How to get the best retention using Crystal Bond?
The best temperature for Crystal Bond Glue glue is 18-22°C (64.4°F - 71.6°F) with perfect humidity conditions being 45-60% Please remember that if your:
- Temperature is lower than 18°C (64.4°F), glue may be drying slower
- Temperature is higher than 22°C (71.6°F), glue may be drying quicker
- Humidity is lower than 45%, glue may be drying slower
- Humidity is higher than 60%, glue may be drying quicker
Working in the perfect glue conditions will ensure its drying time is on point, resulting in great retention. To monitor your room conditions, we recommend using a hygrometer. The easiest way to adjust the temperature in your lash room is to use an Air Conditioner, fan or heater/radiator. To increase or decrease the humidity, use a humidifier or dehumidifier.
Remember that incorrect work with fast-drying adhesive can cause poor retention. If your room has high humidity and temperature, your glue will dry much faster. But since the speed of your work is not increasing accordingly, you might experience poor attachment causing extensions to “brush off” at the end of the treatment OR fall off the natural lashes within the next 2-3 days after the treatment.
Your retention may also be affected if your adhesive is not fresh or you store or use your glue incorrectly.
The shelf life of full size Crystal Bond glue before opening is 6 months from the date of production and for the sample it’s 3 months. After opening, we recommend changing your glue bottle every 4 weeks for the best retention. If you use the sample bottle, you need to change it every 5-7 days. Please remember to store your glue in the upright position, in a dry place, away from direct sunlight, ideally in an airtight container.
To keep an eye on the freshness of your glue, simply stick a piece of tape with a written date of the glue opening onto your adhesive bottle. When shaking the glue, remove the lid and cover the nozzle with a folded in half glue nozzle wipe. Remember to wipe the nozzle after every use of the glue to prevent the nozzle getting stuck into the cap .
If you notice that your retention is not perfect, please go through this checklist:
- Adjust the level of humidity and/or temperature in the room to the recommended levels.
- Check if you clean natural lashes properly - we recommend using Lash Foam cleanser to clean the eye area from any dust, oils or makeup (make sure to rinse it well before lash application!) AND/OR protein remover pads (removes traces of makeup and oils). After a thorough cleaning process and applying eyepatches, prepare natural lashes using cleanser (removes any remaining oils), followed by primer (hydrates and neutralizes PH level).
- For even better results, use Retention & Speed Booster as a last preparation step to open hair cuticles and enable the glue to bond better with a natural lash.
- For those clients who “play” with their lashes and sleep with their “face in the pillow” - use Retention Superbonder as the last step of your application procedure. SuperBonder cures the glue faster and makes the glue texture more flexible and less likely “to snap off” the natural lashes.
- Check if your professional eyelash glue bottle is still fresh.
- Make sure you ALWAYS work with a fresh glue drop (we recommend changing a glue drop every 10-20 minutes - or even more frequently during the hot months).
- Make sure you pick up a good amount of glue - a too small bead that is not visible or a very thin layer of adhesive might not be enough to hold the extension on the natural lash during the next few weeks. Consider that most of your clients might sleep with their face in the pillow and “play” with their eyelashes.
- Check your attachment (at least 2mm attachment with the natural lash, no split or criss-crossed bases).
- The glue drop used should be neither too large (the greater the surface, the more the adhesive will come into contact with the air), nor too small (the glue drop will dry too fast).
- Do not add fresh glue onto the previous drop of the glue (the contact between the "old" and the "new" drop will make the glue ‘gloopy’ very quickly).
- If none of the above is working - switch to slightly slower drying adhesive or consider booking a training or a mentoring session with one of London Lash Approved Trainers.
The glue for semi-permanent eyelash extensions is for professional use only.
