PREVENT POLISH CHIPPING

Do you hate polish chipping within a few days of polishing your nails? Who doesn’t?

In this article, you’ll learn:

How I discovered why my polish was chipping after showering
Why five layers of polish can be your best friend
The fastest way to remove polish with a minimal acetone drying effect

How to Prevent Polish Chipping

We are all looking for ways to have our polish last longer and for a polish that doesn’t chip.

For me, it started with a Google search in 2010, “How Do I Keep My Polish from Chipping in the Shower?”

The solution came several months later after I had done over 200 hours of exhaustive research. I didn’t find the answer, but I did find the pieces of information necessary to create the answer.

The quick answer is that nails absorb 1/3rd their weight in water. When water is absorbed through the underside of your nail, it breaks the polish-to-nail bond. The long answer is here: “How Do I Keep My Polish from Chipping in the Shower?”

I created the Fab 5 Polish Wrap to help prevent my nails from absorbing water.

Does it stop my nails from absorbing water if I’m doing dishes without gloves for 30 minutes? NO!

But it does stop my nails from absorbing water in a 15 minute luxurious shower! And as a Mom to 4 active children and an entrepreneur, that’s all I need!

The result, is that I can easily wear my nail polish for 7 to 10 days without any chipping! And nail polish that doesn’t chip is especially appealing when I’ve spent a few hours creating gorgeous nail art—I want it to stick around!

The Fab 5 Wrap Overview

1. Two Base Coat Wraps: Apply 2 coats of ridge filling base coat, wrapping completely to the underside of exposed nail tip. Any polish that gets on your skin will wash or peel off. (OPI ridge filler is a good base coat.)
2. Two Color Coat: Keep an orange wood stick available to wipe polish off of skin before it dries.
3. One Top Coat Wrap: Apply 1 coat of your favorite quick dry top coat, wrapping completely to the underside of exposed nail tip. (I normally use Seche Vite top coat.)
4. Clean Smudges: Dip a small makeup brush or art brush in acetone to clean up polish on skin and create a clean line near your eponychium (“cuticle” line).
5. Oil: Apply your favorite nail oil to skin and nail polish.

The Fab 5 Wrap Details

1. Clean Nails: Wipe your nails with rubbing alcohol and a lint free pad as your first step. If your nails are long enough, use a Q-Tip brand cotton swab with rubbing alcohol to clean the underside of the nail. This removes the surface oils and dirt from your nails.
2. Basecoat Wrap: Use a good base coat, wrapping it around to the underside of your nail (not just capping your tips).
  * Base coat is formulated to bond to the NAIL surface.
  * Color nail polish is formulated to bond with base coat—not nails.
3. Color Coats: Apply 2 coats of colored nail polish.
4. Topcoat Wrap: Completely wrap your nails with topcoat all the way to the underside.
  * A good topcoat is also formulated to bond ONLY to nail lacquer (polish and base coat) and add a high gloss shine.
5. Clean up your polish along the eponychium (“cuticle” line) using acetone and a makeup or artist brush.

* This creates a smooth, flush line with your nail. Excessive polish around your cuticle line also contributes to chipped nails.
* Here’s the article I wrote explaining why acetone is the best choice for removing polish.

1. Rehydrate your cuticle lines and surrounding skin with a high quality, jojoba wax ester based, penetrating nail and cuticle oil like Bliss Kiss™ Simply Pure™ hydrating oil.
2. Apply a new layer of topcoat daily or every-other day, wrapping it around your tips. Apply nail oil two times per day or more.
  * TIP: The ingredients that make a good topcoat bond to nail polish and have an incredible shine make it a horrible base coat! Steer away from any product labeled as basecoat AND topcoat. It will do neither one well. ~Ana

Polish Removal

After 7 days, remove your polish with acetone. Acetone is actually less drying to your nails than non-acetone because it dissolves the polish quicker.

I find that my Soak & Swipe Manicure Clips do a better job than the traditional foil wraps.

* Before creating our Bliss Kiss™ Simply Soft™ acetone additive, I recommended wiping a generous layer of olive oil (or any cheap kitchen oil) around your cuticle lines before removing the polish. This helped prevent the dryness acetone causes. I would slather oil up to my first knuckle. It’s so nice to be able to skip that step now! *

Use Q-Tip™ brand cotton swabs to remove the polish on the underside of your nails. I’ve tried cheaper brands and they’re just not as effective, perhaps because they’ve wound the cotton around the stick tighter than Q-Tip™ does.

Nail Oil Mini-Hydration Cycle

Apply a high quality, penetrating nail oil to your nails about once an hour for the next 4 to 8 hours.
Or, do an intensive mini-hydration treatment with latex gloves. I have the instructions in my hydration treatment article.

Start over with a fresh Fab 5 Polish Wrap Manicure and enjoy!

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6 Comments

Fingers on August 16, 2013 at 10:52 am

Just wanted to tell you that I love your base coat. I have not used any other since I tried yours. Somehow it truly makes the polish stick to my nails so much better than any other. just wanted you to know!

Ana on August 16, 2013 at 11:20 am

That’s so awesome Jen!!!! Thank you! I have the same experience—polish just doesn’t chip like it does with other base coats. And I love that it makes my nails look nice all by itself!

