Nail materials: composition and properties
Understand the differences between nail coatings, how ingredients are described and why drying differs from curing. Start with the material’s function, then read the product-specific instructions. A shared ingredient or marketing label does not establish that two systems are interchangeable.
Latest Articles · 10
A Beginner’s Guide · Materials
Monomers and polymers in nail products: the difference
AI-assisted preparation · NailWiki editorial team · Photo · Pexels
Materials
Photo · PexelsViscosity and thixotropy: understanding how a gel flows
Materials
Photo · PexelsINCI and CosIng: what ingredient names can tell you
Materials
Photo · PexelsProduct-system compatibility: what counts as evidence?
Materials
Photo · PexelsSolvents in nail coatings: what the liquid carrier does
Key Terms
Film former
A film former is an ingredient that helps create a continuous coating. In conventional nail polish, this role is distinct from the solvent that carries ingredients in the liquid product.
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Materials
Photo · PexelsPlasticizers: why a nail-polish film can be flexible
Materials
Photo · PexelsPigments, dyes and lakes: colourants are not all the same
Materials
Photo · PexelsOligomers in nail gels: short chains, not finished coatings
Materials
Photo · PexelsFilm formers in nail polish: the ingredient behind the coating
Materials
Photo · Pexels