Many women notice that two weeks after purchasing nail polish becomes too thick, after which it is difficult to use. And the effect is not at all what we would like. This article will talk about how to store nail polish at home so that it remains usable for as long as possible. You will also be able to learn about methods for “reanimating” this product.
How to store varnishes
There are several varieties of this manicure material. The chemical composition of the base formula greatly affects shelf life. But the volume of the bottle is also an important factor. Proper storage will extend the shelf life of any type of product, you just need to follow some rules.
Storage
- The bottles should stand vertically in a place where sunlight does not penetrate and where there are no temperature changes.
- For storage, choose cool places without sources of light and heat. They act on the pigment, after which it fades and loses color saturation.
- It is not advisable to keep bottles in the bathroom. Constant changes in air humidity and temperature will lead to the composition quickly losing quality.
- Also, do not store polish in the refrigerator. Condensation that forms in low temperature conditions will quickly render it unusable.
Tightness of the container
The cap on the bottle is hermetically sealed immediately after use. If this is not done, a film will quickly form on the surface, and the varnish itself will become thick. When applied to nails, clots will be clearly visible.
Each time you close the bottle, you need to check that there is no dried varnish on the threads of the cap: it will prevent the cap from closing tightly. If this happens, apply a little acetone or other solvent to the cotton wool and wipe the lid from the inside.
Carbon dioxide
If you exhale directly into the bottle, carbon dioxide will take the place of oxygen, and the contents of the bottle will not dry out as quickly. The same storage method can be applied to gel polishes and shellacs. But in this case, you need to try to ensure that the bottles are not exposed to ultraviolet rays for a long time.
An increased temperature is created near the switched on lamp, and this leads to the fact that the product will begin to separate. You can restore the original properties of the varnish if you pour a solvent into it and mix well, but using this composition will not last long - up to 1 month.
Using shellac and gel polish at home
Many girls prefer to do manicures and pedicures using shellac and gel polish. Of course it’s convenient - the coating lasts on the nails for up to two weeks. It is better to entrust such a procedure to a specialist and do it in a salon, otherwise you can cause irreparable harm to your health!
If you dare to do a manicure at home, you should follow some rules:
- The room should be well ventilated. In the salon, the master cuts off the old gel polish with a milling cutter. There is no such option at home and ladies use acetone to remove nail polish. Acetone not only negatively affects the nail plate, but inhalation of vapors can trigger allergies and have a negative effect on the respiratory tract;
- Drying the applied varnish in an ultraviolet lamp is contraindicated for people suffering from cancer;
- Gel polish, primer, dehydrator, cleanser and nail polish remover contain highly flammable substances: acetone, fragrances, acids and alcohols. They should be stored away from radiators, heating appliances, and lamps. Lids should be screwed on tightly.
Shelf life of gel polish
The shelf life of these products is indicated by the manufacturer on the packaging. Mainly for gel polish - it is 3 years from the date of manufacture.
Signs that cosmetic products are outdated:
- cloudiness;
- delamination;
- color change;
- change in smell.
Such cosmetics should be disposed of! The base and top coat for shellacs and gel polishes are stored in the same way as varnishes.
Once again, it should be recalled that frequent use of shellacs and gel polishes, according to experts, can negatively affect health. Not only the structure of the nail plates, but also the entire body as a whole may suffer. Therefore, dear girls and women, be careful when carrying out this procedure at home and follow the conditions of use and storage of these cosmetics.
Where to store varnish
You can store the varnish on a shelf where the sun's rays do not penetrate. If this is not possible, you can simply put all the bottles in the house in one thick cardboard box that closes well.
People who do manicures professionally use portable beauty boxes to store containers, which, of course, is very convenient.
The best option is to store it on a shelf, because the master immediately sees the shade he needs. The main thing is to keep the bottles away from bright light.
Polishes, if not used daily, are best kept in a closet. In this case, they will be reliably protected from exposure to sunlight.
