No matter how big the brand the nail polish is from, all nail polishes can get thick and sloppy. Needless to mention, it feels really disheartening to make oneself understand that the complete money is now wasted. Luckily there is a certain way on how to thin nail polish. Let us find out all about this with this blog post!
If you are a nail enthusiast, or you love to change your nail colors frequently, you have definitely come across a situation where you’ve opened a nail polish bottle only to find that it has become dry and thick! Oh, the horror is unexplainable, isn’t it? Especially when it is your favorite shade; or worse, it is your favorite shade and is discontinued! This post will discuss how to thin nail polish to help you reuse the same product.
We are obviously aware that these tricks cannot help us get the complete texture back, but it at least helps to make the nail polish thin enough to apply it.
Table of Contents
How to thin nail polish?
There are various methods of fixing thick nail polish. Read on to know some of the really easy DIYs on how to thin nail polish that has become sticky and dry.
Method 1: Mix two nail polishes
We know the decision of mixing two nail polishes is hard, but you have to do this if you want your favorite shade back (well, a little color change is still better than nothing, right?). The process is super easy and would hardly take some minutes of your time. All you have to do is grab two nail polish – one is the thick one and the other, the nicer, thinner one. Gently pour the thin nail polish into the thicker one and tightly seal the tab.
The next step is to put the nail polish upside down. With your hands, rub the nail polish slowly to mix well for a good three to four minutes. Remember not to shake the polish since that would create bubbles and spoil it more (which you definitely don’t want).
Method 2: Fix it with hot water
What could be better than knowing ways of fixing thick nail polish with things that are easily available at home, right! One of such easy ways to thin nail polish with easily available things is to fix the thick nail polish with hot water.
The method of doing so is extremely simple. All you need to do is to get a bowl and fill it with water first. Please put it on the stove and boil it a little warm. Once done, gently put the thick nail polish into the hot water bowl after removing it from the oven. Let it rest there for a good three to four minutes. Once the time is over, gently take the nail polish out and rub it, keeping in between the palm of your hands.
Remember, at this point in time, the nail polish bottle has become really hot. Hence, be careful and remember not to burn yourself. However, do not shake the nail polish. This is because shaking it would lead it to have bubbles which would again ruin the nail polish.
Repeat the process until you get your desired consistency, and once done, you are good to use it.
Method 3: Use a nail polish remover or an acetone
Before we begin to know how to thin nail polish using acetone or a nail polish remover, remember this should be the last option on your list to choose. This is because although a drop of acetone will help you get the texture of the nail polish somewhat back, it would also reduce its lifespan.
To thin nail polish using pure acetone or nail polish remover, put just a drop of it on the nail polish bottle. Refrain from putting more drops since the chances of the nail polish getting ruined would then be higher.
Once done, close the lid tightly and gently rub the nail polish by keeping it in between your palms. But remember not to shake the nail polish because it would create air bubbles, thus ruining the nail polish. However, this method is not applicable when it comes to gel nail polish.
Method 4: Using nail polish thinner
Hands down, one of the best options to choose for fixing thick nail polish, using a nail polish thinner or nail lacquer is the best option. Nail lacquers or nail thinners are readily available in the market. Some good brands also come up with their own nail thinners, which you can easily use. Choose the best nail polish thinner after doing some research on which one suits your nail polish more.
The process of how to thin nail polish using nail thinner or professional nail lacquer is extremely simple and can be done in some simple steps. All you need to carry is your thick nail polish, the nail polish thinner or lacquer, and a dropper.
Here are the steps on how to thin nail polish using a nail polish thinner:
- With the help of the dropper, pour around two to three drops of the nail lacquer on the nail polish for the first step
- Once done, close the lid of the nail polish tightly
- Mix the nail lacquer with the nail polish, keep it in between your palms and rub it gently
- Remember, as mentioned before in the article, too, do not shake the nail polish; this is because doing this would not help mix the formula but ruin the nail polish more
- After a good two minutes of rubbing it, apply some nail polish on your nails to see the formula and consistency of the nail polish
- If your desired consistency is not achieved yet, or you want the nail polish to be of a thinner consistency, repeat the process
Method 5: Using alcohol
Every nail polish contains a little amount of alcohol. When we say that nail polish has become thick, what it means is that two important solvents, namely Ethyl acetate and Isopropyl alcohol, are lost from the nail polish. There are certain alcohols, a few drops of which, if we add to the thick nail polish, can help replenish the lost solvents.
