How to keep your adhesive bottle working as it should
We often see lash technicians complaining about the nozzle of their adhesive bottle becoming clogged up or blocked.
Some even post photos of the nozzle being snapped off!
This can easily be avoided and it's important it's avoided to ensure the longevity of your adhesive and to keep it working at its optimum level.
First of all, the adhesive bottle should ALWAYS be stored upright. If you work on a mobile basis, you need to look at ways to store it upright whilst travelling around.
A great little tip is to store it in a glass jar, with an airtight lid and fill it with rice.
The rice will not only secure it in place, but it can also help keep the adhesive at a regulated temperature whilst it's being stored as well as absorb any moisture that may be around the adhesive bottle.
If the neck of your adhesive bottle becomes clogged, you will notice it becomes more and more difficult to dispense your adhesive. I've seen many people try and push something like a needle down the nozzle to unclog it. All this does is push dry adhesive back inside the bottle. This will only end up back in the neck of your bottle the next time you use it and over time it will become impossible to use it, meaning you end up having to through it away, even though there was lots of product left - super annoying!!
It's very important to never use cotton fibres or products near your adhesive. Cotton fibres can have an exothermic heat reaction with the adhesive. If you apply some adhesive to a cotton pad or cotton bud, you may notice it starts to produce white smoke. This is an exothermic reaction.
If you clean the nozzle of your adhesive with a cotton pad, it's highly likely some fibres will be left behind. If this happens on a regular basis, it can slowly start to melt the plastic nozzle due to the exothermic reaction and in time, this will weaken the neck of the bottle, causing it to snap off.
By keeping your nozzle clear and dispensing it in the correct way, you should be able to use it until the very last drop!
You need to know how to dispense it in the right way, to avoid adhesive getting around the nozzle of your bottle or clogged in the neck of the bottle in the first place.
1. Remove the lid from your adhesive
2. Cover the opening with foil, and shake for a few seconds
3. Dispense a small amount on to your jade stone or glue ring
4. Sit the bottle down upright and give it a gentle squeeze or tap on the surface to "burp" the bottle. This will remove any air from the neck of the bottle
5. If you have any adhesive around the tip of the bottle, use a paper waxing strip to wipe the excess away
6. Secure the lid and store it upright in a cool area away from sunlight and moisture
