YOUR RETENTION MAY BE TRASH BECAUSE YOUR CLEANSER IS 

You’re cleansing your lashes—good.
But are you using the right cleanser?

Because if you’re not? That lash-safe habit might be the very thing breaking down your adhesive and wrecking your retention.

Cyanoacrylate Adhesive Has Rules. Break Them, and It Breaks.

Cyanoacrylate (the glue used in lash extensions) is powerful, but it's chemically sensitive. When exposed to certain ingredients, it dries out, becomes brittle, or loses flexibility—and that’s when your lashes start popping off like popcorn.

What’s Hiding in Your Cleanser That Could Wreck Retention

Here’s what to watch for:

• Glycols: Often added for moisture or slip—can slowly break down the adhesive bond

• Alcohols & Surfactants: Used in makeup removers and foaming cleansers—dry and destabilize cured adhesive

• Oils: Obvious offenders that dissolve lash glue and weaken bonds

• pH Imbalance: Adhesive is pH-sensitive. Using a cleanser outside the ideal pH range interferes with bond longevity.

Even Foaming Lash Cleansers Aren’t Always Safe

Foam = bubbles.
Bubbles = surfactants.

And many surfactants used to make a cleanser foam are too harsh for lash adhesives, especially if they weren’t formulated to pair with cyanoacrylate.

Some foaming lash cleansers on the market look lash-safe but contain ingredients that dry out or degrade the bond over time—especially if used daily.

pH Compatibility Matters More Than You Think

Professional-grade lash systems are formulated as a set—meaning their cleanser, adhesive, primer, and aftercare products are chemically compatible.

• Xtreme Lashes® products, for example, are pH-balanced to support their adhesive’s flexibility and longevity.

• NovaLash® adhesives contain a rubberizing agent—which makes them chemically different. Their cleanser is designed to work specifically with that formulation.

❗ Using a NovaLash cleanser with an adhesive that lacks a rubberizing agent (like Xtreme) could actually cause more harm than good—because the chemical relationship doesn’t match.

Bottom Line: Not All Lash Products Play Nice Together

If your cleanser wasn’t formulated by the same brand that made your adhesive—check the pH, surfactants, and ingredient list.
When in doubt, ask your lash artist or educator.

What to Use Instead

Stick with a professional-grade, pH-balanced cleanser that’s specifically formulated for cyanoacrylate adhesives—like:

• Lash brand-specific cleansers designed for adhesive compatibility

Final Advice

You can do everything else right—but if your cleanser is wrong, it will silently destroy your retention. Don’t let your “clean routine” cost you your lash line.

Lash health is chemistry. Make sure your products are speaking the same language.