The process of thinning nail polish using alcohol is similar to the other processes. Add some drops of alcohol to the thick nail polish using a dropper. Let it rest for a few minutes. Once done, put the nail polish in between your palms and rub it gently.
But remember that fixing thick nail polishes using alcohol can be a hit and a flop as well. In some nail polishes, the alcohol can act really good and offer you a nice consistency. In some other nail polish, the same alcohol can dry it even more. Hence, when you opt to go for this thinning thick nail polish method, be prepared for both results.
How to prevent a nail polish from drying out?
All these methods can help you somewhat get near about a similar or close to a similar consistency. However, no method can ensure you a perfect nail polish consistency like you had before it dried out. Hence, even though these methods on how to thin nail polish are somewhat effective, the best way is to prevent the nail polish from drying out.
Let us look at some of the simple ways to prevent our favorite nail polish from drying out.
Store the nail polish in a proper place
It is important to keep the temperature in check while storing the nail polish. The temperature should not be too high or low and should not change frequently. It is advisable not to keep the nail polish on the refrigerator since it is too cold there. It is also fair not to keep the nail polish in the washroom because the temperature keeps on fluctuating there. The best place to store nail polish is in your drawer.
Store the nail polish properly
We often, in a hurry, do not bother with how we store nail polish. This often results in us just keeping it upright, which is not proper. Make it a point not to keep the nail polishes upright. This is because it leads to the nail polish sliding to the neck and becoming thick. As a result, you would also notice facing problems while trying to open a nail polish bottle.
Clean the nail polish bottle before closing the lid after use
Have you come across a situation where you see dry nail polish on the sides of the lid whenever you open a nail polish bottle? This is for the fact that the nail polish bottles are not cleaned well after use. Thick nail polish at the neck of the bottles can lead it not to close properly. As a result, air can easily enter the bottle and make the nail polish dry and choppy.
One of the ways to ensure that the nail polish doesn’t dry out is to keep the bottle clean. All we need for this is clean cotton and a drop of pure acetone. With the help of the clean cotton, wipe the neck of the nail polish bottle clean. Once done, ensure that the lid is closed tightly.
Close the lid of the nail polish immediately after use
Another common tendency we have is to keep the nail polish lid open for a very long time while using it. Trust us when we say this; this could be one of the main reasons your nail polish is becoming dry.
Keeping the lid of the nail polish bottle open leads to air getting inside of the bottle. This, in turn, makes the polish dry. Hence, it is important to ensure that the lid is closed tightly immediately after use to be on the safer side.
Ways to ensure that nail polish doesn’t dry out
Even though these are the main points to keep in mind to ensure that nail polish doesn’t dry out, there are some other important points too. Read on to know what they are:
Keep it in the right place
Keep the nail polish away and not under direct sunlight. This is because the temperature is too cold and would hence make the nail polish dry.
Nail paints expire too
Understand and accept that there is an expiry date for all nail polish. No matter how expensive and good, all nail polish comes with an expiry date.
It is really important to accept this fact and part ways from it when needed. Believe us or not, wearing nail polish that has reached its or has crossed its expiry date can really harm your nails (you don’t want that, do you?).
Final thoughts
Women and nail polishes are best friends for life, and this is not news! We love freshly painted pretty nails! Even more, if it is painted with our favorite shade. The trick is to keep looking for and finally finding a shade that is our soulmate.
Horror strikes the moment we realize that our favorite shade has dried out, yes! More so if it is almost half a bottle of unused nail polish. Hence, if you ever find yourself in such a terrifying situation in the near or far future, don’t think twice and choose one of the various methods on how to thin nail polish.
And to save yourself from the worst, be a little more careful and prevent your nail polishes from drying out. This is more because even though these tricks and tips to make nail polishes thin are effective, they do not give back the exact formula of the nail polish.