Knowing how to maximize the lifetime of your glue is also an important factor in reducing the costs of your lash supplies – nobody likes buying more glue than they have to, especially when that money could be in your pocket instead!
In this article, we’re going to talk about how to store your Sky eyelash glue to maximize its lifetime and performance, how to keep track of when you need to buy new glue and also how to prevent your glue bottle from clogging.
There are many different claims made about how long professional lash adhesives last. While there are some differences in the formulations of products produced by different companies, the core ingredients remain the same, and so does the lifetime of those products.
Typically, after manufacturing is complete, the shelf life of a lash adhesive is around 6 months. This can however be extended by a couple of months if it is stored in the refrigerator (more on this later).
Once opened, depending on how the bottle is stored, the shelf life reduces to around 5-7 weeks. This is not a hard and fast rule – you might be able to get longer out it, however you will likely start to see a drop in the performance of the adhesive.
The key point here is that the clock starts ticking when the manufacturing process is complete. Some lash companies might only order stock once every 3 months. If you purchase a bottle just before they place a new order, you might receive a glue that has been sitting in a warehouse for 3+ months and hence its lifetime has been reduced to less than 3 months unopened.
This is why it’s so important to always order from a reliable company who has enough customers to quickly sell through their stock. We at Sky Glue, have a direct link to our factory in South Korea. When new stock is required (and that’s all the time!), it is manufactured on the spot and shipped out straight away so that you always get the freshest product with maximum shelf life remaining.
Let’s take a look at how we should store both unopened and opened bottles of Sky Glue now.
As already mentioned, the shelf life for unopened bottles of Sky Glue is approximately 6 months. If you’re not planning on using it for a while, you should keep the pouch it comes in sealed so that no air or moisture can reach the bottle. Keep it in a cool, dark place away from direct sunlight.
To extend the unopened shelf life for another 2 or even 3 months, you can put the glue in the refrigerator (still inside the sealed pouch). This slows down the natural aging of the ingredients just like how the fridge stops your food going off so quick!
If your store your unopened glue in the fridge, it’s REALLY important to take it out at least an hour before you use it to allow it to warm to room temperature. This will prevent any condensation from forming inside the bottle (condensation will cure the glue…which is very bad)!
First things first; DO NOT store your opened glue bottles in the fridge! As mentioned above, condensation will form inside the bottle and your glue will go off!
Opened bottles should have their lids tightly closed and be stored upright in a cool, dry place. If possible, you should store the glue inside the Sky Glue pouch with the silica pack to prohibit excessive moisture from getting into the bottle.
Needless to say, you should store all bottles of glue far out of reach of any children!
And remember to shake your glue really well for 30-60 seconds before your use it every single time! This will ensure that all the ingredients are properly mixed – if you don’t shake your glue then it can come out too concentrated and not black (the pigment will separate from the cyanoacrylate). If you see glue that’s a watery grey rather than a deep black then it’s time to shake it some more!
It’s quite simple actually… just write down when you opened your glue and make a note of the expiry date. Set a reminder to order more glue on that expiry date and off you go!
If you don’t write down dates, then you’re living dangerously. You’ll likely find your glue acting a bit strange one day and then panic while you wait for a new bottle to arrive!
The worst thing you can do for your business is to forget to order new glue and then have to cancel clients because you can’t lash them. Don’t let this happen to you!
When you order directly from Sky Glue then we'll keep track and send you out a reminder email if you’ve not purchased glue for a month. Even if nobody else has got your back, we’ll try our best to help you out!
We’ve heard it time and time again – you’ve used your glue once or twice and now the nozzle is clogged up and no glue comes out.
This situation is fairly easily avoided if you follow our best practices for storing your glue. One of the most important things to remember is that you have to store your glue sitting upright. If your bottle is sitting on its side then the nozzle WILL clog! No doubt!
If you are doing this but you still find the bottle clogs a little then it’s time to be a little cleaner. What you CAN’T do is wipe the nozzle with cotton, water or alcohol. These materials will react with your glue and you don’t want that! If you absolutely have to clean your nozzle then we’d suggest using a dry sponge to wipe around the tip.
If all else fails, we have seen some people actually remove the nozzle entirely and then cleaning it with some remover. This really isn’t advisable as your glue will be exposed to the air while you’re doing this, and it will start to cure during that time. Plus it’s actually quite difficult to force the nozzle off!
Just be clean and keep your bottle upright at all times and you shouldn’t have any problems. Oh, and we also include a small unblocking pin in every pack to help you out too!
