STEP 5: Retention & Speed Booster

How should my clients wash their lashes?

It is always best to recommend to your clients to use a professional product that has been designed and tested to be in contact with the gentle eye area. Our Lash Foam Shampoo has been tested and approved to be used together with eyelash extensions, it removes makeup and prepares lashes for the application. Additionally, it will clean the lashes by removing any oil, sweat and makeup build-up which will help to keep the lashes on longer. 

Baby Shampoo or other products not made specifically for the eye area or lash extensions, in particular, should not be used on the eye area, and quite often can actually cause dryness or irritation on the delicate skin around the eyes.

If your client has sensitive skin or a known allergy to Tea Tree, we would recommend the In Lei Delicate Foaming Shampoo range instead.

Our digital aftercare leaflets have been designed to educate your clients on the correct aftercare procedure. You can purchase our digital aftercare leaflets for your clients here.

My client's lashes are clean but I still have problems with retention, why?

If you are experiencing retention issues make sure to check if you follow all the steps of pre-treatment correctly. Very often lashes that seem ‘clean’ are not thoroughly cleaned and may be causing retention issues. Make sure to always follow a full pre-treatment routine and refer to our glue section to check if you follow all recommendations for the correct work with the adhesive. 

Find out more on how to slay a full pre-treatment routine

Lastly, make sure that your client is also following the lash aftercare as this may also have an impact on the retention.

What is the difference between booster and superbonder?

Retention & Speed Booster is designed to be applied only to the lash extension strip (not the client’s natural lashes). Its purpose is to speed up curing, prevent glue from running up the fibre, and stop fans from closing during fanning, making Russian Volume application faster and easier while supporting better retention. It works with any adhesive but must NOT be used with Easy Fanning lashes.

Superbonder adds elasticity to the adhesive. The additional flexibility ensures the bonds don't break as easily, therefore resulting in better retention. Superbonder instantly polymerises the glue, without shock curing. It locks in the fumes from the adhesive and with the fumes contained, irritation and sensitivity are significantly reduced. Additionally, because the bonds have been sealed, the lashes are instantly safe to get wet. So no more waiting 24 hours after the treatment!

What is the difference between cleanser and primer?

London Lash Cleanser is an alcohol-based product that is used to de-moisturise natural lashes and removes any oils and proteins from their surface. London Lash Primer is a water-based product that is used to moisturise natural lashes and neutralise pH levels to improve the bonding between the natural lashes and the extensions.

It is not recommended to use Cleanser without the Primer. This is because the Cleanser is very drying on the lashes, and without moisture, the lash glue will not be able to cure. The Primer must be used after cleansing, as it puts moisture back into the lashes after the high alcohol content of the Cleanser.

For an extra touch of luxury, why not go for one of our scented Cleansers and Primers? It’s such a little thing, but a slight waft of Cherry or Coconut can take your client’s experience from an 8 to a solid 10!

What is your recommended pre-treatment routine for the best retention?

How you complete your pretreatment has as much of an effect on the retention of the lashes as the glue you use. It can be the difference between 2 weeks of retention, and 5 weeks of retention, so it is very important to get it right - lash retention is client retention, after all!

The very first step should always be makeup removal. You can either give your client a lash bath with a Lash Foam Cleanser to wash their lashes or you can hand them the foaming cleanser so they can wash their lashes themselves in the bathroom. 

After removing all makeup, follow the next pretreatment steps to ensure natural lashes are well prepared:

• Step 1: Use Protein Remover Pads - If there are some remnants of mascara, makeup, oils or sebum build-up around the lashes, the protein remover pads will do an excellent job at ensuring all final traces of unwanted oils are removed.

• Step 2: Use Cleanser - Cleanser has a high alcohol content which gets rid of EVERYTHING - any oils, any residue from foam cleanser that might be left, any little tiny traces of makeup will be gone. 

• Step 3: Use Primer - It is a MUST to use Primer after Cleanser because it puts moisture back into the lashes after the high alcohol content of the Cleanser which can be drying. It gets those lashes ready to have extensions placed on them like nothing else.

• Step 4: Booster! - Retention & Speed Booster is designed to be applied only to the lash extension strip (not the client’s natural lashes). Its purpose is to speed up curing, prevent glue from running up the fibre, and stop fans from closing during fanning, making Russian Volume application faster and easier while supporting better retention. It works with any adhesive but must NOT be used with Easy Fanning lashes.

Ta-da! Now you’re ready to go. Get that map drawn and slay some lashes! 

Can I use only a cleanser to prepare lashes?

We always recommend completing all steps of pre-treatment in order to increase retention and ensure that lashes are super clean. We also would not recommend using a lash Cleanser without following with a lash Primer. This is because lash Cleansers have high alcohol content in order to completely remove any oil residue on the lashes, which can be very drying to the natural lashes. You will need to follow with a lash Primer in order to replace that lost moisture so that the lash glue has some moisture in order to dry. Without some moisture, the lash glue may be drying too slow for you, or not at all!