October 3rd, 2010 - 3:41 pm
Q&A #4 Why do I need to shake the Shellac bottles?
Shellac color coat, topcoat and base coat must be shaken for 30 seconds prior to each use.
Q. Why do I need to shake the Shellac bottles?
A. When Shellac is not in use, the solvents rise to the top of the bottle. Solvents are the reason Shellac stays thin inside the bottle. If the bottle is not shaken prior to use, a disproportionate amount of solvent will be used as the brush is pulled through the top layer of solvent. Additionally, during use, more Solvent can evaporate out of the open bottle. As more solvent is used, the formula becomes off balance and the thicker ingredients that settle to the bottom of the Shellac bottle are left. Overtime, this make Shellac seem thicker which makes it difficult to apply Shellac in thin layers and can lead to under curing and wrinkling.
SHAKE….. SHAKE….. SHAKE the Shellac
(prior to every application for 30 seconds.)
Click here for Shellac Step-by-Step
Holly L Schippers says:
May 2nd, 2011 at 8:42 pm
Debra,
That’s awesome! I have been using a Robart Hobby Paint Shaker and agree with you it makes the Shellac super smooth and you don’t have to shake as often.
Holly L Schippers
CND Education Ambassador
S.Sugimura says:
May 6th, 2011 at 10:41 am
I just used Shellac for the first time yesterday and followed the step-by-step instructions. After applying each coat and curing for 2 minutes in the CND UV Lamp, the coat was not completely dry and sticky… What am I doing wrong? Should I have cured it for longer than 2 minutes until it was completely dry and smooth?
jeanne says:
May 7th, 2011 at 6:05 pm
I have noticed on several clients after a few shellac applications that their nails are thinner and cracking on the side. what is causing this
Holly L Schippers says:
May 15th, 2011 at 7:01 pm
S. Sugimura,
Each coat will be tacky until the end when you remove the tacky layer, please refer to the full detailed step by steps at cnd.com
Jeanne,
Please be sure not to do any buffing on the nails, also be sure to remove the Shellac gently and check if your client is picking at it at home.
Holly L Schippers
CND Education Ambassador
Josh Gill says:
June 10th, 2011 at 1:08 pm
We have been using the product for a year now and we love it. We have noticed lately that after a week there seems to be a milky color on the top. They are not lifting and are shiney but the milky color is worrisome. It happened on hot hop pink and negligee. Can some one tell me what this might be.
CND says:
June 15th, 2011 at 7:40 pm
Josh,
Color stability is a formulation requirement for all nail coatings, and special stabilizers are added to the majority of cosmetic products to prevent colors from changing or fading. Additionally, all cosmetic formulas, including the Shellac formula, are regulated to cosmetic approved ingredients. Unfortunately, some pigments that are approved for cosmetics are more likely to fade than others. Therefore, just like when wearing nail polish or other cosmetic products, some clients may experience slight fading when wearing some Shellac colors overtime.
Not all Shellac colors will fade, but some colors have a greater tendency to fade than others.
In general, lighter colors are less color stable than darker colors. Negligee, Romantique, Strawberry Smoothie and Rosebud are the most common colors that may show signs of fading within the Shellac color range. These lighter shades have one thing in common – pink. The pigment used to create pink is more prone to fading. The good news is that even though Shellac pinks may fade when worn overtime, they do so at a much slower rate than nail polish under the same condition.
Shellac is formulated with Acetone Soluble Polymers (tiny tunnels) making it removable in 10 minutes. These tiny tunnels also make Shellac less chemically resistant than gels, liquid & powders or other enhancement products. Thus some pigments in Shellac can be easily attacked by chemical exposure during daily activity such as bathing, house cleaning, laundry, gardening, car washing, swimming, etc. Sun light exposure can also make colors fade faster. Heat and humidity have much less effect on fading, but can accelerate fading when combined with chemical or sunlight exposure.
Thank You,
CND
Carol says:
June 14th, 2011 at 11:46 am
Love Shellac, been using for 3 months. I am getting pitting/bubble appearance with the base coat. What am I doing wrong?
Holly L Schippers says:
June 15th, 2011 at 7:41 pm
Carol,
When you say pitting/bubbling do you mean it looks like there is salt/sugar in it or literally like bubbles?
Holly L Schippers
CND Education Ambassador
Shannon says:
June 20th, 2011 at 9:11 am
I have been getting your shellac for quite sometime now, when my nail tech removes it, she uses a orange stick to remove it after the soaking, is this harming my nails further? It seems to me she is roughing up my nail more and I get peeling? What is the recommended removal process. My nails too, seem very thin after several weeks of shellac. Any tips for me?
