Not All Longwear Nail Polish is Created Equal
The term “Longwear Polish” was coined to distinguish certain polishes that stay on natural nails longer than traditional polish. There are two classes that now claim to be “longwear” polish — Dazzle Dry® and Hybrids.
WHAT’S THE STORY ON DAZZLE DRY?
Dazzle Dry was introduced in 2007 as the world’s first longwear nail polish, in a class of its own because of its unique scientific formulation based on Flex Technology. This proprietary technology enables Dazzle Dry to expand and contract with the natural nail to minimize chips, peeling and breakage. Another plus — it air dries completely in 5 minutes, and requires no UV/LED light.
What’s more, the Dazzle Dry system applies and removes like traditional nail polish but with no harmful or reactive ingredients. And because it has no Nitrocellulose, it doesn’t yellow natural nails.
WHAT’S A HYBRID?
"Hybrid" is a term coined for the other category of longwear polishes first innovated by CND with Vinylux in 2013. These polish brands utilize monomers, oligomers and photoinitiators, and require sunlight or UV/LED light to cure.
HOW DO UV GEL POLISHES WORK?
Introduced in 2009, UV Gel polishes, like Hybrids, are also solvent-based and contain chemically reactive ingredients including monomers, oligomers and photoinitiators. These solvents evaporate leaving the semi-dried polish behind, which then combine to produce polymers when nails are exposed to UV light using nail lamps with CFL bulbs, LED or sunlight. The chemical reaction continues until the reactive components are depleted.
THE DOWNLOW ON TRADITIONAL NAIL POLISH
Traditional polishes take too long to dry and chip, peel or wear off on natural nails within a few days of their application. Because they contain nitrocellulose, they turn nails yellow. Historically, they were known to contain harmful ingredients such as DBP, Formaldehyde and Toluene.
NO YELLOWING. NO CHEMICALLY REACTIVE INGREDIENTS. NO KIDDING.
Dazzle Dry’s composition is free of the chemically reactive ingredients necessary in gel and hybrid polishes. The entire system also is free of nitrocellulose, which is the root cause of the yellowing of natural nails from wearing traditional polishes. While Vinylux Longwear Top Coat is nitrocellulose-free, it contains chemically reactive ingredients. The Color Coat also contains nitrocellulose.
WEAR. AND TEAR.
Hybrid systems are marketed as seven-day polishes. Dazzle Dry’s nail polish system is marketed as seven- to 14-day polish. Gel polishes can wear longer than both, but none should be worn for more than two weeks. Some nails could suffer surface damage, which presents as white spots or white patches. These are often erroneously referred to by nail techs as “dehydration.”
TAKE IT OFF. TAKE IT ALL OFF.
Traditional polishes and Dazzle Dry remove by wiping them off with regular acetone-based or non-acetone polish removers. Hybrids, when removed within seven days, can be removed like traditional polish but it becomes more difficult the longer the polish is worn due to the increased curing level of the product.
Traditional polish and Dazzle Dry only air dry by evaporation of the volatile solvents. No curing is involved, so their ease of removal remains unchanged throughout the wearing period. UV Gel polishes must be filed off or soaked off in pure acetone.
DAZZLING THE MARKET.
In 1997, Dazzle Dry’s founder created a “nail polish system” that would solve ALL of the known issues inherent in traditional nail polishes, while maintaining ease of application and removal. While all gel polishes, hybrid polishes, longwear and traditional polishes share some ingredients, the chart below highlights what differentiates Dazzle Dry:
NAIL CARE TRENDS — WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE.
Today more natural nail care and wellness are trending. The public will continue to raise their awareness of nail products that are “clean” and emotionally therapeutic, while also seeking out those that offer flexibility and solutions for daily life. In this regard, Dazzle Dry checks all the boxes.