The Base of everything

The First Step: Priming

I refer to “Priming” as the series of steps on the manicure priors to applying the nail polish. This begins with clean, dry hands and nails.

Here a list of the steps and what do they do.

• SHAPE – That’s the first step for strong, healthy nails. If you are unsure of what is the best shape for YOUR nails, please refer to my previous entry. 
• Use nail polish remover (preferably non-acetone) – This will ALWAYS be the SECOND STEP even if you didn’t had nail polish on, to take all the oils off the nail bed so the polish adheres to the nails better, giving you longer lasting polish results. Wipe each nail clean to remove any color and/or oils.

• Push your cuticles – now that you have clean, shaped nails you can push your cuticles with an orange stick. I don’t recommend cutting them because it can cause a series of infections but you can trim any excess skin when you give yourself a full manicure.

Next Step: Base Coat

Nowadays we can find a large variety of “base coats” formulated for different needs and available in every price range. But here is the fact: most of them aren’t real base coats.

Understanding a base coat:

     A base coat is supposed to help the nail polish stay on longer by bonding the polish to the nail bed while preventing nail polish from turning nails yellow and it's meant to be a “ridge filler”. Meaning that if there are any nicks or cuts on the surface of the nail bed it covers them up so that the nail polish on top stays smooth and looks better. A good base coat should also prevent natural nails from breaking.
**** Base coats should dry matte or dull with a tacky finish. They also dry fast. 

Now for the tricky part…..

There are 3 products that have similar functions, but ARE NOT the same and shouldn’t be confused with base coats:

1.  Nail Fortifier – Usually a light colored formula that works best if applied to recently buffed nails to nourish them deeply. This can be presented as a polish or cream.
   
2.  Nail Strengthener – The common presentation is as a clear polish. It needs to be the first coat in order to penetrate the nail making it healthier and stronger while keeping the flexibility.
   
3.  Nail Hardener – Works as a protective layer to the nail that dries hard but the protection only lasts while you have it on because it doesn’t penetrate the nail bed. Can be used alone or as a top coat if you have extremely soft, brittle nails but it’s not recommended as a longtime remedy.

     Now, we see a lot of people using some of those products as base coats BUT they DON’T dry tacky and WON’T help in the polish-bonding process, therefor they won’t make your nail polish last longer. They also lack the “ridge filler” properties of the base coat, so you won’t get the same perfect looking manicure.  So be careful when looking for the perfect base coat because you might find a lot of products that claim to be “base&top coat”, for example, who’s formula will ONLY protect you from the yellow-staining. Or that will claim to be a “strengthening base coat” that may nourish your nails and protect against yellowing but won’t dry tacky, therefor, losing some bonding strength.

     The best way to protect your nails without having to surrender the quality of your manicure is to apply a THIN layer of Strengthener followed by a THIN layer of base coat. This way, you get all the benefits from each product.