You try to draw up some serum, but the dropper tube stays empty. After pressing the top again and again, you may no longer know whether you are pressing in the wrong order or whether there is simply none left. Before squeezing harder, look separately at the type of container and the position of the liquid.
This article organizes the order for checking the pair of what the label says and the actual item when it is hard to draw up liquid with the dropper of a facial serum. It is not a method for fixing it by taking the tube or cap apart. Some types draw up the liquid automatically, so the starting point is not to apply the operation of a different product that merely looks similar.
1. Check whether it is a manual draw-up type or an automatic type
First, set the bottle on a flat place where it will not tip over, and look at its shape with the cap closed. Distinguish between the type where you squeeze a soft rubber head and the type where a hard button moves up and down. However, do not decide the operation from appearance alone, such as looking soft or having a button; look for the usage instructions on the bottle or outer box.
With a manual type, some draw liquid into the tube by pressing the top and then releasing it. On the other hand, there are also types that automatically draw up a fixed amount when you turn the cap to open it. "It comes out when pressed" and "press and then it draws" are different operations. First check which one the product you own is.
In the instructions, read these four separately: opening, drawing up, dispensing onto your hand, and closing. Also check whether repeated empty presses are needed after removing the cap, and whether the button position for closing is specified. If you do not understand the operation, there is no need to try every movement in turn.
Also separate the case where it suddenly cannot draw up what it used to, from the case where you are unsure about a bottle you are using for the first time. For the former, the points to check are the remaining amount or changes in parts; for the latter, the instructions for starting use. Do not assume that a top that is slow to return means you should press hard at first.
What you need to prepare are that container, its instructions, and clean hands to receive the liquid. Do not prepare tools for adding water or needles to insert into the tip. If you cannot confirm how to open it, stop there and check whether the instructions from the time of purchase are still available.
2. For a manual type, align the pressing spot and the position of the tip
For a container designated for manual draw-up, press the top following that procedure, and release the top with the tip of the tube inside the liquid. Check that you are not releasing it while the tip is still above the liquid surface. There is no need to press the tube hard against the bottom of the bottle, and take care not to damage the tip through contact.
Steady the bottle with one hand, and what you move is the top specified in the instructions. Also check that you are not pinching the hard outer edge of the cap or the base of the tube. If you lift the tube and then let go of your finger while still pressing, the tip will be in the air at the moment of drawing. Break the motion into steps and check the position.
For the tube you take out, look separately at the liquid that went inside and the thin liquid clinging to the outside. If you can see the rim and opening of a transparent tube from an angle, it is easier to trace how far the inside of the tube goes. Do not judge that a single dose has gone in just by seeing one drop hanging from the tip.
Once liquid has entered the tube, carry it above your receiving hand and dispense it following the instructions for the product you own. Do not press the tip against your skin or fingers, and handle it while watching where the liquid will fall. Do not add actions such as tapping the tip or swinging the tube to make it come out.
Look at the tube from the same angle before and after returning the top. The outline of the tube may look white from light reflection, so do not bring the tube close to your face, and check the boundary with the liquid inside under the light at hand. For a container without a transparent tube like the one in the photo, do not try to make it look similar; judge by whether it dispenses as instructed.
Do not make a full tube your standard for success. How many drops make a single dose, whether it goes up to a graduation mark, or whether it is the amount drawn once differs by product. Even if it only goes in partway, separately check whether it matches the amount specified for that container. It is important not to keep adding without looking at how much you were able to use.
3. For an automatic type, go back to the instructions for opening, closing and the button
With a type that draws up automatically when you turn the cap, first reread the instructions for opening. What is prepared just by opening is not necessarily something you then have to press many times to draw again. After it is taken out, the button may serve the role of dispensing the liquid inside.
If there is a change such as the top rising up or going down when closed, compare the picture in the instructions with the current position. However, not every automatic type has the same visible movement. Do not use the sound or number of turns of another bottle as a standard; match the state specified for the product you own.