Drawers can also be used for these purposes - this method of storing varnish meets all the requirements of storage rules.
Too many bottles can be placed on special stands or in translucent boxes. They are sold in specialized stores that sell cosmetics. The boxes are equipped with support devices for each bottle or separate cells. If you place all the polishes in a certain order from light to dark according to the color scheme, you won’t have to search for the right color for a long time.
Storing nail polishes
Girls are such girls! First we create a problem for ourselves, and then we try to solve it)) For example, nail polishes - almost all of us love bright manicures. We paint our nails either to suit our mood or to match the color of our new handbag, and ask the artist to paint deer for the New Year and flowers as soon as the smell of spring begins. And even if you don’t have time to go to nail salons, and you’re too lazy to paint your nails at home, each of us has several bottles with our very favorite colors. And the VseNaMestakh team became curious again - how the storage of varnishes and manicure accessories is organized for the most ordinary girls. There will be many options further!
Storage in baskets, boxes and other “improvised means” I’ll start with myself: Several years ago I ended my “quiet obsession” with varnishes, when I was interested in painting my nails every 2-3 days in different colors, drawing patterns and choosing a design to match the color wardrobe items. Now almost all the colors have somehow disappeared from my reserves (and there were purple and orange, even blue and green shades!), now I, as an inveterate conservative, cut my nails short and paint them exclusively red! And I keep a small collection of red shades in a small basket in my dressing table drawer. There are also several bottles with base and clear coat, nail polish remover and cotton pads, and a separate basket with various files and other manicure items.
Based on the results of a survey of my girlfriends, acquaintances and colleagues, it turned out that many store their “paint and paint” stocks in this way. Storing polishes in baskets and boxes is very convenient - the bottles don’t roll all over the box, a feeling of order is created, and it’s convenient to take the box out into the light and choose the desired color.
Here’s what the girls themselves say about this storage system: Alena: “I have a sad story with varnishes - I don’t like them, and they don’t like me. But I still have a few bottles, I keep them in a tin tea box in the kitchen table drawer. There is also a manicure set. It’s convenient for me to do a manicure in the kitchen because it’s light and there’s water.”
Tanya: “I keep it on a shelf in the closet in a box from some kind of souvenir. True, all the varnishes no longer fit. On the one hand, it’s convenient - everything is in one place, on the other hand, there’s the problem of finding the right color and an ever-increasing number of bottles. I want to find a more rational storage solution!”
Oksana: “The green box contains the polishes that I actively use now. In the distant are those that are awaiting their fate: either they will be given as a gift, or their season will come. There are also all sorts of manicure items and remover. My life hack is tiny ceramic mugs for liqueur - I pour nail polish remover or nail polish thinner into them. And when the nails are already painted, I correct crooked lines or smudged polish. I dip a flat brush and straighten it.”
Anya: “My varnishes are stored in a wooden box made from some kind of cognac bottle. The box is getting a little small, but I don’t want to change it – now it’s so neat and beautiful!”
What other storage options are there? Homemade organizers. If you are a creative person and like to make all sorts of interesting things for decoration and interior, then shopping baskets and boxes will probably seem too boring and ordinary. After all, you can make a varnish storage system with your own hands! The simplest thing is to cover a cardboard box of suitable size with wrapping paper and make dividers in it. On the Internet you can find interesting ideas for such options and even detailed master classes with complex multi-level designs.
Natalya: “This, of course, is not the limit of perfection, but now my entire collection of varnishes is stored compactly and all colors are visible. I saw the idea on the Internet and modernized it for myself - it’s a box from scales, which I supplemented with thick cardboard shelves and covered with oilcloth.”
Olya : “My hands are crazy! Once I bought assorted cookies in a box with compartments and the idea came by itself! I didn’t change anything inside, but I lined the sides with satin and made all sorts of decorations - I store in this organizer not only polishes, but also cosmetics, everything is in one place and looks beautiful on the chest of drawers!”
