Insider: an insight into your adhesive - Part 2

Glad you made it!

Now let’s continue our talk, taking a second look at most talked about ingredients of the eyelash extension adhesive. Our today’s guests are Poly Methyl Methacrylate, Carbon Black and Latex. Let’s get to know them better.

Poly Methyl Methacrylate - ace in the bottle

As well as many other polymers, poly(methyl methacrylate), or PMMA, has many faces. Besides beauty care products, you can find it in medicine as a bone repair material, or know it as acrylic glass used in manufacturing - from smartphone screens to aquariums.

But as we are particularly interested in what PMMA is doing in your adhesive, let’s talk about this material in our favorite context – the lash one!

Just like ethyl cyanoacrylate, PMMA is a polymer that forms a chain of monomers, but the goals of these compounds are different. If cyanoacrylate is crucial for faster curing, PMMA is here to enhance bonding properties of your adhesive. How? In a nutshell, methyl methacrylate is a monomer made of methyl (1 carbon atom connected with 3 hydrogen atoms) and acrylate which is famous for its strength. When polymerized in parallel with cyanoacrylate, poly(methyl methacrylate) takes the role of a reinforcer for a lash extension glue causing it to hold longer and firmer.

Thus, PMMA is responsible for:

1. Forming a solid bond to provide reliable adherence to eyelash extensions
2. Ensuring a long-lasting retention (4-8 weeks in average)

A general adhesive’s list of ingredients contains tiny concentrations of PMMA. However, if it's not for them, lash extensions would not be such a long-lasting and convenient alternative to falsies and regular mascara as we know and love it. Without this ace in the hole, your adhesive would definitely lose its battle for great retention.

 Back to Carbon Black

Carbon Black is a dark full black pigment widely used in the beauty industry. First of all, we should thank Carbon Black for a dramatic definitive look of our eyelash extensions. Still, this insoluble form of solid carbon with a powder consistency is also added to mascaras, eyeliners, brush-on-brow, gothic-style lipsticks and even to some foundations.

Interesting fact: Vegetable carbon - another synonym of Carbon Black - is permitted to be used for food & beverage coloring in the EU. In the US, however, USFDA (US Food and Drug Administration) forbade using carbon for food coloring, thus it is only approved to be present in cosmetics.

Naturally, Carbon Black only comes in black adhesives and is absent in transparent or clear ones, such as our Crystal Clear glue. Carbon Black free adhesives come in handy especially with colorful lash extensions or when a person is allergic to carbon black or has sensitive skin.

Questionless, the look of thick long lashes of an intense black color is iconic and the main “tool” of timeless classic, in this case is definitely Carbon Black. 

Latex

Basically, latex is used in lash adhesives to prevent contact with water and oil thus, providing longer retention. But as a natural rubber, latex tends to cause allergies via direct exposure to the products it is contained in.

Even more dangerous for health latex is made by the fact that allergic reaction is not necessarily triggered on the first or even the 10th use of products fully or partially obtained from latex. It's quite the opposite! According to American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, “In most cases, latex allergy develops after many previous exposures to latex”. Besides, itchy red eyes and blurry eyesight of your client in case of an allergic response may actually be considered the least unpleasant reactions to latex for there is also a serious risk of developing asthmatic symptoms.

That is why nowadays lash adhesive suppliers mostly exclude this compound from ingredient lists, and so do we for Stacy Lash eyelash extension glues. As client safety is a matter of upmost importance for any professional lash artist, it is crucial to avoid any materials, ingredients, or tools in the work process that might potentially hold a health hazard. ‘Do no harm’ is always a reasonable principle to rely on.

To be continued. The next part will be final on this topic. You don’t want to miss it :)