How Long Does Eyelash Adhesive Last?
I know it can be confusing when different lash extension supply brands say different expiry dates! But at Lash Savvy, as a manufacturer of lash adhesives for the last 8 years, we've set our standard expiration date for lash extensions adhesive to be as follows:
1-2 months (unopened) exception is OMG! this adhesive should be purchased once a month for the best results.
1 month ( once opened)
The reason we can only give this wide span of 3 months' is that the shelf-life of your lash adhesvie massively depends on three factors:
1) When the adhesive is manufactured
2) When the adhesive is opened for the first time
3) How it's stored
Deciding factors for shelf-life of lash extension adhesive
Factor 1. When the glue is manufactured
The manufacture date is arguably one of the most important indications of the freshness of the lash adhesive.
And here is why:
You know Cyanoacrylate (the main ingredient of lash adhesive) reacts to even the tiny amount of humidity in the air and it starts to get dry? That's what happens to any lash extension adhesive from the moment of production.
When a lash adhesive is manufactured and bottled, they are inevitably exposed to air and start deteriorating (=hardening=drying). This deterioration of the lash glue is ongoing 'in-progress' stage from the second the lash glue is bottled because you can not stop air from entering the bottle.
You might think, why don't you put the lash adhesive in an air-tight container to make it last longer? Well, what we found out is that lash extensions adhesive has a tendency to release a certain type of gas once formulated- when this gets get built up and expands in an air-tight bottle, it ends up the bottle will explode. That's why lash extension adhesive must be kept in an air-flowing bottle.
This is what happens to an air-tight container:
Photo credit: BL
Currently, the best material available for the lash adhesive bottle is one called PE - a breathable plastic that allows the minimum amount of airflow into the lash adhesive bottle. It prevents the bottle from exploding. However, because PE still allows air to enter the bottle, the adhesive is always in the 'hardening-in-progress' stage and keeps on deteriorating even if it has never been opened or used. From our experience, if the adhesive was kept upright in a dry cool area, 4 months is the maximum period of time the unopened adhesive shows its best quality. If the storage condition isn't ideal, the expiration date for unopened adhesive can get as short as 2 months. Also, take note that sensitive adhesives have a tendency to expire faster than normal adhesives.
That's why knowing the manufacturing date of your adhesive is important and purchasing 'fresh out of the batch" adhesive is crucial to the quality of your adhesive. Most of the lash brands do not directly indicate the production or expiration date in the product packaging. It is usually marked with a batch code or lot number located on the bottom of the adhesive bottle.
What do I do if my newly purchased adhesive works funny?
At Lash Savvy, we manufacture all of our adhesive on the first of every month. We only produce the minimum amount of adhesive per batch to ensure the freshness and the best quality of lash extension adhesive delivered to you. We never will sell you old adhesive.
Sometimes if a supplier has a slow-selling cycle, it means that the adhesive may have been sitting in the warehouse for a very long time and already lost its best quality. This explains why if you've previously purchased adhesive and it worked great the first time and then the second bottle that you ordered had less than desirable results. Chances are those two adhesive came from the same batch, yet you might have ordered the second bottle months later. The second bottle was probably past its prime.
Sometime adhesives get damaged during shipping due to over exposure to extreme heat or extreme cold. It's the multiple changes in temperature and humidity that will deteriorate the adhesive.
Our tip: Do not over-buy!
Factor 2. When a product is opened for the first time
Once a product is opened and exposed to air, it will start to lose its quality more rapidly. Your lash adhesive will expire more or less in 1 month. It is very important to eep track of when you first open your product. Use a sharpie to write down the opened date of the back of the package or bottle.
To keep glue its freshest follow the following tips like this:
Also, keep the appropriate temperature and humidity of your room and pay attention to the storage methods to prolong the expiration date.
Tips: how to use the glue properly during the lash extension application
- When dispensing a glue drop, do not make direct contact to the surface of the jade stone or glue ring
- Burp the adhesive bottle
- Wipe the glue nozzle with a glue wipe square immediately after use
- ALWAYS close the lid tightly
Factor 3. How it's stored
No matter what brand lash adhesive you're using, keeping it a consistent humidity and temperature is important. To prolong the shelf-life of your lash adhesive, follow these suggestions
1. Write down the purchase date, open date on your bottle
2. Keep out of direct sunlight and keep it in a cool and darkroom
3. Keep silica pack in airtight container with your adhesive
4. Unless your room temperature is over 75 degrees don't store adhesive in a refrigerator.
5. You may keep adhesive in a refrigerator if the glue is unopened and if your refrigerator has a constant temperature. (Otherwise, it gets frozen-defrost and affects the quality)
6. Do not keep your glue in a freezer
When to Replace Your Lash Adhesive
You should thoroughly observe the state of your adhesive to evaluate whether it's still good to use. Here are some signs that you should change out your adhesive bottle.
- The glue is dried from the inside of the bottle and doesn't come out easily
- the glue is stringy
- It's been opened for more than1 month
Generally speaking, when the glue shows the change of consistency, performance, or separation of ingredients even after you've shaken before each use, it is time for you to open a new lash adhesive.