If you only remember 1 thing from this article, it’s that your glue can be the best in the industry and cost $100 but if you’re buying it from a distributor who is unable to sell through their stock quickly enough, then you’re likely buying old stock that WILL expire sooner than the recommended shelf life.
Always buy from a reputable supplier like Sky Glue who can guarantee that their stock is regularly refreshed to ensure that you don’t receive old glue.
Happy lashing! 🙂
]]>Let’s list them out and then go into more detail about what each of them do below.
Ethyl Cyanoacrylate is the main ingredient in all professional eyelash glues, in fact it’s the basis of almost all quick drying adhesives. So when someone says “this lash glue smells suspiciously like nail glue” – well, they’re spot on because it’s made from exactly the same base ingredient!
Without going deep into the science of what this particular chemical is made up of, we can simply say that it is a quick self-hardening solution. It’s what makes the adhesive grab onto lashes and dry almost instantly.
Simply put, Poly (Methyl Methacrylate) is the part of the adhesive that forms the long lasting, strong bond – it’s what’s responsible for your super long retention.
So when you mix Ethyl Cyanoacrylate with Poly (Methyl Methacrylate), you have the two most important aspects of a lash glue covered: the quick drying, instant bond that grabs the lashes and then the long lasting strong holding bond that gives you several weeks of retention.
Hydroquinone is only present in lash adhesives in tiny amounts, and yet it serves an important purpose – that is to prevent the glue from polymerizing (curing) inside the bottle. It’s what keeps your glue from drying/hardening, before you’ve had a chance to use it.
Carbon Black is what’s responsible for the deep black color of the adhesive. Obviously, this ingredient is only included in black adhesives and it’s not present in clear glues.
There are official reports in both the UK and the US that confirm that the use of Ethyl Cyanoacrylate (the main ingredient) is safe and that additional studies are not necessary.
The US Cosmetics Database also states that Poly (Methyl Methacrylate) is safe to use, and it is rated a low hazard ingredient – no problems there then!
In large amounts, hydroquinone can be used to lighten blemishes such as scars on the skin. The FDA have not done any carcinogenic tests on humans so they have not formed an opinion on how dangerous it is to us, however some research suggests that applying significant amounts of it directly to the skin may cause problems. However, putting this aside, in lash adhesives it is present in such a tiny amount (less than 0.1%), and it’s not applied directly to the skin, so there’s absolutely nothing to worry about.
There is some evidence that Carbon Black powder can cause problems in the lungs if breathed in; however in lash adhesives it is dissolved in liquid and hence it’s not possible to inhale in its powder form.
So it’s pretty conclusive that the ingredients in Sky Glue are safe to use then!
Formaldehyde is a word that’s banded around in lash forums all the time. It’s a toxic chemical that is dangerous to breathe so it’s not surprising that people worry about it.
It’s commonly thought that some glues are manufactured with formaldehyde. In actual fact no glues are made with formaldehyde – instead a really tiny amount of it is formed when the adhesive is cured on contact with the air. Similar to hydroquinone, the amounts we’re talking about are so small that it’s not something to worry about. Just remember to keep your work area well ventilated so any vapor is dispersed as quickly as possible.
All glues produce the same tiny amount of formaldehyde when curing. The reason lash companies advertise their products as ‘formaldehyde free’ is because everybody keeps asking about it!
Nothing!
Seriously, ‘hypoallergenic’ is just a made up term that marketers love to use to advertise their products. There is no official scientific or medical standard for a product to adhere to in order to be named ‘hypoallergenic’. The FDA only writes the following about it:
“Hypoallergenic cosmetics are products that manufacturers claim produce fewer allergic reactions than other cosmetic products. Consumers with hypersensitive skin, and even those with “normal” skin, may be led to believe that these products will be gentler to their skin than non-hypoallergenic cosmetics. There are no Federal standards or definitions that govern the use of the term “hypoallergenic.”
So don’t be fooled by the marketers out there!
The Sky Glue ingredients list has been thoroughly checked and is confirmed to be safe to use.
The majority of lash glues are manufactured using the same ingredients. What causes the differences in performance is the way the adhesives are formulated and the exact amount of each ingredient that is used (small differences can be significant).
Having said that, you should always check each adhesive you use for the list of ingredients to ensure that you are not putting yourself at risk. Developments in the lash industry are rapid, so the latest glue you try might have a different formulation and/or ingredients list and might not be as safe as you think.
Always check and be confident that you are not exposing yourself to dangerous chemicals!
]]>To make it simpler for you to decide which Sky Glue will be best for you, we’ve put together an easy to understand summary of each type available highlighting their main features.
