Prime the surface: Apply a professional lash primer to support consistent bonding (especially helpful for oily clients). Use XXL Lashes Primer as directed and avoid over-saturating the lashes.
4. Apply extensions as usual: Use correct isolation, minimal adhesive, and avoid “stickies” (stickies reduce retention and comfort).
5. Seal / finish (optional but useful): A professional lash sealer can help protect the bond from dust and moisture during the early period after treatment. Use XXL Lashes Sealer as directed.

Common mistakes that reduce retention

• Using adhesive straight from a cold room or after transport without letting it naturally reach room temperature
• Heating the bottle (warm water, radiator, hair dryer) or exposing it to big/fast temperature changes
• Leaving the bottle uncapped between drops
• Cleaning the nozzle with cotton or fibrous wipes
• Using an old glue drop for too long
• Dipping on the surface of the drop instead of the centre
• Skipping cleansing or using products that leave residue (oils, conditioners, heavy skincare)
• Not drying lashes fully before starting
• Applying primer onto oily lashes instead of cleansing first
• Touching lashes with fingers during application (adds oils back)
• Applying too much primer or sealer (can interfere with bonding)

How to reduce fumes and irritation

Quick answer: Most irritation comes from lash glue fumes and using too much adhesive. Let the drop settle, use a nano sprayer, and keep adhesive use minimal.

Pro steps (do this every appointment)

1. Let the glue drop settle: After dispensing, allow the drop to sit for at least 5 minutes before you start applying.
2. Use a Nano Sprayer : It helps reduce airborne fumes during the service and improves comfort for clients with sensitive eyes.
3. Use less glue (most important): Dip slowly into the middle of the glue dot, not too deep and not on the surface. This gives a thin coating and reduces fumes.

Common mistakes that increase irritation

• Working immediately after dispensing a fresh drop
• Using too much adhesive (thick coating)
• Dipping too fast or too deep
• Dipping on the surface instead of the centre of the glue dot

Storage and shelf life

Quick answer: Lash adhesive (cyanoacrylate) reacts with moisture. Correct storage prevents thickening, clogging and poor retention, and helps you get the best shelf life after opening.

Best storage practices (pro tips)

• Do not refrigerate: Never store eyelash extension glue in the refrigerator. Temperature swings can create condensation, and moisture can harden the adhesive.
• Store cool + dark: Keep the bottle in a dark and dry place at around 20°C (ideal range: 18–24°C).
• Use a dry container: Store in a thermopack with silica gel or a sealed jar.
• Moisture control option: A jar with rice can help reduce moisture exposure (rice absorbs humidity and helps keep the glue bottle dry).

Best working conditions (humidity + temperature)

• Best storage temperature: 18–24°C
• Best working humidity: 50–80%
• If room temperature is too low, the adhesive can take longer to cure. In that case, artists often use a Nano Sprayer to help manage curing and comfort.

Viscosity, what it means in practice

Quick answer: Lash adhesive viscosity (how thin or thick the glue is) affects drying speed, working time, and how forgiving the adhesive feels during application. In simple terms: thinner glues set faster, thicker glues give more placement time.

How viscosity affects speed and working time

• Lower viscosity (thinner lash glue): polymerises faster, so it sets faster. This is ideal for advanced artists who work quickly and want a faster service pace.
• Higher viscosity (thicker lash glue): takes longer to harden, so you have more time to place and adjust the extension. This can feel easier and more forgiving for beginners.

What fast setting really means (no scare tactics)

Fast setting is not automatically a disadvantage. It simply means you can and often must work faster. For experienced artists, this can help increase efficiency and allow more clients per day.

Why very thin, very fast adhesives often have a shorter usable life after opening

Cyanoacrylate reacts and hardens when exposed to moisture in the air. Once a bottle is opened, tiny amounts of humidity and air exposure begin to affect the glue inside the bottle and at the nozzle.

• Faster, thinner adhesives are often more reactive: they can start to thicken or change performance sooner once opened, especially if the bottle is opened frequently or stored poorly.
• Nozzle area is the first to suffer: moisture at the tip can cause partial curing, which leads to clogging and inconsistent drops.
• Real-world result: even if an adhesive is excellent on day one, its performance can drop faster after opening if it is very thin and fast, because it is less forgiving to moisture exposure.

Pro takeaway: shelf life depends on the formula and storage, but after-opening life is strongly affected by moisture exposure. Cap discipline and dry storage matter more than most people think.

Shake before use (why separation is normal)

You may notice separation in the bottle. The thinner the adhesive, the more visible this separation can be. This is normal. Shake before use so the ingredients are fully mixed and performance stays consistent.

Ingredients overview (what matters for lash artists)

Quick answer: Lash adhesives are based on cyanoacrylate plus small amounts of stabilisers and performance additives. What you feel as “fumes” and “sensitivity” is mostly driven by the type of cyanoacrylate and how fast it reacts with moisture in the air.

Cyanoacrylate: the bonding ingredient

Cyanoacrylate is the same adhesive chemistry used in many high-performance applications. When it contacts small amounts of moisture (including natural humidity), it polymerises (hardens) quickly and forms the bond.

Formaldehyde: why it’s discussed and what’s true

This topic gets confused online. In real chemistry terms, trace formaldehyde can be released as cyanoacrylate polymers slowly break down (hydrolyse), especially with moisture and time. That does not mean “formaldehyde is added on purpose” as a normal ingredient. It’s better to think of it as a potential trace by-product of degradation, and the exact amount depends on formulation and conditions. 

Our position (simple): XXL Lashes adhesives are formulated with cyanoacrylate systems designed for professional use, and we do not use formaldehyde as a stabiliser in the formula.

Some cyanoacrylate adhesives contain very small amounts of hydroquinone as a polymerisation inhibitor (a stabiliser that helps prevent premature curing in the bottle). You can see this listed in some SDS documents (for example at ~0.1%). XXL Lashes adhesives are formulated to be hydroquinone-free. 

Alkoxy-based vs ethyl-based cyanoacrylates (sensitivity and fumes)

• Ethyl-based cyanoacrylates: commonly chosen for strong, fast bonding. They can feel “sharper” in fumes depending on formula and conditions.
• Alkoxy or alkoxyethyl-based cyanoacrylates: tend to have lower vapour pressure (less volatility), so they are often used in “low odour / low fume” style formulations, usually with a slower cure profile.

“Is cyanoacrylate carcinogenic?”

For the cyanoacrylate monomers used in commercial adhesives, the key regulated hazards are typically irritation and sensitisation risk, not cancer classification. For example, the EU registration dossier for ethyl 2-cyanoacrylate lists hazard classifications but does not classify it as carcinogenic. 

Medical use 

Cyanoacrylate chemistry is also used in regulated medical products for skin closure, such as 2-octyl cyanoacrylate, which received FDA approval in 1998. This is simply context that the chemistry is well-studied. Lash adhesives are still for professional lash application only and not intended for skin wound closure.