How to stop nail polish stains

Winter is when we turf the coral lipsticks and light pink nail polishes and take a trip to the dark side to rock an edgier ‘vampy’ look.

A strong red, brown, purple or black manicure can really dress up an outfit and add a level of stunning sophistication.

However, there’s one teeny-tiny problem … and that’s nail staining.

Darker colours are the common culprits that are known to stain nails and ring our alarm bells.

Thankfully, stains caused by nail polish are nothing to worry about. The nail surface is porous which causes polish pigments to seep in and re-colour our nails. 

The good news is these stains do fade over time so you could easily just apply another nail polish on top and call it a day. But if you’re hoping to go bare and can’t stand the sight of the stains, there are two ways you can accelerate the lifting process.

First, you can soak a cotton ball with nail polish remover and leave it on the nail for 30 seconds before pulling it off. This gives the remover a chance to soak in and get as much of that stain out as possible. It’s recommended that you use a different cotton ball for each nail.

Alternatively, you can buff off the stains using a nail buffer.

Your best option would be to stop your nails from staining altogether. How can we do this?

#1Use a strong base coat before applying your nail polish. This is the best way to prevent stains as it acts as a protective barrier between nail polish and nail. If you have done this before and it hasn’t worked in your favour, chances are the base coat wasn’t strong enough or you might have needed to apply another layer.

#2Look for toluene free nail polishes. Not only is toluene (as well as formaldehyde and DBP) a known toxic chemical found in nail polishes, but it is also known to cause stains even when used in the formulas of lighter nail polish colours.

Implement these two tips next time you decide to treat yourself to an at-home manicure and the dreaded reveal will no longer be a worry. Finally!