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Chanel nail polish

Nail polish, or nail varnish, is a lacquer applied to human fingernails or toenails to decorate and/or protect the nail plate.

History[link]

The Incas decorated their fingernails with pictures of eagles, but it is unclear how the practice of coloring nails progressed following these beginnings. Portraits from the 17th and 18th centuries include shiny nails.^[1]

By the turn of the 19th century, nails were tinted with scented red oils, and polished or buffed with a chamois cloth, rather than simply polished.^[2] English and US 19th century cookbooks had directions for making nail paints. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, people pursued a polished rather than painted look by massaging tinted powders and creams into their nails, then buffing them shiny. One such polishing product sold around this time was Graf's Hyglo nail polish paste. Some people during this period painted their nails with clear, glossy varnish applied with a camel-hair brush. When automobile paint was created around 1920, it inspired the introduction of colored nail glosses.

Once nail polish was refined, it was often used in the place of gloves to cover up the grime underneath the nails. ^[3]

Colored nail polish was also considered at one time self-mutilation by psychiatrists and unhealthy. Despite this, the first lady to wear solid colors was Eleanor Roosevelt. ^[4]

Constituents[link]

Pink nail polish and applicator.

Most nail polishes are made of nitrocellulose dissolved in a solvent (e.g. butyl acetate or ethyl acetate) and either left clear or colored with various pigments. Basic components included are: film forming agents, resins and plasticizers, solvents, and coloring agents. Adhesive polymers (e.g. tosylamide-formaldehyde resin) ensure that the nitrocellulose adheres to the nail's surface. Plasticizers (e.g. camphor) are chemicals that link between polymer chains, spacing them to make the film sufficiently flexible after drying. Pigments and sparkling particles (e.g. mica) add desired color and reflecting characteristics. Thickening agents (e.g. stearalkonium hectorite) are added to maintain the sparkling particles in suspension while in the bottle. Ultraviolet stabilizers (e.g. benozophenone-1) resist color changes when the dry film is exposed to direct sunlight.

Nail polish ingredients often include toluene. Solvents such as toluene and xylene are petroleum-based products that have been linked to cancer. Formaldehyde (formalin) may cause allergic reactions and is unsafe for use by asthmatic people. It is a carcinogen.

Nail polish makers are under pressure to reduce or eliminate toxic ingredients, including phthalates, toluene, and formaldehyde. In September 2006, several makers agreed to phase out dibutyl phthalate, which has been linked to testicular problems in lab animals and humans, in updated formulations.^[5] Some makers eliminated formaldehyde from their products, others still use it.^[6]

Water-based nail polish is based on an acrylic polymer emulsion (e.g. styrene-acrylate copolymer), and pigments similar to those used in watercolor paints.^{[citation needed]} This is marketed as an environmentally-conscious product, since nail polish is considered a hazardous waste by some regulatory bodies such as the Los Angeles Department of Public Works).^[7] In this application, the solvent (water) does not completely evaporate as in the case of the traditional nail polish; part of the water is absorbed through the fingernail.

Nail polish in fashion[link]

Nail polish started traditionally in clear, red, pink and brown. Since that time, many new colors and techniques have developed resulting in nail polish that is found in any color. Beyond solid colors, nail polish has also developed an array of other designs and colors. Such as nail polish stamps, crackled, magnetic, nail polish strips and stickers. Also fake rhinestones are often applied. Some types of polish are advertised to cause nail growth, make nails stronger, prevent nails from breaking, cracking and splitting, and to stop nail biting. Nail polish may be applied as one of several components in a manicure.

Clear varnish is a transparent and glossy layer which can make the nails appear clean and shiny. This type of nail polish can be used over other varnish for gloss or by itself, as can glitter nail polish. Similar to a clear varnish is an acrylic gel polish. This polish is much like the gel products used in nail salons, which is essentially a strong, clear top coat typically applied over a colored polish. The acrylic gel polish is more than just a glossy layer over nails; the polish gives the underlying color polish support and protection from being easily chipped.

French manicures are manicures designed to resemble natural nails, and are characterized by natural pink base nails with white tips, making it one of the first popular and well known color schemes with nail polish. The tips of the nails are painted white while the rest of the nails are polished in a pink or a suitable nude shade. French manicures may have originated in 18th-century Paris and were popular in the 1920s and 1930s. ^[8]

Black has been a popular color of nail polish with goths, emo and punks of both genders since the 1970s. However, black and dark nail colors were a huge trend as early as the 1930s.^{[clarification needed]}

Nail polish stamps and stickers that are most popular are animal prints, animals, and flowers. Despite this, there are an array of other stickers and stamps that can be found. Fake and real rhinestones are also often applied to nails for additional decoration.

Magnetic nail polish is often used to create patterns on the nails using a magnet. A few patterns that can be created are waves, layered effects, stars, chevrons, curves and many other patterns. This usually comes in a base color and the magnetic part comes in black or gray.

Nail polish remover[link]

Nail polish is removed with nail polish remover or nail pads, which is an organic solvent, but may also include oils, scents and coloring. Nail polish remover packages may include individual felt pads soaked in remover, a bottle of liquid remover that can be used with a cotton ball or cotton pad, and even containers filled with foam that can be used by inserting a finger into the container and twisting until the polish comes off.

The most common type of nail polish remover contains acetone. It is powerful and effective, but is harsh on skin and nails, which can even make them more brittle.^{[citation needed]} Acetone is considered a volatile organic compound by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.^[9] It can also be used to remove artificial nails, which are usually made of acrylic.

The common alternative is simply called "non-acetone nail polish remover", which usually contains ethyl acetate. This is a less aggressive solvent and can therefore be used to remove nail polish from artificial nails.

Acetonitrile has been used as a nail polish remover, but is thought to be more toxic. It has been banned in the European Economic Area for cosmetics since 17 March 2000.^{[10][clarification needed]}

References[link]

• Charles Panati, Extraordinary Origins of Everyday Things Harper & Row Copyright 1987
• Vanni Contingo, Article published in COSMO Magazine, copyright 2007

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