Hello again!
And thanks for sticking around!
The third and final part of our glue trilogy shall go as follows.
The ingredient of Schrodinger
Among all the glue ingredients, Formaldehyde is perhaps the most mysterious and dicey one. First of all, it is not exactly clear whether the effect of Formaldehyde is so negative as it is stated. Furthermore, even when Formaldehyde is not included in the list of ingredients of an eye lashes glue officially, it doesn’t necessarily mean that it won’t reveal itself to some extent overall. Since Formaldehyde is emitted as a byproduct, when you look at the bottle of your adhesive, this compound can be considered as both present and absent simultaneously. In this article we’ve decided to, so to say, put this ingredient of “Schrodinger” under the microscope and examine it in all the detail vital for a lash professional to be aware of.
What is Formaldehyde? A rough portrait
Formaldehyde is a colorless gas and though it doesn’t show it, this dude is basically everywhere. It seems to be released by everything that moves on this earth, and we are not just talking about cars: birds in the sky, fishes in a pond, a juicy apple or a cup of coffee in your hand - all of these are a small factory of many curious byproducts including Formaldehyde. This is mainly related with combustion, but humans produce Formaldehyde as a part of our natural metabolism, too. Human body normally has no more than 1 millimolar.
Obviously, this agent can blend in undisclosed with almost every crowd of other chemicals. That, plus great conserving and disinfecting properties, is the reason behind Formaldehyde being so widely used in the manufacture of all kinds of products. Plastics, resins, woven fabrics, washing liquids, personal care products, antiseptics, nail and eyelash glue are the products where you can expect this “super agent”.
However, staying in disguise can’t last forever even for this “chemical James Bond”. Formaldehyde has a highly distinctive pungent odor, so it won’t be easy for your nose to make its peace with it even while the proportion of the ingredient is within its most modest measure (Daniel Craig heaves a sigh of relief).
Finally, all of the above is translated to the chemistry language by the simple and elegant formula: CH2O (carbon + hydrogen, and + oxygen).
Formaldehyde’s Dark Side and Where it begins for you
To put things straight from the very beginning, it must be said that Formaldehyde was marked as a carcinogen by the US Department of Health and Human Services, and FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration) rings a bell on the same agenda. Apart from it, there are other less lethal but equally alarming reactions possible to be caused by exposing yourself to this compound, especially for the sensitive people. Among symptoms of the exposure are eye irritation, swollen eyelids, dermatitis and headache, respiratory issues, dizziness, nausea, chest pain and more. It’s already seven in the boat and we have still said nothing about severe effects from a prolonged exposure (asthma, for instance).
Pertaining to an eyelash glue, presence of Formaldehyde can catalyst natural lashes falling out above normal or cause an eye infection. And while different people experience different severity of reactions to the same level of exposure, the odds of losing this Russian Roulette are pretty high overall.
So what about the glue?
You may be asking questions now: Okay, so how come that we are discussing this health “unfriendly” compound in terms of eyelash glue ingredients? And anyway, aren’t Stacy Lash glues Formaldehyde free?
You are totally right. Here, at Stacy Lash store, we sell lash adhesives which do not contain any traceable amounts of Formaldehyde. But we also can’t deny that Formaldehyde is one of the 2 compounds which Ethyl Cyanoacrylate is made of (together with Ethyl Cyanoacetate). If you hoped that a Formaldehyde free adhesive exists on the market - abandon hope. Nowadays all professional adhesives are mostly based on Ethyl Cyanoacrylate (science progress, are you coming any soon?). However, thanks to the current technologies applied in the production of our adhesives, the amount of Formaldehyde left is so microscopically small that it does not reach the level detectable by laboratory tests, so it can’t be considered an ingredient in anyway.
But it’s not only that. Microscopic quantities of Formaldehyde may actually be formed as the glue wends its way through its shelf life. Plus, a minimal proportion of Him-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named in a lash studio is released as the eyelash glue dries once an eyelash extension is applied, and no one can stop him….Too much drama? Agreed!
Keep calm cause we are ready to provide you with a few simple but effective measures to take against Formaldehyde exposure in advance.
Precautionary actions
Your ability to take precautions is a lacmus paper of your proficiency level and client care. Not less important is your own health and on-the-job safety. It’s always better to ensure against an allergic or other reaction than deal with its consequences.
Though Formaldehyde acts as a main source of inspiration for these measures, it is not the only one. Say, Cyanoacrylate to begin with. And whatever small amount of chemical stuff is released from your eyelash adhesive, we believe it’s vital to keep the level of exposure safe.
- Always have your lash place well-ventilated to mitigate the fumes and ensure neither you, nor your client won’t have to catch your breath during 2-3 hours of procedure.
- Have a patch test before going forward with a lash-boosting procedure for a new client. In general, 5% of all people who do lash extensions may experience an allergic reaction regardless of their main health status. There is always a chance of individual intolerance to some ingredients of the lash adhesive.
- Use Nano Mister to boost the process of drying and hence minimize the amount of fumes nearby your respiratory system.
- Don’t miss a chance to take a walk between clients. That will let some fresh air into both your lungs and mind.
- Make sure to practice hygiene on work and water your face and neck after each appointment.
Having a strong command of the eyelash glue ingredients is crucial. We hope this info will assist you in making your clients happy with an impressive fluttering look of their lashes while preventing any risk posed to their well-being and yours.