A worthy alternative to handmade boxes are ready-made universal organizers with dividers. They can be plastic, wooden or fabric. Such organizers can be found in household and construction departments, ordered in the VseNaMestakh online store, or wait for a package from China.
And for the most picky manicure lovers, there are special professional cases and storage boxes : huge suitcases, plastic boxes with compartments or small acrylic stands and special shelves - all this can be found in specialized manicure stores. The sad downside of this storage system is that these items are quite expensive.
Inna: “At first it was a hobby, and now I earn extra money by doing manicures at home. Here I have the only place where there is order and harmony. All bottles are stored in a professional acrylic stand on a special bedside table on wheels. All the liquids and tools for manicure are right there.”
Galya: “I ordered a shelf for varnishes to match the size of my cabinet from a company that makes all sorts of things and display cases from plexiglass.”
Let's take a look into the bins of the lacquer maniacs? What if there are not 2-3 bottles of varnish, but 10? What if 50? Or even a couple hundred? Do you think that so many polishes can only be found in a manicure salon? It turns out that there are real polish maniacs (the girls call themselves that) - they collect entire collections of polishes from their favorite brands, chase limited editions, mix colors from different jars, share their impressions and exchange their treasures. Among my friends there are girls like this and, surprisingly, not one of them has a convenient storage system - nail polishes gather dust on open shelves, occupy entire dresser drawers, stand in assorted boxes in the closet...
Lucy: “Laaakiiii! They stand on two open shelves and regularly fall from there, gather dust, you can’t see all the colors at once... Of course, there is some kind of organization system here - all the varnishes are arranged by brand (I remember what color I have from which brand, I’ve never duplicated did not buy). Ideally, I want narrow shelves so that the varnishes stand in one row, and then I will measure them by meters!”
Tatyana: “This is chaos! My polishes are everywhere - in the dresser, on the dressing table, in the bathroom cabinet, stuffed into all cosmetic bags and bags. I really don’t remember where I have which polish, and I spend a lot of time looking for it! It’s infuriating!”
Olya: “I’ve dedicated a whole drawer to polishes in the chest of drawers, there are additional boxes in the drawer, I’m sorting, arranging, and still I can’t see where anything is!”
What options? But the girls were happy to share their ideas and Internet finds that they would someday implement. Lucy: “This is my ideal! Beautiful, compact, everything is in sight! Whenever you get around to making something like this... I saw it on Aliexpress, but I think you can build it yourself. I'm waiting for inspiration!
Tanya: “I dreamed of a special case, but it costs so much! On one forum I saw an amazing idea: a girl uses a suitcase to store miniatures for board games. It is not just big, but huge - in a standing position it reaches to the knees, and at the same time it is made of light plastic, there is even a shoulder strap, the latches are reliable. But the most important thing is what is inside! There are six foam inserts with forty cells each! Foam rubber stretches, holds bubbles well, and the partitions can be cut out and moved to the right place. All you have to do is tune in and place your order!”
Olya: “I found a simple master class online - you need to buy small magnets (I saw “everything for the holidays” in stores) and glue them with superglue to each bottle of varnish. And attach the bubbles to an iron sheet, or even to the refrigerator!”
Oksana: “I can’t sleep peacefully now - I want to do the same: I saw a picture where the varnishes are stored in a thick office folder with ties - it looks like such a strong box-box. Tall bottles probably won’t fit there, but most of my polishes will like this move.”
The girls gave me more ideas:
- cosmetic bags for storing polishes sometimes appear on sale they can be compact (for several pieces) or quite spacious (a hundred bottles can easily fit in).
Svetlana: “I noticed an unusual cosmetic bag in the catalog a long time ago. They'll come up with something like this - a handbag with a bunch of compartments! I bought it and ended up using it as an organizer for my nail polishes - a lot fits into it, and when folded the cosmetic bag takes up little space. An undeniable advantage of such storage is that the varnishes do not delaminate, because when I open/close a cosmetic bag, the bottles constantly change their position - sometimes they lie on their sides, sometimes upside down. It’s better than them just sitting motionless on a shelf.”