The method of drawing additionally after you have dispensed once also follows that product's instructions. A type where you can return the tube and operate the button and a type where you close the cap once and then open it again are not grouped into the same procedure. Rather than adding operations that are not described, check whether a way of drawing additional liquid is given.
The threads for closing and the button on the top are separate parts. When the lid sits on at an angle, do not try to fix it by pressing the top hard. Look at the direction of the container mouth and the cap, and adjust to a position where it can be closed as labeled. If you see chips or deformation in the threads, do not continue.
When you need to set the cap down partway through use, avoid a way of placing it where the tip touches the sink or a shelf. If you decide beforehand where your receiving hand and the container will be, so that you can take the amount you need and close it without letting go, you can reduce how often you shift your grip mid-operation.
If the top does not return, or turning it does not bring it to the specified position, do not take it apart or replace parts on your own judgment. Also avoid swapping in the cap of another bottle of similar size. The container and dropper may be a fixed combination, and just because it fits does not mean it will draw the same amount.
4. Even when little is left, do not dilute it or tilt it by force
If it has become hard to draw as you keep using it, first check the remaining amount you can see from the outside. Even when liquid is visible at the bottom, whether the tip of the tube reaches it and whether you may tilt the bottle differ by container. Think of being able to see what is left and being able to draw it in the usual posture as separate things.
For products that clearly state how to tilt when little remains, handle them within that range. Do not turn upside down those that have no such instruction, or shake them hard to gather the liquid. If you cannot hold the bottle steadily and might drop it, do not make an awkward angle and put it back in a stable place.
Do not take methods such as mixing in water or toner to get it out, loosening it with heat, or inserting another dropper. These would be operations that change how the contents are handled and the structure of the container. Prioritize being able to take it out by keeping to the method for the product you own over using up every last bit.
Do not assume you will open an opaque container, where the remaining amount is unclear, and scrape out the inside. The day you started using it and how well it has been drawing recently are clues, but do not conclude the remaining amount or quality from the number of uses alone. Also avoid deciding it is empty just because a single drop does not come out.
The less liquid there is, the more you should avoid dispensing a lot at once to make up for what you cannot draw. Once you confirm the drawing operation and liquid is taken, stop there and look at the amount that actually came out. Separate the task of emptying the container from the task of taking what you will use today.
If the container is cracked, the tube is chipped, or the liquid leaks, do not continue checking whether you can take it out. Do not touch the damaged part to check it or bring the tip close to your skin; check how to proceed with that product. Do not go on to modifications or emergency repairs meant to solve the difficulty of drawing.
5. After use, note how you closed it and what to check next time
When you finish, check the handling of the mouth and how to close the cap on the label. If wiping is described, tidy it that way before closing. Do not add care not described in the instructions, such as washing the inside of the tube at home or pouring alcohol onto the top.
Do not return the liquid you dispensed onto your hand to the container, and use it according to the usage amount for that product. Handle the tip so that it does not touch your skin or fingers directly, and avoid leaving it open for a long time. Treat getting it back into a state that is easy to use next time as part of the same set as taking the liquid out.
Match the storage orientation and place to the product's label as well. If it is designated to be stored upright, do not lay it on its side to fit a shelf's height; choose a place where it fits standing up. Leave space around it so the outside of the container is easy to grip, so that next time too you can open it on a stable surface.
For the next time you are unsure, it is easier to sort things out if you leave a short note of what you checked. Write the operation you worked out, such as "manual draw type," "I let go of my finger before the tip was in the liquid," or "recheck the position when closing." Do not turn it into a number of presses that will always fix it, as if it applied on other days too.
If you are having trouble with a different pump-type container, see Checking the lock and first use of a skincare pump. Droppers and pumps differ in the mechanism for taking the liquid and the parts to check. Choose the type of the container at hand again, and then read the corresponding explanation.
When the dropper looks empty, before adding force, check the type, the order of operations, and the positions of the liquid surface and the tip. If it still cannot draw as instructed, note the condition of the container at that point and stop at checking how that product handles it. More important than taking it apart to fix it is determining whether you can use it with the correct operation.
