Nail Polish

Nail polish, also known as nail varnish according to British English, is a cosmetic lacquer that is applied on both finger and toenails. Apart from ornamentation, nail polish is also supposed to protect the nails from harmful external agents while giving them a colorful look and décor at the same time. Nail polishes are mostly made of nitrocellulose which is dissolved in a solvent. This mixture is either colored with various pigments, reflecting in smooth and glamorous nail colors or left clear.

Historical evidences refer to the use of nail polish in the ancient societies of Egypt and China where the color of the nail polish was used as a symbol of the social class. In China, the petals of impatiens flower and alum are mashed together and applied on the nails. Eventually, the mixture leaves a pinkish color tending towards red after it has been kept on the nails overnight or even for a few hours.

Traditionally, nail polish is worn by a woman, although now even men tend to wear them at special places or some special occasions. Also, men with a counter cultural bent may also use nail polish. However, the use of nail polish by men is still quite a rare and unaccepted phenomena, according to the norms and traditions it does not quite accept the male use of make up unless in case theatrical productions.

Nail polish combines of six major ingredients that include solvents, pigments, plasticizers, resins, UV stabilizers and dispersants. These ingredients are used in specific proportions to manufacture what we know and use as nail polish today.

The part that evaporates from the nail polish is the solvent which is also responsible for the strong odor of the nail polish. Once the nail polish has been applied on the nails, the solvent evaporates evenly, leaving behind a hard and smooth coat. It is essential to choose the combination of the solvent properly failing which the solvent might take too long to evaporate, ruining the coat of the polish. It is due to this reason that the nail polish bottles are kept covered so that the polish does not lose the solvent and become to thick to use.

Pigments are colors, mixed in the right proportions to bring the desired effect of the nail polish. The pigments are ground down to their finest before they are added to the polish. To add to the shimmering effect of the polish, sparkling, reflective particles are added to the mixture of the pigments.

Resins are composed of giant molecules, made by linking smaller molecules. Resins form a type of polymer which is responsible for holding the polish together.

Plasticizers can be compared to a sort of molecular ‘lubricant’ that helps in maintaining the flexibility of the resin after it is dry. They enable the resins to move around without breaking, which make the resin tougher and prevent it from chipping.

UV stabilizers help the polish in maintaining its color when it is exposed to the UV rays of sun. Often UV stabilizers contain the same chemicals that are used in sun-screen lotions. Dispersants facilitates the mixing of the pigments with the solvent and the resin. They prevent the tendency of the pigments to settle out of the mixture of solvent and resin.