Nail polish is an essential cosmetic for adding beauty and personality to your nails. Applying it correctly requires more than just a steady hand.
To achieve a neat, professional look at home, it helps to understand the basics—from ingredients to proper application techniques.
What’s in your nail polish?
Nail polish contains a mix of chemicals that give it color, shine, and durability. Some of these are generally safe in small amounts, while others, especially with repeated use, raise health and environmental concerns.
Key components:
- Film formers such as nitrocellulose provide the shiny, solid coating.
- Plasticizers and resins (e.g., camphor, TPHP) help keep nail polish flexible and prevent chipping. However, some of them can cause irritation or hormonal disruption.
- Solvents such as ethyl acetate make the varnish easy to spread and dry quickly, but can cause irritation in unventilated areas.
- Pigments and dyes provide the desired colors and effects, but glitter can contain non-biodegradable microplastics.
- UV stabilizers such as benzophenone-1 prevent fading but can act as endocrine disruptors.
Ingredients to avoid:
Some ingredients in conventional nail polish have been linked to health risks. These include:
- Formaldehyde and its resin – carcinogenic and allergenic
- Toluene – affects the nervous system
- DBP (dibutyl phthalate) – linked to reproductive problems
- TPHP – suspected hormonal disorders
- Parabens, camphor, ethyl tosylamide, xylene – potential irritants or banned in some places
Many brands now advertise with “X-Free” labels like 5-Free, 7-Free, or 10-Free, indicating how many of these chemicals they exclude. Safer options include nail polishes with mineral pigments, biodegradable glitter, and preservatives like phenoxyethanol.
Prepare your nails for nail polish
Before applying nail polish, remove old nail polish with an acetone-free nail polish remover. Shape your nails with a file, dip your cuticles, push them back, and thoroughly clean your hands. A base coat protects your nails and ensures even adhesion of the polish.
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