Nail Care Products

Nail Care Products Overview

  • Focused on different categories of nail care products including Nail Enamel, Removers, Cuticle Remover, Nail Polish, Artificial Nails, and Nail Gels.

Types of Nail Care Products

  • Nail Enamel

  • Removers

  • Cuticle Remover

  • Artificial Nails

  • Nail Gels

Nail Enamel Removers

  • Purpose: To dissolve nitrocellulose and remove lipids from the nail plate.

    • Active Components:

    • Solvents (approx. 98%):

      • Acetone

      • Butyl acetate

      • Ethyl acetate

      • Ethoxyethanol

    • Lipid Components (approx. 2%):

      • Castor Oil

      • Lanolin Oil

    • Additional ingredients include dyes, fragrances, preservatives, vitamins, and ultraviolet (UV) absorbers.

Cuticle Removers

  • Forms: Liquid, gel, or cream.

  • Typical Active Components and Their Concentrations:

    • Key Active Agent:

    • _ (2%-5%)

    • _ (1%-5% lactic acid, pH 3–3.7)

  • Function: Attack keratin by disrupting disulfide bonds of cystine.

  • Additional ingredients: Emollients (ex: lanolin), humectants (ex: glycerin, propylene glycol), preservatives, perfumes, and thickening agents.

Typical Formula for Cuticle Removers

  • Water: approximately 90%

  • Softening Agent (1%–5%):

    • Potassium Hydroxide (KOH)

  • Thickener (0.5%-1%):

    • Sorbitol

    • Magnesium Aluminum Silicate

  • Perfume (0.1%)

Cuticle Softeners

  • Contains emollients in combination with:

    • Quaternary Ammonium Compounds

    • Urea

  • Purpose: Used in creams for brittle nails; applied after moistening the nail to prevent dehydration and to maintain/increase nail flexibility.

Nail Polish Details

  • Other names include “Nail Varnish”, “Nail Enamel”, and “Nail Lacquers.”

    • Characteristics:

    • Easy to apply

    • Dries quickly

    • Leaves a shiny, smooth, even, hard, flexible film; lasts approximately 5 days

    • Easy to remove without trace, and has no side effects

    • Stable in the container

Nail Polish Ingredients

General Ingredient Functions

  • The main constituent remains on the nail after drying:

    • Nitrocellulose: Provides hardness, toughness, stability, and waterproof characteristics.

  • Additional Benefits from Other Compounds:

    • Adhesion and Gloss Improvement:

    • Santolite or Toluene Sulfonamide/Formaldehyde resin (TSFR)

    • Phthalic Anhydride/Trimellitic Anhydride/Glycols Copolymer (PTGC)

    • Alkyd Resins, Acrylates, Vinyls, or Polyesters

Ingredients for Flexibility and Evaporation Control

  • Increase Flexibility:

    • Dibutyl Phthalate

    • Camphor

    • Castor Oil

    • Tricresyl Phosphate

    • Glyceryl Tribenzoate

    • Alkyl Esters (Ethyl, n-Butyl Acetate)

    • Glycol Ethers (Propylene Glycol Monomethyl Ether)

  • Regulate Evaporation Rates and Stabilize Viscosity:

    • Aliphatic Alcohols (Ethanol, Isopropanol, Butanol)

    • Aromatic Hydrocarbons (Toluene)

  • Coloring Agents: Inorganic or organic colors.

Ingredients for Light Reflection Enhancement

  • Enhancers of Light Reflection:

    • Guanine Crystals (Scales of Atlantic Herring & other fish)

    • Bismuth Oxychloride

    • Mica coated with Titanium Dioxide (TiO2)

    • Metallic (Nickel) Beads

    • Stearalkonium Hectorite

Typical Nail Polish Composition

  • 15% Nitrocellulose

  • 7% Resin

  • 7% Plasticizers

Base Coats and Topcoats

  • Base Coats:

    • Contain increased resin for better adherence of varnish to the nail

    • No colorant; acts as a protective anti-stain barrier.

  • Topcoats:

    • Contains more nitrocellulose and plasticizers, ensuring toughness and flexibility to enhance varnish resistance.

    • May contain Cobalt for added glitter effect.

Artificial Nails

Types

  • Artificial nails are typically sculpted by a nail technician from acrylic resin and are available in various shapes and sizes.

Sculptured Artificial Nails

  • Composition Components:

    • Acrylic resin composed of:

    • Methyl, Ethyl, or Isobutyl Methacrylate Monomers (Liquid)

    • Polymethyl or Ethyl Methacrylate Polymers (Solid)

    • Polymerization Initiator (Benzoyl Peroxide)

    • Stabilizer (Hydroquinone)

    • Accelerator (N,N-Dimethyl-p-Toluidine)

  • Typical Formula:

    • Liquid: Acryl-type monomer (~99%): Methyl Methacrylate Monomer

    • Stabilizer (~1%): Hydroquinone

    • Powder: Acryl-type polymer (~97%): Polymethyl Methacrylate

    • Polymerization initiator (~3%): Benzoyl Peroxide

Additional Components

  • Other components:

    • Plasticizers, solvents, accelerators, pigments, sunscreens, and Titanium Dioxide

  • Steps in Applying Structured Artificial Nails include creating a structured nail look with specific techniques.

Preformed Plastic Tips

  • Preparation:

    • Nail plate surface is buffered to enhance adherence of the preformed plastic tip

    • The preformed plastic tip is fixed with cyanoacrylate glue on the distal part of the nail.

    • Composition of Glue:

    • Ethyl Cyanoacrylate (ECA): 90.6%

    • Polymethyl Methacrylate: 9%

    • Hydroquinone: 0.4%

    • Stabilizer (Organic Sulfonic Acid): Trace

    • May contain additional thickening agents and plasticizers.

Steps for Applying Structured Artificial Nails

  • Steps include gluing the tip, trimming and filing the artificial nail, and applying acrylic gel.

Nail Gels

  • Composition: Mixture of acrylic monomers and polymers

  • Characteristics: Odorless and provide a more natural appearance to the nails.

  • Benefits: Do not require irritants such as (meth)acrylic acid as a primer.

Nail Gels Polymerization Techniques

  • Hardening Process: Polymerization via exposure of gel layers to UV light

  • Key Components:

    • Include (meth)acrylated urethanes, triethyleneglycol dimethacrylate, methacrylated epoxy resin or hydroxyfunctional methacrylates, and a photoinitiator.

  • Alternative Method: Polymerization can also be obtained by spraying or brushing an activator onto the nails.

    • Activator example: Ethyl-Cyanoacrylate Gel with N,N-Dimethyl Para-Toluidine as activator.