I find it amusing when clients tell me that they keep their polish in the refrigerator. I can't seem to figure out why. Then the answer came to me. The polish has been kept in the dark (prevents the polish from changing color) and the cold air slows down the air molecules.
I personally think that there are better ways to keep your polish fresh (and leave room for the milk in the frig). As I've mentioned, keeping polish stored in the dark or out of direct sunlight is very important.
Direct sunlight and even indirect sunlight (a bright room) can distort the original color of the polish. I've worked in a spa that had bright light coming into the nail room in the morning. This spa had to replace the OPI color Coney Island Cotton Candy about once every two months.
The color would turn yellow and become very unappealing to the customer. Another thing that I've noticed is that a lot of people do not know how to keep the neck of the bottle clean. By keeping the neck and the inside cap of the bottle clean, you'll keep your polish fresher, longer.
You ask why? Well, when there is a build-up of polish around the neck and inside the cap, it will allow more air into the bottle and thicken the polish quicker.
So, how do you keep the neck and the inside cap of the bottle clean? You can do it the usual way, with a little polish remover on a lint-free paper towel and wipe them off every time you polish your nails. Or you can just add a little caution to how you pull the brush out of the bottle. As you pull the brush out of the bottle, wipe off the excess polish inside the bottle instead of on the top of the bottle.
This will reduce the amount of times you need to clean the neck and the inside cap of dried out polish. You'll also save yourself the headache of trying to open a bottle of polish that won't open because the cap is stuck on with dried polish.
If the polish is already thick, use polish thinner to thin it out, not polish remover. Polish remover can sometimes break the polish down incorrectly and make it chip faster. You can pick up polish thinner at beauty supply houses like Sally's. Fresh base coat nail polish also works to thin polish without effecting the consistency. Also, you can get more out of your polish (if you use it a lot) by buying two of the same type of polish (base coats, top coats, color polish).
Use one bottle to apply to your nails and use the other to refill the first. Instead of only getting a half bottle out of each bottle (one bottle out of two), you'll get 1 ½ bottles out of the two. It is important to note, don't use a third bottle because the original polish has broken down too much with thinning that the original polish will chip faster than a fresh bottle.
Hope this helps your polish stay fresher, longer.
Alicia Lyons has beena licensed cosmetologist and began doing nails in 1982. She's seen every trend in the nail industry come and go. She has seen the origin of acrylic and gel nails, French manicures and discount nail salons. In April 2008, she was listed as one of Sedona, Arizona's top six spa therapists by Sedona Monthly magazine.