CND says:
June 21st, 2011 at 5:20 am
Shannon,
Removal is wrap in remover wraps for 10 minutes then gently flake off remaining Shellac with an orangewood stick followed by scrubbing the nail clean with a pad of acetone. No buffing should be needed. Be sure to use Solar Oil daily.
Thank You,
CND
ady says:
June 29th, 2011 at 8:18 am
i am occasionally getting a little bump in the shellac after base coat curing i put on colour and this is when it is noticeable – looks like a black raised bit, – what do i do at this point – should i start again??? and what causes it??
Holly L Schippers says:
July 25th, 2011 at 5:42 pm
Ady,
This actually sounds like a fuzzy or bit of cuticle on the nail, you can very carefully nip the raised area flush with your color layer and the next layer of color will cover it.
Hope that helps!
Holly L Schippers
CND Education Ambassador
Simone says:
July 25th, 2011 at 4:14 pm
Please help , im very new to all this. I keep getting what looks like bits of grit / salt bits and i looks terrible . What am i doing wrong . Please help. Thankyou very much.
Holly L Schippers says:
July 25th, 2011 at 5:43 pm
Simone,
Is this in your base, color, or top coat? Shake really, really well and if you still see the bits give the hotline a call 800-833-NAIL
Holly L Schippers
CND Education Ambassador
Kaye says:
August 5th, 2011 at 6:51 pm
I have a suggestion. It is quite difficult to tell when I am getting to the bottom of the bottle. I love the idea of the bottles being coated with the color inside, but perhaps there could be a clear vertical line on the outside bottle so we can see inside and tell the level left in the tank so to speak.
CND says:
August 7th, 2011 at 5:58 pm
Kaye,
The window/line idea is great in theory, but would allow light in the bottles! An easy way to keep track is to put a small blank sticker or label on the bottle then mark it for each use, the top and colors should each do 20 coats, the base 35.
Hope that helps!
Holly L Schippers
CND Education Ambassador
brenda wickstead says:
August 9th, 2011 at 8:00 am
the brush on mybase coat bottle has gone completely hard. Why is this and how can I cure it
CND says:
August 14th, 2011 at 9:26 pm
If it went hard after being used, it has been exposed to your UV light during use or your table lamp is much too close to the nails while polishing on the Shellac. If it arrived at your salon hard, please call the hotline 800-833-NAIL
Thank You,
CND
Daffy says:
September 9th, 2011 at 11:09 pm
When I use only , the black it keeps wrinkling , are my coats to thick?
CND says:
September 12th, 2011 at 6:43 am
Usually the wrinkling is from the Shellac being applied too thick, sometimes it is from needing to be shaken more.
Thank You,
CND
Cheryl says:
September 12th, 2011 at 10:43 am
My issue is when I use Shellac alone it lasts about a week to a week and a half. If I decide to put standard nail polish over it, EVERYTHING will start to peel in 24-18 hours. Any suggestions??
Holly L Schippers says:
October 1st, 2011 at 10:32 am
This is strange! Do you pick at your nails at all or are you in water a lot such as a hot tub?
Holly L Schippers
CND Education Ambassador
Josie says:
September 17th, 2011 at 9:31 am
Do I have to use a color coat? Can I simply use base coat, then 3 top coats, and no color in between? I really like the look of just natural nails, not a Frenchie. ty
CND says:
October 1st, 2011 at 10:33 am
There is no need to use 3 top coats, you can use a layer of just base and top to achieve clear.
Thank You,
CND
J says:
September 18th, 2011 at 1:14 pm
Can I simply use the base coat and the top coat and not a color coat? I like the look of natural nails.
CND says:
October 1st, 2011 at 10:33 am
Yes you can use a layer of just base and top to achieve clear.
Thank You,
CND
Bobbien Hughes says:
September 26th, 2011 at 8:20 pm
I have been shaking the Shellac before opening but am still having problems with the Top Coat getting thick in the bottle. I have also had trouble with the Top Coat and Base Coat (mostly top) “leaking” out around the cap when it is screwed on completely. Anyone else having this problem? What can I do/not do to prevent it?
CND says:
October 1st, 2011 at 10:35 am
Keep the threads clean in order to shut the lid tightly to avoid leaking when shaking. If you feel that there is an issue with the cap please call the hotline with your batch number.
Thank You,
CND
Scott says:
September 29th, 2011 at 8:35 am
We are fairly new to shellac and love the product. Some of my girls have experienced bubbling after they apply the colour. It is not typically on all nails, just one or two. Unlike some of the comments above, these are bubbles. Any suggestions.
