Nail polish recipe
Last update on Jan 15, 2015
This article was originally published on January 15, 2015 and revised in 2025.
This guide explores nail polish formulations from basic pigment-solvent systems to advanced film-forming blends. It highlights color, shine, adhesion, flexibility, fast drying, even coverage, special effects, and formulation techniques for durable and attractive nails.
Ingredients and method
Steps to follow:
- Before starting
- Typical ingredients / Usual method & tips
- Sample recipe
- To go further
Before starting: Nail polishes are preparations whose main function is to color and enhance aesthetics of both hands and feet, giving them a more attractive aspect. Nail polish basically consists of pigments suspended in a volatile solvent to which film formers have been added.
Required qualities:
- Must have an important adhesive power
- Shining film
- Easy application, easy spreadability
- Homogeneity
- Fast drying
- High covering power
- Plasticity and flexibility to prevent cracks
- Hardness
Usual method:
- Thixotropic agents are dispersed in part of the solvents and mixture is added with the diluents and the others components.
- Pre-wet the pigments by making a 1:1 or 1:2 premix in carrier (oils or solvents) under slow stirring conditions.
- Controlled speed stirrers with a paddle or propeller type agitator blades are recommended to disperse pigments.
Typical ingredients:
| Component | Usage (% w/w) |
|---|---|
| Must use | |
| Film former (primary) | 10–20% |
| Film former/ resin (secondary) | 2–10% |
| Pigments | 1–5% |
| Plasticizers | 3–10% |
| Solvents | 30–50% |
| Diluents | 5–15% |
| Thixotropic agents | 0–1% |
| Usual | |
| UV filters | 0–0.1% |
| Preservatives | 0.1–1% |
| Antioxidants | 0–0.1% |
| Pigments (special effects) | 1–5% |
| Optional | |
| Fragrance | 0–1% |
| Active agents | 0–1% |
Tips and a sample recipe
| Sample Recipe | ||
|---|---|---|
| Composition | Function | % (w/w) |
| Phase A | ||
| Stearylalkonium Bentonite | Thixotropic agent | 0.90 |
| n-Butyl Acetate | Solvent | 40.0 |
| Isopropyl Alcohol | Diluent | 8.4 |
| Ethyl Acetate | Solvent | 18.0 |
| Nitrocellulose | Film former (primary) | 15.0 |
| Polyester Resin | Film former (secondary) | 9.0 |
| Dibutyl Phthalate | Plasticizer | 5.0 |
| Camphor | Plasticizer | 1.7 |
| Phase B | ||
| Aluminum powder (and) Ethyl Acetate | Pigments (metallescent) | 2 |
Method
- Phase A: Disperse the stearalkonium bentonite in butyl acetate under intensive stirring and add isopropyl alcohol. Add the others solvents, plasticizers and film formers to the mixture.
- Add the Phase B by slow stirring and mix slowly until the mixture is homogeneous.
How to obtain special effects?
- You can vary effects in nail polish through the addition of both organic colors and pigments.
- Pigments must be maintained within the preparation with suspending agents, such as stearalkonium hectorite.
- Specialty additives may also be added in order to create special effects: sparkling, shimmering, frosted, metallescent.
- Nylon or rayon fibers can be added for nail-strengthening purposes.
- Aluminum is widely used in nail polishes. It can add some sparkle and flop effects when using the larger particle sizes.
To go further:
Key ingredients and allergy:
- Nitrocellulose is the most commonly used primary film-forming agent in nail polishes.
- It produces a shiny, tough, nontoxic film that adheres well to the nail plate. The oxygen permeable film allows gas exchange between the atmosphere and the nail.
- Resins are added to increase the flexibility of the film at a ratio of about two parts nitrocellulose to one part resin by weight.
- The most popular resin used to enhance the nitrocellulose film is toluene-sulfonamide-formaldehyde. However, it might be the source of allergic contact dermatitis.
- Toluene is notably considered as a strong sensitizing agent, a toxic inhalant, and has a high risk of causing severe contact dermatitis and eye irritation. Hypoallergenic nail varnishes use polyester resin or cellulose acetate butyrate.
Plasticizers increase flexibility after solvents have volatilized, reducing cracking in the polish. Dibutyl phthalate has been used as a plasticizer for years.