All the strange, weird facts about nail polish you never knew.
1. You can actually be allergic to nail polish. Formaldehyde is an ingredient in many nail polishes, and some people are just born allergic to this chemical. Brands that are “triple-free” don’t have any formaldehyde, though, and are safe for people with such allergies.
READ MORE: How to Remove Gel Polish at Home
2. You can make your own colors. Try mixing shades from the same brand (so the formulas are the same) to come up with your own, custom color. Or, take a bottle of clear polish and add the craft store glitter of your choice- voila!
3. Nail polish and car paint are cousins, actually. They’re both formulated in a nearly identical fashion with only slightly different ingredients. Everyone wants their car paint to last, and the same can be said for nails.
4. The Middle East invented nail color. Did you know that nails have been stained for thousands of years with varied henna formulas in the Middle East? Obviously they weren’t about shine or durability, but the color aspect was in full effect!
5. Revlon invented the first commercial polish nearly 100 years ago.
6. Nail polish used to be a thing for “loose” women. Wearing colored nails used to be a symbol of prostitution in many cultures (including the USA!). Thank goodness that’s long gone and we can all enjoy a bright, fun polish now.
7. An unopened bottle only lasts 1 year. 12 months to use that bottle, ladies! After that, trash it.
8. In 2013 nail polish was literally a BILLION dollar industry. That’s a lot of lacquer!
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9. Fingernails grow an average of 3.5 mm per month. Essentially, you’ve got a good couple inches of nail to get busy with each year.
10. Your nails really DO need to breathe between manicures. Try giving yourself a day or two between manicures with no polish. Nails are a living tissue, and strong, potent polishes block oxygen from feeding those living cells.
