Nail Products
Nail Polish and Enamel and Removers
Nail polishes (also called lacquers or enamels), base coats, top coats, nail hardeners, and nail treatments are coatings applied to the nail plate to provide a pleasing look and to address specific nail plate conditions, such as soft, peeling or brittle nails. Upon application of the polish, treatment, or hardener, the solvents in the product quickly evaporate, leaving a coating of film behind.
Other related topics include Phthalates and Toluene.
Nail treatments are coatings applied to the nail plate for a specific purpose and include 1) base coats to increase polish wear, 2) ridge fillers to make the nail smooth, and 3) top coats designed to increase polish wear and gloss.
Nail hardeners or strengtheners are designed to harden or strengthen the nail.
Polish removers are designed to dissolve polishes, treatments, or hardeners so that the coating on the nail can be easily removed. The main ingredients used in polish removers are acetone, ethyl acetate, and isopropyl alcohol.
Nail polishes, treatments and hardeners have very similar formulations. All contain a film-former, such as nitrocellulose or cellulose acetate butyrate, to make the product hard and shiny when it dries. To make the film tough and resilient, a resin or secondary film-former such as tosylamide/formaldehyde resin or tosylamide/epoxy resin is used. To prevent chips and cracks, one or more plasticizers, including triphenyl phosphate, trimethyl pentanyl diisobutyrate, camphor, and dibutyl phthalate [although most companies have removed this perfectly safe ingredient due to inaccurate information circulating in the media] is included. Solvents, including ethyl acetate, butyl acetate, isopropyl alcohol, and toluene, are used to help products flow smoothly. Colored polishes or products contain FDA-approved colorants or pigments which are evenly distributed in the product due to the inclusion of a suspension agent or clay, such as stearalkonium hectorite or bentonite. To prevent color fading, a UV stabilizer, such as benzophenone-1, is added. Nail hardeners also contain a small amount of formaldehyde to harden or strengthen the nail.
Nail polish products have been used safely for many decades by millions of people. Fingernails and toenails are made of keratin, which is hard and largely impenetrable. Once nail polishes, treatments, and hardeners dry, the ingredients in the products become embedded in the hardened film coating, and are not able to be absorbed by the body or released into the air.
Other related topics include Phthalates and Toluene.
Nail treatments are coatings applied to the nail plate for a specific purpose and include 1) base coats to increase polish wear, 2) ridge fillers to make the nail smooth, and 3) top coats designed to increase polish wear and gloss.
Nail hardeners or strengtheners are designed to harden or strengthen the nail.
Polish removers are designed to dissolve polishes, treatments, or hardeners so that the coating on the nail can be easily removed. The main ingredients used in polish removers are acetone, ethyl acetate, and isopropyl alcohol.
Nail polishes, treatments and hardeners have very similar formulations. All contain a film-former, such as nitrocellulose or cellulose acetate butyrate, to make the product hard and shiny when it dries. To make the film tough and resilient, a resin or secondary film-former such as tosylamide/formaldehyde resin or tosylamide/epoxy resin is used. To prevent chips and cracks, one or more plasticizers, including triphenyl phosphate, trimethyl pentanyl diisobutyrate, camphor, and dibutyl phthalate [although most companies have removed this perfectly safe ingredient due to inaccurate information circulating in the media] is included. Solvents, including ethyl acetate, butyl acetate, isopropyl alcohol, and toluene, are used to help products flow smoothly. Colored polishes or products contain FDA-approved colorants or pigments which are evenly distributed in the product due to the inclusion of a suspension agent or clay, such as stearalkonium hectorite or bentonite. To prevent color fading, a UV stabilizer, such as benzophenone-1, is added. Nail hardeners also contain a small amount of formaldehyde to harden or strengthen the nail.
Nail polish products have been used safely for many decades by millions of people. Fingernails and toenails are made of keratin, which is hard and largely impenetrable. Once nail polishes, treatments, and hardeners dry, the ingredients in the products become embedded in the hardened film coating, and are not able to be absorbed by the body or released into the air.