]]>Knowing how your glue performs is incredibly important when you’re applying eyelash extensions. Some technicians need a glue that dries a little slower as they’re newer to the industry. If they were to choose a super-fast drying glue it would start to cure before the lashes had been applied properly and the strength of the bond would be compromised.
Some lash artists are located in areas with low humidity. Using an adhesive that works well only in higher humidities would mean that, again, the bond to the natural lash would not be as strong as it should be.
At the end of the day, in order for you to successfully run your business and be confident that you’re not going to get lots of clients complaining about poor retention, you need a glue that suits your environment and the way that you work.
To make it simpler for you to decide which Sky Glue will be best for you, we’ve put together an easy to understand summary of each type available highlighting their main features.
Remember that we allow wholesalers to use different color caps, so you need to pay attention to the type of glue you’re buying, not just the color of the caps. When someone next asks you which type of glue you use, it’s not enough to say “Sky Glue red cap”!
It’s our most popular adhesive, and it has built a solid reputation for being one of the best eyelash extension glues around the world. Sky Glue S+ is our fastest drying glue and has the best retention available at 6-7 weeks, when used correctly. You need fast hands to keep up though, so don’t try this if you’re new to lashing!
► Drying time: 1-2 seconds
► Retention Period: 6-7 weeks
► Color: Black
► Ideal Application Conditions: 74-82F with humidity of RH 50-70%
The predecessor to Sky S+, this glue was launched over a decade ago and is still a hit amongst lash artists. Similar in performance to S+ but a tiny bit thinner in consistency, some prefer it over S+ but this is a personal preference that should be decided by the individual technician. Once again, this is a super-fast drying adhesive, so not for beginners!
► Drying time: 1-2 seconds
► Retention Period: 5-6 weeks
► Color: Black
► Ideal Application Conditions: 74-82F with humidity of RH 50-70%
This is the only clear (transparent) adhesive we offer. It’s identical to Sky S in terms of viscosity, fumes and performance, and perfect for use with colored lashes or to achieve any other effect that might require a transparent glue.
► Drying time: 1-2 seconds
► Retention Period: 5-6 weeks
► Color: Clear
► Ideal Application Conditions: 74-82F with humidity of RH 50-70%
Our flagship Russian Volume adhesive, Sky Glue D+ dries as quickly as S+ & S, but it has a slightly thicker consistency which makes it that much easier to work with when creating volume fans. If you’re an experienced lash tech and offer Russian Volume then you need this glue!
► Drying time: 1-2 seconds
► Retention Period: 4-6 weeks
► Color: Black
► Ideal Application Conditions: 74-82F with humidity of RH 50-70%
Sky Glue D has the same amazing consistency as D+ but with a slightly longer drying time of 3-4 seconds, perfect for those who need that extra couple of seconds. It’s also slightly less fumey than D+ so great for clients who can’t cope with high fume adhesives.
► Drying time: 3-4 seconds
► Retention Period: 4-6 weeks
► Color: Black
► Ideal Application Conditions: 74-82F with humidity of RH 50-70%
Lady Black has been specially formulated to give superb performance without a high level of fumes making it perfect for sensitive eyes. It’s also the go-to glue for those with low to moderate humidity levels in their treatment areas, as it's incredibly versatile. Our recommended humidity levels are still RH 50-70% but this adhesive will work well at much lower humidity levels too.
► Drying time: 3-4 seconds
► Retention Period: 5-6 weeks
► Color: Black
► Ideal Application Conditions: 72-77F with humidity of RH 50-70%
Sky Zone adhesive is the most advanced glue that Sky have developed to date. It offers industry leading retention of up to an amazing 7 weeks in addition to a super fast drying time of 1-2 seconds. This unbeatable performance usually comes at the cost of super high fumes, but Sky Zone has lower fume levels than S+. It's truly revolutionary!
► Drying time: 1-2 seconds
► Retention Period: 6-7 weeks
► Color: Black
► Ideal Application Conditions: 74-82F with humidity of RH 50-70%
After reading the above, hopefully you know which glue you need. However it’s important to remember that no matter how good your glue is, if you don’t follow best practices then your retention will suffer. Some of the things you need to consider when using your glue are:
Head over to the product info page for more info on how to get the most out of your glue.
To make it easier for you to share this info with your fellow lash artists, we’ve put together this easy to read comparison for each of the Sky Glue types:
If you have any further questions, feel free to contact us at support@skyglue.store and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can.
Want to know what's actually in your lash adhesive? We've written this informative article which will tell you what the ingredients of Sky Glue are, what each of them do, and if they're safe to use. Give it a read!
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