Did you know that how you care for your gel polish could affect the outcome of your manicure? We always talk about “how to” when it comes to the mani itself, but what about the actual gel polish? If the quality of the gel polish is affected by how you’re taking care of your gels, it could mean your manicure may not last as long as it should. Here are our top 3 tips to improve the shelf life and maintain the quality of your gel nail polish.
Tip #1 – Proper Storage
Keep your gel polish in a cool, dark, dry place. Before storing your gels, make sure to wipe any excess gel from the neck of the bottle, tightly close the bottle, and store it upright to avoid the polish from drying out. Storing your gels in humid or hot temperatures or near direct heat or sunlight can cause the 3-in-1 formula to separate or thicken which could affect the outcome of your gel manicure.
Tip #2 – Minimize Light Exposure
Direct heat and sunlight cause gel polish to dry out. For this reason, we recommend that you never do your manicure outside or too close to a window with direct sunlight. Additionally, while you paint your mani you should try to keep the gel polish bottle as far away from the LED lamp and light as possible, especially if using our Le Maxi lamp. Minimizing the gels exposure to light keeps it fresher longer and keeps it from drying out and ruining the quality.
Tip #3 – Loosen Thickened Gel
Older gel polishes tend to thicken over time, whether they’ve been sitting too long or they’ve gotten cold while in storage. To fix this, fill a small bowl with warm water and place your gel polish bottle in the water for 5 minutes. Make sure the bottle is tightly closed before placing it into the water. The warmth will loosen the thickened gel making it easier to apply. Be sure to gently shake or roll the bottle before application to mix the 3-in-1 formula which allows for even application and longer-lasting gel manicures.
If you follow these tips, an open gel polish bottle should last up to 18 months and unopened, up to 2 years. You can get about 20 manicures from one full bottle of gel polish so taking care of your gels and making them last as long as possible means more longer-lasting manicures for you!
