Should you have issues with cracking, lifting or any other issues with our Dip Liquids during your dip process, check out these troubleshooting tips. For further help, feel free to "chat with us" here on the website. If we do not respond immediately, our response will be sent to your email box. You can also message our Facebook Business Page for assistance.
- How old is your Activator? Activator will be the first liquid to deteriorate and become unusable for a stable mani before any of the liquids. The Activator collects the powder from your nails in the bottle if you don’t brush your powder off before activating.
- Peel base will make your mani crack and pop off. We use it when we want our Mani’s to come off easily.
- Are you using enough Activator? Your first application of Activator should be generous. The Activator hardens the powder. It will not hurt to add more.
- Do NOT wipe the Activator off before using Top Coat. The top coat needs the activator to dry it. However, the activator applied just before the Top Coat should be a quick coat. Do not flood the nail with Activator just before you Top Coat. This can create white splotches and can hinder the Top Coat from drying properly. It can also cause cracking.
- Are you staying clear of the cuticle and skin area? Any product on your skin can be the cause of lifting.
- How many layers of dip are you doing? Too thin and you can get cracking. Too thick without enough Activator can cause the powder not to harden.
- Are you capping the edges on your last Top Coat? Not capping the edges can cause cracking and/or pop offs/lifting.
- Are you using Prep/bond or dehydrating your nails before dipping? This is important. Oily nails will ultimately peel or lift.
- How old is the dip powder that you are using? Believe it or not, the powder does have a shelf life. The shelf life is approximately three years. Now, we have seen dips being used well beyond that but just know that they are guaranteed to be usable at full capacity for approximately three years and, after that you can experience a breakdown of the chemicals inside the powders. Older powders can create cracking on your nail. Shelf life means the date that the powder was originally produced, not the date you purchased it from the company for retail. So that being said, if the powder sat in their facility for a while before being used, your shelf life could be less than three years.
- An improperly formulated dip powder can chip/crack as well. Using reputable companies with a good track record for making powders is a plus! The dip powder to pigment/glitter/foil ratio is very important. Pretty does not always mean formulated well.
- Using liquids past the expiration date. All liquids have a shelf life. The bottles will indicate that shelf life and it's from first use. Sure, you can have a set of liquids last beyond that time period, but the formula will weaken over time. You may not realize it, but contamination can occur and the longer the liquids are being used, the more contamination will happen and weaken the formula.
