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Have you ever noticed the glue on your client's lashes frost white after their eyes got watery during the service or you misted them with water before they were dry?
That's the result of shock polymerization, also known as "blooming". The scientific chemistry term for this is “efflorescence” (in French it means “to bloom”). When the lash glue (specifically the ingredient, cyanoacrylate) is exposed to too much water before the glue is dry, it can flash cure, become white, hard and brittle. In other words, it cures too fast and this is bad for retention.
The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines polymerization as “a chemical reaction in which two or more molecules combine to form larger molecules that contain repeating structural units.” Cyanoacrylate, the main active ingredient in eyelash extension adhesive, needs to polymerize in order for the lash glue to "cure". This process turns the adhesive from liquid to hard and solid. This is what we want as lash artists because it allows the client's lash extensions to last and also allows them to wet their lashes without any retention issues.
How to prevent shock polymerization (lash glue curing TOO QUICKLY?
Dry your work with a fan before nano misting.
Change your glue drop every 20-30 minutes.
If a client gets very watery eyes, dry the lashes as quick as possible.
Questions? Please ask!
erika@brandedlash.com