No. It is not recommended to store polish in the refrigerator because it can cause it to thicken. Once taken out of the cold, it could take quite awhile to warm up to room temperature. Today's polish formulas and preservatives improve the shelf life of polish.
“Keeping nail polish in a fridge slows down the normal possible discoloration and solvent evaporation of the polish, which happens as the polish gets older,” says Hariharan. In short, “the sooner you put the product in the fridge, the longer the color stays true.”
To avoid discoloration, keep your nail polish out of direct sunlight and away from heat sources. Aim for a cool, dry place, like inside a drawer or cabinet. Likewise, avoid storing nail polish in the bathroom.
Yes, because storing nail polish in a cool and dark place like the refrigerator can slow down the ruinous process of the solvents evaporating over time, making the nail polish last longer, smoother, and less prone to clumping.
On the other hand, if you keep it refrigerated but take it out often to polish your nails, then put it back in the refrigerator “it makes no difference to the polish's shelf life.” If you do refrigerate, bring it to room temp before opening it.
No. It is not recommended to store polish in the refrigerator because it can cause it to thicken. Once taken out of the cold, it could take quite awhile to warm up to room temperature. Today's polish formulas and preservatives improve the shelf life of polish.
The answer is that nail polish will not freeze into a solid form. But, it will get thicker, which makes it more difficult to apply tidily. When looking at how to make nail polish last longer in a bottle, the upside to storing your nail polish in a cold place is that it delays any discoloration of the product.
Unopened, they can last indefinitely, says Annette Soboleski, a nail technician for polish maker OPI. Once a bottle has been opened, some ingredients will evaporate, causing the polish to thicken and separate.
“Nail polish is a polymer, formed by a chemical reaction,” she explains. “Lowering the temperature lowers the rate of the chemical reaction, plus it actually slows the evaporation of the solvents in the polish. “The water may thicken the polish so it seems to dry more quickly.
"Applying base and topcoat is critical to preventing chipping or cracking for a lasting manicure," Dunne says. "Basecoat is what allows the coats to adhere to your nails and topcoat is what seals it all in." Dunne recommends reapplying your topcoat every other day to prevent your nail polish from cracking.
There's a reason nail salons often add a drop of acetone to a bottle of nail polish: it makes polish easier to apply and (counter-intuitively) helps manicures to last longer.
Regular nail polish lasts for around 18 to 24 months on average, whereas gel nail polish lasts for around 24 to 36 months, with unopened bottles lasting the longest. Nail polishes only start to expire once they have been opened, so try to avoid opening a bottle if you are not going to use it immediately.
Remove polish every two weeks and give your nails a breather for a day or so. Or switch to light polish, which doesn't need to be changed as often since there's a lower risk of it staining your nails.
It is often said that polishes should be stored in a fridge, as this increases their durability. Unfortunately, this is not true and while it won't hurt, it certainly doesn't help. The ideal temperature for nail polish is between 10 and 15 degrees Celsius.
The bottom line is that nail polish does not “expire” in the sense that they become spoiled or harmful when in use. They just become thick, gloopy, and dry, which makes them difficult to use.
Many say blasting your nails with a blow-dryer on the cool setting can dry your manicure faster. However, this can reduce shine and even move the polish, leaving it uneven, says Boyce. She recommends a fan to help polish firm up and dry faster.
"The shelf life of an unopened polish can last up to 5-8 years, and after opening the polishes last up to two years," Ling Lin says. Forgetting to screw on the top tightly or exposing your bottles to veritable temperatures can also speed up the expiration process.
Nail artist Simcha Whitehill told Allure that shaking your nail polish bottle can lead to chipping. Shaking the bottle creates tiny pockets of air. These air bubbles can sometimes pop, leaving holes in your manicure. Whitehill suggests rolling the nail polish bottle between your hands instead.
“The main problem with using a polish that's been open for more than two years is that it won't yield as good of a user experience. It will probably be thick and hard to put on, and the color might have faded, too,” says Berry. “As polish gets old, it loses the ability to support an even, beautiful application.
In summary: The first layer of base coat will take up to 2 minutes to dry. The first layer of nail polish will take up to 10 minutes to dry. The second layer of nail polish will take up to 20 minutes to dry completely.
Generally, it takes 1-2 hours before nail polish is completely dry on its own, especially if you've used a base coat, two coats of nail polish and a topcoat. Formaldehyde-free polishes take more time to dry. Many nail polish dryers allow you to use your hands 5 to 15 minutes after polish is applied.