Every now and then, a customer asks why the nail varnish throws small air bubbles during or shortly after varnishing. Of course, this is annoying because it doesn't look very nice. Therefore, in this post I would like to go into the most important reasons and how you can prevent them.
1. residues of alcohol or oil on the nails
In my experience, the most common reason is that the nails were cleaned with disinfectant or nail polish remover before painting. The alcohol or any other substance contained in it can react with the nail polish and then bubbles appear immediately. Residues of care products such as hand cream or nail oil on the nails can also lead to blisters. Therefore, clean the nails thoroughly before applying polish, preferably with a non-greasy soap, and then rub the nails dry well with a towel. This also removes small flakes of skin from the nail bed. Then wait a little while until the nails are really dry. Wet nails swell up a little and if you apply the polish too early, it can chip off when the nails contract again.
2. the polish or the outside temperature is too warm.
Generally, polishes should be stored standing up in a dark place at room temperature. They don't like it too warm and they don't like it too cold either. Never put them in the fridge, it makes the polish tough! But in summer, of course, it is often quite warm in the whole flat and so the nail varnish also warms up. So you can park it in the fridge for a short while to cool down before applying the polish. The heat and direct sunlight cause the solvents to evaporate much too quickly, the polish immediately becomes tough and air bubbles can form.
3. painting too quickly and applying too thick a coat
Many people apply 2 coats or use undercoat and topcoat. If you apply these layers too quickly and/or too thickly, bubbles can form. The car painters among us are also familiar with this phenomenon, which is known in the trade as "boiling". It is best to apply the coats as thinly as possible and wait a few minutes in between, then the paint will last the longest.
4. the products used do not like each other
Sometimes you use a base coat or top coat from a different manufacturer than the colour varnish. This can work wonderfully, but can also lead to problems when ingredients that react chemically with each other meet. Then the varnish does not hold well or blisters. The only thing that helps is a bit of trial and error until you find the perfect combination for you. Our lacquers are perfectly matched to our Top and Base Coat ELLY and our Quick Top Coat CARLA, so everything should look tip-top when applied correctly.
5. shaking too wildly
If you shake the polish too wildly before applying it, small air bubbles can form which are then applied to the nail. Therefore, wait a little after shaking or roll the bottle back and forth, then the nail polish will combine quite well, but no air will be trapped.
6. dilute toughened nail polish with nail polish remover
Don't do that! It doesn't work and only leads to a strange chemical cocktail. When you apply it to your nails, it does what it wants. Unfortunately, tough polish must be disposed of, preferably in toxic waste.
As a general rule, the colourful bottles are tough. Nail polish is much bitchier than you might think, so proper storage and handling is just as important as thorough preparation of the nails so that the result is beautiful and lasts a long time.