CND says:
October 1st, 2011 at 10:38 am
What tends to look like random bubbles on a few nails typically tends to be cuticle remnants, see if this video helps them:
http://youtu.be/hZBZvjQhuFQ
Hope that helps!
Holly L Schippers
CND Education Ambassador
K Byrd says:
October 6th, 2011 at 5:35 pm
Hello we have been using shellac love the product…
our question is we go through all the steps and even shake shake shake and a little extra shake but we still have a problem with bubbling/wrinkles only on some of the colors not all of them we have even done retraining for the product but still seem to have this problem but only on some of the colors any ideas????
Holly L Schippers says:
October 25th, 2011 at 9:44 pm
Make sure you are using a CND lamp and if you are using the white CND lamp that all blue film has been removed from the inside and that all 4 bulbs are plugged and coming on. Here is a troubleshooting video that might help as well:
http://youtu.be/q4beb4eTszc
Holly L Schippers
CND Education Ambassador
Neldian says:
November 26th, 2011 at 8:50 pm
Hello, I’m having problems with my shellac application, I have been use the shellac and I love it., I do have 2 clients that the shellac did not last 1 week, they pill off and others I have not have problems, but I’m worried about the shellac is come off, What I’m doing wrong? I will love to learn how to do properly so I don’t have any more problems.
CND says:
November 30th, 2011 at 3:18 pm
Make sure you are following all the steps and that you are using a lamp that is designed to properly cure the Shellac. Detailed step by steps can be found at cnd.com along with Shellac in Minutes video help.
Thank You,
CND
Suan Gurley says:
November 29th, 2011 at 2:53 pm
I have a client that gets the shellac french manicure every two weeks. At the end of the two weeks, she has one finger that yellows. It is not the hand she uses. What is causes this?
CND says:
November 30th, 2011 at 3:19 pm
Investigate to see if there is anything that could be penetrating the tiny tunnels and staining the Shellac.
http://youtu.be/WoE-ew_S1I0
Thank You,
CND
ninak says:
November 29th, 2011 at 8:22 pm
Hello, We have been using shellac love the product. my questionn is if some is allergic to gel and powder arcrylic. Is shellac a good product for her.
CND says:
November 30th, 2011 at 3:20 pm
It will depend on what specific ingredient they are allergic to. If you plan to proceed with Shellac a spot test may be in order.
Thank You,
CND
Georgia says:
December 11th, 2011 at 6:32 am
I know I have to make thin application but on fedora gel after I made the cure of first application, it became all wrinkles?!!! WHY?? Georgia
CND says:
December 22nd, 2011 at 10:40 am
Wrinkling tends to occur when the layers are too thick, the Shellac is not well shaken, or the lamp is not CND. Please check those things.
Thank You,
CND
Linda Todd says:
January 3rd, 2012 at 8:51 pm
I have been using Shellac for almost a year now, and all the problems in the comments were typical in the beginning. Maybe I can help (a little). Bubbles & peeling is usually caused when the shellac is too thick. Some colors are thicker than others; note this and apply thinly. This happens a lot when doing a french tip, especially after doing 5 nails at a time. I go back over each nail before curing (with my brush wiped clean), because the client will relax her hand and this will cause pooling on the sides. Also, if you are laying a towel, rather than a lint free table cover, down than fibers from the towel will adhere to gel (again, client relaxing there hands). But, the best advice I can offer is to buy a hobby paint shaker (hobby stores or on-line). You will be amazed at the consistency the Shellac will be. I could never shake it that smooth. Since I purchased one, I have had no complaints, no chipping & no peeling. Hope this helps someone:)
Dolly says:
January 9th, 2012 at 9:05 am
Someone told me if the shellac get thicker, I can bottle in the microwave and heat it for 10 seconds. It will loosen up. Is that true?
CND says:
January 25th, 2012 at 5:44 pm
Please DO NOT put it in the microwave! Shaking the Shellac should help thin it out and keep it that way. Shake it 20-30 seconds each use to keep it properly mixed. Also store it at room temperature with the lids tightly closed.
Thank You,
CND
Kathy says:
January 16th, 2012 at 5:02 pm
Is there a thinner we can use when it gets to thick?
CND says:
January 25th, 2012 at 5:44 pm
Shaking the Shellac should help thin it out and keep it that way. Shake it 20-30 seconds each use to keep it properly mixed. Also store it at room temperature with the lids tightly closed.
Thank You,
CND