Important guidance for working with "sensitive" adhesives:

Working with a sensitive adhesive in the lash industry has its challenges, and it's no surprise that it's NOT a popular choice among lash artists. In the past, sensitive adhesives were the only option available and because of this many lash artists threw in the towel, becuase they made our job impossible and unpleasant. But thankfully, the industry has evolved since then and long gone are these “hard to work with” sensitive adhesives.

Sensitive adhesive contains extremely low levels of cyanoacrylate and stabilisers, which provide the formulas responsible for making the glue sticky, quick-curing with an instant magnetic grab, hold, and ensuring a strong bond with long lasting results. However, removing these ingredients in high concentrates leaves us with a VERY slow-curing adhesive that lacks any grab and can be super challenging to work with: hence we no longer work with them in favour of our quick curing, magnetic strong hold incredible adhesives which contain high levels of CA and stabilisers.

While suppliers have to offer sensitive adhesive as an option for customers that request a sensitive option or for the lash artist to test for allergies, it's never meant to replace the traditional quick-curing adhesives that we're accustomed to using and make our job so much easier - and don’t forget, they are a pain to work with so prepare yourself.

Remember:

Sensitive adhesive, even for experienced lash artists is really difficult to work with – it doesn't grab onto the natural lash, takes a really long time to cure, and retention will be much poorer - but we use them to test for any sensitivity or reaction.

Here are some tips for working with sensitive adhesives: 

• Use classic lashes only; avoid hand-made Russian volume fans, they will never set or bond.
• Maintain a VERY high temperature and humidity in your lash room to assist with curing these super slow adhesives (think about turning your oven up to maximum to make your cake bake quicker). Also use a UK/EU made accelerator such as our Speedy Lash.
• Use a minimal amount of adhesive, a large bead will take forever to cure and these glues are already super slow curing.
• When applying the adhesive to the natural lash, do a shimmy or swipe three times to activate the glue. We would never do this with our standard adhesives as it would shock cure, but with a sensitive, it is the only way to assist the cure.
• Be prepared for the extensions to flop and hold them in place for 10 to 15 seconds…. Be patient so set out enough time.
• Inform your client that retention will be very poor, as sensitive adhesive is primarily used for testing purposes, so the job of this glue really is to help identify any reaction, and not for quick curing long lasting results!

In conclusion - never assume a sensitive adhesive will provide a replacement for your current quick curing, thin viscosity, magnetic grab long hold glue - they could not be further from the the truth and this is why the industry no longer favours them and lash artists HATE working with them!

Prepare yourself for the challenge of working with this very different adhesive and don’t blame yourself or the glue, its just how they are (hence why no one uses them).

Although sensitive adhesives are a pain to work with, they do remind us of how far the lash industry has come. We're fortunate to now have access to quick-curing adhesives that make our work easier and more efficient - these newer lash artists have no idea how lucky they are!!!!!

STORAGE:

You can store our unopened Eyelash Excellence adhesives in the fridge for up to 6 months before first opening.
When you do open for the first time, please allow them to come to room temperature first. If you open a cold glue it will draw the warm air in and can spoil the adhesive.
Once opened, never store them back in the fridge, just keep them at room temperature and out of direct sunlight.

INGREDIENTS

• Ethyl-2-Cyanoacrylate
• PMMA
• BHA
• Carbon Black

What is the best eyelash glue for sensitive eyes?

UK Made only - please avoid anything coming out of the Far East, this also relates to any other liquid products. Sadly Far East products usually contain super low grade harmful ingredients, to learn more on this super in-depth subject visit our blogs HERE

Why am I suddenly allergic to eyelash glue?

Overtime, some clients can become intolerant to eyelash glue and the other liquids used. In high grade/beauty grade UK made lash adhesives and liquids it is very rare, but due to 90-95% of all liquids and glues in the lash industry coming out of the Far East and containing low grade industrial non human grade ingredients, its no wonder so many clients are now showing intolerances to eyelash extensions which can easily be prevented by using high grade UK/EU made products.

Is there an alternative to eyelash glue?

Currently all eyelash glues contain forms of acrylate, which for many is the ingredient that people become sensitive to. Although there are some eyelash glues that are free from cyanoacrylate, they still have ingredients in them that are part of the acrylate family. Therefore it is very likely that they will still be sensitive to this eyelash glue. However some clients are intolerant to the low grade stabilisers also used, so swapping these to cosmetic grade stabilisers like ours can be the solution.

SAFE GLUES:

Please ensure you are working with safe UK/EU made glues and liquids. Many believe that if they purchase a Sensitive Eyelash Glue then their clients will not react, this is NOT always the case. Many of the adhesives sold fall far short of safety regulations. Our Sensitive Eyelash Glue, along with all of our range, are the safest there are, due to the fact that they are made in the UK and conform to strict safety regulations which supersede those across the globe. Many of the glues, even those described as Sensitive Eyelash Glue, contain many harmful stabilisers as well as industrial strength CA which is harmful to be used as a cosmetic product. Buy our Sensitive Eyelash Glue which confidence that it does not contain any of these, as such is very safe to be used on human.

Always patch test your client 24-48 hours prior to their treatment (check with your insurance provider)

Why do we give a working range for eyelash extension glues?

CA (cyanoacrylate) which is the key ingredient in most adhesives requires the perfect control of both temperature and humidity in order to cure correctly.

(It’s like baking a cake – if you fail to set the oven correctly the cake will not bake)

The lower the temperature and humidity in your lashing space, the slower the cure of the adhesive will be.

The higher the temperature and humidity in your lashing space, the faster the cure of the adhesive will be.

