Avoid the Clumping: Keeping Your Favorite Nail Polish Thin

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By Rachel Derry
Staff Writer LIFamilies

When you find the perfect shade of any kind of makeup, it’s almost like meeting your soul mate. You just want to hold on for as long as humanly possible; think of the times that you scraped the corners out of your favorite shadow for just one more application or nearly rubbed your lips raw because the lipstick is so far down you’re rubbing the metal tube. The same goes for your favorite shades of nail polish. You find the perfect shade and the next thing you know it’s so thick and clumpy that you can’t apply it properly. Here are a couple tips from the experts to keep the color coming longer!

Find a good nail polish thinner. When your nail polish first seems to thicken, add 4 or 5 drops of nail polish thinner to make it smooth again. You know that your consistency is ideal if you have a perfect drop at the end of the brush when you go to apply a coat. Nail polish remover will not work for this; it will break the pigments and formula.

Handle your polish with care for the proper consistency to apply. When you shake your polish vigorously (as is habit for most of us) you are actually creating bubbles in your polish, making it more difficult to apply correctly. Instead, to mix the pigment and liquid back to their original state, hold it between your hands and roll it back and forth. This will mix without frothing.

Keep your nail polish in a cool, dry area, away from sunlight. The sun not only evaporates the mixture more quickly, it also diminishes the color; theoretically bleaching it like it does your hair. Some people will tell you to keep it in the refrigerator, but that isn’t suggested. The extreme cold of the fridge will actually thicken the polish more quickly. Even if allowed to warm to room temperature, the cold of the fridge has a habit of changing the chemical compounds irreversibly.

Experts also say that 2 years is the average lifespan to keep your polish going for. Just like anything else, your nail color has a lifespan and is past its prime after two years. All polishes have their specific code number somewhere on their bottle. Check with the manufacturer’s website to see if your color is still being produced, or if they have a similar, updated shade.

Long Island Health, Fitness & Beauty Articles > Avoid the Clumping: Keeping Your Favorite Nail Polish Thin