Olya: “A mini cosmetic bag for several bottles - and even in another country I can paint my nails to suit my mood!”
- The famous dress-shaped jewelry organizer with many pockets . Lacquer lovers have adapted it to their needs, the main thing is to make sure that it is securely attached to the bar!
A collection of nail polishes can become an interior decor item.
- From the remains of moldings or ceiling plinths you will get small narrow shelves that can be painted in the desired color scheme.
- These same shelves (or narrow boards) can be placed in a beautiful baguette - why not a picture?
- Nice touches include multi-tiered cupcake stands. Who said they're only good for treats?
That's how many different ideas and options we could find! What storage systems have taken root with you? Or which options did you like best?
How to thin thick nail polish
What to do if the varnish has thickened? Do not rush to throw away the bottle immediately. You can try to return it to its previous consistency.
- To begin with, you need to remember that liquids intended for nail polish remover are not suitable for these purposes. The contents of the bottle, of course, will become more liquid, but the adhesion to the surface of the nail plate will be very weak. And you can use this composition for no more than a few days.
- To return the material to its original state, special thinners designed specifically for this purpose are used. They can be purchased at almost every cosmetics store. This is the only correct option for what needs to be done to dilute thickened varnish.
- Another way to thin thickened varnish is to hold it under running hot water. This will help for a fairly short time, which is only enough to quickly paint your nails. Preparing the material in this way every time is tedious, so it is better to use a special thinner.
- Immediately before painting your nails, the bottle should be turned upside down and “rolled” a little in your palms.
- Some bottles still contain special iron balls. By shaking the bottle in your hands with the help of these balls you can get rid of the clot.
If the composition contains glitter, you should not add acetone; when adding acetone, the glitter may fall off.
How to find out the expiration date of nail polish?
The average shelf life of nail products is 1–2 years. Products from well-known brands that are sold at a high price have a shelf life of about 2 years if all conditions are met. Budget brands usually offer products that don't last longer than 6-12 months.
Important! Do not use varnishes after the expiration date has expired. They can cause significant damage to the nail plate and ruin the health of the nails.
The manufacturer usually indicates two expiration dates on the packaging. The first refers to an unopened bottle. Usually the manufacturer specifies a minimum shelf life, so if there are polishes on the shelf that expire in a couple of months, you can safely purchase it for your cosmetics arsenal.
The second expiration date indicates the shelf life after opening the bottle. Here you need to more carefully follow the rules and conditions for preserving beauty products. Manufacturers clearly indicate the time within which the proposed product must be used.
How to determine if the varnish is damaged?
The main sign of obsolescence is thickening. When the cap is opened and the cosmetic comes into contact with oxygen, a gradual thickening occurs. Many girls cope with this problem by diluting the contents of the bottle with remover liquid, but this should not be done, since the structure of the substance can change significantly.
Also, deterioration can be indicated by separation of the contents directly in the jar. This is observed when all the permissible shelf life of the product has expired long ago. This bottle, along with its contents, must be disposed of; you should not use it for the safety of your own nails.
What happens if I use expired nail polish?
One of the main concerns people have with using expired products is how it will affect their health. This is especially associated with certain chemicals in cosmetic products such as nail polish.
Luckily, you don't have to worry about any negative effects on your health from using expired nail polish. Although nail polish does contain chemicals such as formaldehyde and toluene, they will not cause any harm to your health as long as you use nail polish for its intended purpose.
This remains true even if the nail polish is bad, which is one reason why there is no need to put an expiration date on the bottle.
The biggest concern with using expired nail polish is how easy it will be to apply. You will notice that polishing will most likely not go as smoothly. It may also be a different color or may be sticky and tacky when it comes out of the bottle. You are more likely to experience this if the nail polish is older than two years.
