drying vs curingDrying vs Curing

Is it Thursday again already?  Where does the time go?!  This week, you get a special treat, because our topic today is drying vs curing.  If you keep a close eye on TLP, this is kind of a hot topic right now, because our lash boss Vanessa just put out a video on this very topic.

Can’t listen or watch right now?  No worries, I got you boo.  I’m gonna tell you the facts about drying and curing so you won’t ever be confused again.

What is drying?

Drying is when the outside of the lash adhesive dries quickly enough for you to continue lashing without any lashes getting stuck together.  To get scientific, the chemicals in the adhesive evaporate into the air, causing the adhesive to harden.  Then, you can move through lashes quickly and safely.  Are you a time saver, or what?

What is curing?

Curing is when the adhesive dries all the way through to the center, by absorbing moisture from the air.  This usually takes around 24 hours to complete.  Curing is the reason that we don’t allow our clients to jump in a pool right after getting their lashes done.  The adhesive cures at its own rate, absorbing just enough moisture.  If we went and introduced ALL OF THE WATER to the adhesive, it wouldn’t cure properly.  Good things take time, friends.

What does humidity have to do with it?

You’ve probably heard some different things about drying and humidity.  What you’ve heard is probably half true.

If humidity is high (I’m looking at you, Floridians!), the lash adhesive will dry slowly.  This is because the air is more dense and holding more moisture, so there’s not as much “room” for the chemicals to “absorb” into the air right away.  However, because there is so much moisture in the air, the lash adhesive will cure more quickly than usual.  Curing’s whole job is to take moisture from the air, so it’s going to have a field day in a highly humid environment.

On the other hand, if humidity is low, those chemicals are going to evaporate right into the air, and your adhesive is going to dry in a flash.  The adhesive is going to cure super slowly, though, because it’s going to be gasping for moisture from that dry air.

How does this affect my adhesive?

The higher the humidity, the slower your adhesive will dry no matter what.  It doesn’t matter if you’re using N1 or N5, the principle is the same.  This applies to low humidity as well.

Basically, the ingredient in the adhesive that is evaporating is the bonding agent, which is why N5 dries more slowly than N1; it has less bonding agent for those lash babes who are allergic to it.  So, the less bonding agent to evaporate, the more slowly it’s going to evaporate, the more slowly it dries.  The opposite is true for N1.

The moral of the story is to know how adhesive works, so that you can deliver the best service to your clients, and keep an eye on the humidity in your salon, so you’re never hindered by adhesive drying and curing times.

xx Cam