Would you be willing to post this as a review on the Simply Smooth™ product page? https://www.nailcarehq.com/shop/simply-smooth-base-coat/ Just click on the Review tab next to the Description tab. ~Ana

Elle on October 20, 2013 at 6:28 pm

Hi again Ana..I have another question.
I recently received my order for base and top coat-love it…so much better than the ‘all in one’ base & top coats I’ve been using…I tossed that junk in the trash.
I am religiously using Pure Bliss Nail Oil several times a day and wonder how the heck it is absorbed thru:
2 coats of base coat,
2-3 coats of polish and
1 coat of top coat.

I’m careful to rub the oil in at the sides and the cuticle line and, as per your suggestion,do paint it on top of the dried manicure and beneath my now growing out nails where I’ve used a tiny teeny fine watercolor brush to paint on the top coat beneath my short nail.

But how the heck is it absorbed thru the 2 layers of top coat under my nail, much less the 5-6 layers of polish and base and top coats?
Am I wasting my precious oil putting it on the top of my nail? I’ve had such a wonderful success with curing splitting and peeling nails with Bliss Kiss Pure Nail Oil and want to continue to have my nails get healthier. I’m just curious about the absorption thru polish etc.

Best wishes
Elle

Ana on March 3, 2014 at 5:54 pm

Elle,
My apologies for the delay in getting back to you! Where has the time gone? Thank you for this great question!

If you’re using the pen, you shouldn’t need the watercolor brush to apply the oil under your nail.

The oil does not absorb through the polish to the nail plate. But you’re not wasting it. Pure™ does absorb into the top layer of polish, helping to keep it pliable and delay cracking. It also absorbs into the nail plate at the cuticle line, making it more difficult for water to get under your polish causing it to chip.

This is why it’s so important to do the 3 day Hydration Challenge with naked nails. Once the oil is absorbed into the nail plate, then it’s very important to seal the oil in with the layers of polish and block water absorption. ~Ana

Karen on December 21, 2013 at 10:22 pm

Hi Ana,

have the same question as Elle. Have you addressed this in another post?

Rayen G. on June 9, 2015 at 11:08 am

Hello Ana! Love what you have done! I had been reading your articles back when there was only 5! I love the scientific evidence and educated explanations you give so I can finally grow my nails out! I was in a sense abusing nail stregntheners and you solved it as I have exactly the problem that my nails break at the quick or even further down! Thank you and I’ll be getting the sample pack to try out all your wonderful stuff to help me not get painful breaks anymore!

Fingers on August 16, 2013 at 10:52 am

Just wanted to tell you that I love your base coat. I have not used any other since I tried yours. Somehow it truly makes the polish stick to my nails so much better than any other. just wanted you to know!
- Ana on August 16, 2013 at 11:20 am
  
  That’s so awesome Jen!!!! Thank you! I have the same experience—polish just doesn’t chip like it does with other base coats. And I love that it makes my nails look nice all by itself!
  
  Would you be willing to post this as a review on the Simply Smooth™ product page? https://www.nailcarehq.com/shop/simply-smooth-base-coat/ Just click on the Review tab next to the Description tab. ~Ana
Elle on October 20, 2013 at 6:28 pm

Hi again Ana..I have another question.
I recently received my order for base and top coat-love it…so much better than the ‘all in one’ base & top coats I’ve been using…I tossed that junk in the trash.
I am religiously using Pure Bliss Nail Oil several times a day and wonder how the heck it is absorbed thru:
2 coats of base coat,
2-3 coats of polish and
1 coat of top coat.

I’m careful to rub the oil in at the sides and the cuticle line and, as per your suggestion,do paint it on top of the dried manicure and beneath my now growing out nails where I’ve used a tiny teeny fine watercolor brush to paint on the top coat beneath my short nail.

But how the heck is it absorbed thru the 2 layers of top coat under my nail, much less the 5-6 layers of polish and base and top coats?
Am I wasting my precious oil putting it on the top of my nail? I’ve had such a wonderful success with curing splitting and peeling nails with Bliss Kiss Pure Nail Oil and want to continue to have my nails get healthier. I’m just curious about the absorption thru polish etc.

Best wishes
Elle
- Ana on March 3, 2014 at 5:54 pm
  
  Elle,
  My apologies for the delay in getting back to you! Where has the time gone? Thank you for this great question!
  
  If you’re using the pen, you shouldn’t need the watercolor brush to apply the oil under your nail.
  
  The oil does not absorb through the polish to the nail plate. But you’re not wasting it. Pure™ does absorb into the top layer of polish, helping to keep it pliable and delay cracking. It also absorbs into the nail plate at the cuticle line, making it more difficult for water to get under your polish causing it to chip.
  
  This is why it’s so important to do the 3 day Hydration Challenge with naked nails. Once the oil is absorbed into the nail plate, then it’s very important to seal the oil in with the layers of polish and block water absorption. ~Ana
Karen on December 21, 2013 at 10:22 pm

Hi Ana,

have the same question as Elle. Have you addressed this in another post?
Rayen G. on June 9, 2015 at 11:08 am

Hello Ana! Love what you have done! I had been reading your articles back when there was only 5! I love the scientific evidence and educated explanations you give so I can finally grow my nails out! I was in a sense abusing nail stregntheners and you solved it as I have exactly the problem that my nails break at the quick or even further down! Thank you and I’ll be getting the sample pack to try out all your wonderful stuff to help me not get painful breaks anymore!