Failure to control “both” your temperature and humidity will render your glue useless.

Watch this video for more information: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GdOUw4OYjcc

What adhesive suits me?

Every lash artist will work at a different speed and in a different environment (different temperature and humidity levels), as such it is impossible for there to be one adhesive that suits all.

Therefore, the artist will always have to work by “trial and error” to find an adhesive that suits their personal working environment and their clients – (some client’s lashes are dry, some oily) as such it can never be one glue suits every client. We offer all our glues in sample sizes which is the best way to find a glue which suits you.

My adhesive is taking too long to cure, what should I do?

Simply increase your temperature and humidity to speed up the curing process - especially with this super slow curing sensitive adhesive.

My adhesive is curing too quickly, what should I do?

Simply decrease your temperature and humidity to slow down the curing process.

What does cure speed mean in seconds?

This is just a guide, to assist “only” in understanding the average cure time from when you place the extension onto the natural lash to it starting the set cure (when the extension is set in place)

Cure speeds assist only in helping the lash artist choose the correct glue for their lashing speed and experience level and should in no way be taken as the exact guide of set times for the extension.

If you grab a larger bead of adhesive then your extension will take longer to cure, whereas if you grab a seamless amount your extension will cure quicker.

As such cure times can only “assist” and can never be taken as an exact set cure time.

Why is my adhesive not working on my mannequin head?

If you are practicing on a mannequin head, you will always find that your adhesives will be very slow curing. This is because practice lashes are made from PBT and hold no moisture unlike real lashes. Therefore, when attempting to practice they will not grab, unless you use our fastest adhesive Supersonic and an accelerator.

Should I purchase an adhesive to suit my lash room’s natural temperature and humidity levels, or set my levels to suit the adhesive I am using?

You MUST always set your room levels to suit the adhesive you are using, never the other way around.

CA is very temperamental, as such we must always provide it with the levels it likes to work best at.

When we bake a cake, we always set the oven to suit that cake mixture, so adopt this understanding whenever you work with eyelash adhesive.

Can I work with just one adhesive?

Most experienced artists have 2-3 adhesives that they work with, each to suit whether they are classic or volume lashing, as well as the client they are working on at the appointment. It is very rare that one adhesive suits that artist alone as well as all of their clients.

How long do my adhesives last?

Stored un-open in the fridge, they will last up to 6 months. Once opened the recommended shelf life is 5-7 weeks, however if that glue is not used every day then most will last up to 3 months. Opened bottles should be stored upright, in an airtight container, at room temperature and out of direct sunlight.

Adhesive that has ‘gone off’ will usually take on a stringy consistency (with the exception of our oil resistant adhesive) or will not grab onto the NL.

I have just started working with a new adhesive that is unfamiliar to me, it does not grab or cure like my other adhesive, it must be off or bad right?

It is very rare for adhesives to be off or bad. They are made in large batches, as such if one adhesive is reported to be off/bad then whole batch will be, and the supplier will be inundated with complaints.

Adhesives also travel really well around the globe and very rarely become compromised unless left in extreme environments of hot or cold for a long period of time (which is rare due to their express delivery times). As such it is unlikely that it has gone off – if it has it will usually show signs of a stringy consistency or a grey/separated appearance.

When working with a new glue, you must understand that it will work and perform very differently from your existing adhesive, therefore you can never compare the two and instead learn how to work with that new glue differently and understand that to start off with you may have both application and retention issues with that adhesive.

Should I shake my adhesive?

Always shake your adhesive at the start of your lash appointment, removing the lid and placing folded up paper wax strip over the nozzle. If you shake your adhesive with the lid on, then adhesive will travel up the nozzle and stick your lid to the nozzle.

Always burp your adhesive after dispensing to remove trapped air from the nozzle.

How should I store my adhesive?

Store unopened bottles in the fridge. Opened bottles should be stored upright, in an airtight container, at room temperature and out of direct sunlight. Once opened never put your adhesive back in the fridge, this can compromise the adhesive.

How often should I change my adhesive dot?

For optimum performance always refresh your adhesive every 15- 20 minutes with a brand new dot.

Why are my clients lashes not lasting?

There are always soooooooo many reasons why you may be having retention issues on your clients and most of the time it can be impossible to ever really get to the bottom of it.

Sadly, most artists are very quick to blame the adhesive where as 99% this is not the case.

Most retention issues are caused by the following:

• Failing to control temperature and humidity
• Not refreshing your adhesive often enough
• Too little adhesive used
• Incorrect attachment
• Not working quick enough for that adhesive
• Extensions too long or too heavy for the NL
• In correct preparation of the lashes or using non-lash products
• Oily clients
• Clients failing to follow aftercare correctly
• Clients using high strength creams, hair products, heavy makeup etc.
• Clients taking oily supplements for skin and hair
• Clients sleeping on their faces – although they will rarely admit this.

This list could go on, but it is always important to work through the list before blaming the adhesive.

*Please do NOT use nano misters with any of our adhesives. Nano misters shock cure the adhesive, reducing bond strength by up to 30%. If you choose to use a nano mister, we cannot guarantee retention of our adhesives.

What should I do if after trouble shooting, I still think my adhesive is bad?

Always contact the supplier, they will then work with you and ask lots of questions to see if they can get to the bottom of it. Do not be offended by the questions they ask, they are simply trying to assist to see if there is an obvious solution.

99% the time, your supplier does not know you personally, or how you work, as such they will need to ask lots of question to try to understand why you are having issues with the adhesive. They will then work back and forth with you, so they can gain as much information on the problems you are having. If need be they will ask for the glue to be sent back for testing, as well as construct a detailed report to send to their manufacturers.