Expert's recommendations: how to degrease shellac

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Author of the article

Svetlana Pavlikhina

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Gel polish is a durable coating. The procedure for performing such a manicure is quite complicated. You need to know all the intricacies of technology so as not to be disappointed. Degreasing deserves special attention. It’s worth figuring out what you can use to degrease your nails before applying gel polish.

Start of the process

Let's get started: “The devil is not as scary as he is painted.” After you have adjusted the length of your nails and their shape using a nail file and scissors, we proceed to remove cuticles and hangnails using nippers and special iron tweezers. After completing these necessary procedures, we strongly recommend applying cream to your hands and thoroughly (massage movements) rub it into the skin.

On a note! Then you can apply either a medicated varnish to your nails or an effective product that promotes nail growth and strengthening.

You can quickly find an alternative at home

Don't panic! In every home you can find at least one of the following liquids:

• vinegar;
• alcohol;
• cologne;
• boric acid solution;
• acetone;
• soap solution.

When using one of the listed liquids, it is not advisable to use cotton pads, as they may leave small fibers on the nails. It is better to use lint-free or linen napkins.

Important! The above substitutes should not be used for a long time. This can lead to delamination of the nail plates, their fragility and loss of color.

Try it with vinegar

A product such as table vinegar is available in almost every home. It can handle shine on your nails without any problems. There is one drawback - vinegar dries out the nail plates too much. Therefore, it should not be used too often. How to replace nail degreaser? Think and decide for yourself. Can someone recommend lemon? It is, of course, a good fruit, but not for our case.

How can I replace degreaser for gel polish?

Although nail service experts say that replacing a degreasing liquid with anything means jeopardizing the quality of your manicure and your health, there are times when it is necessary to resort to this.

There are natural and synthetic products that can be used to replace nail degreaser at home.

Is it possible to degrease nails with boric acid?

From the products available in the home medicine cabinet, in order to replace the degreaser, use boric alcohol, which is a solution of boric acid in 70% ethyl alcohol. The product is used in medicine and is harmless when used externally in the dosages described in the instructions for the drug.

Boric acid as a nail degreaser exhibits the following properties:

• destroys microorganisms located on the nail plate;
• removes dirt;
• removes fatty film from the surface of the nail.

Nail service specialists do not recommend using the drug on an ongoing basis, although they allow one-time use of boric alcohol if necessary to replace the composition for degreasing nails.

Is it possible to degrease nails with alcohol?

Ethyl alcohol can be used at home to replace degreasing liquid. The substance effectively removes oily cosmetics (creams, oils), disinfects the surface, and removes natural fatty film.

Formic alcohol for degreasing nails

Formic alcohol is a colorless liquid with a pungent odor of alcohol, prepared by dissolving formic acid in 70% ethyl alcohol. The drug is used in medicine, is sold in pharmacies without a prescription, can be found in a home medicine cabinet, and is allowed to replace the professional composition.

Instead of a nail degreaser, formic alcohol is used according to the same rules as a specialized cosmetic product, applying it to a lint-free napkin.

Nail polish remover instead of degreaser

It is impossible to degrease nails with nail polish remover: a modern composition without the addition of acetone does not dry out the nail plate and is not able to remove oily substances. This composition cannot replace a special product. A cosmetic product containing acetone will do the job.

Lemon juice or citric acid

Lemon juice or citric acid diluted in water can replace a specialized composition. The advantages of natural juice are that it simultaneously whitens and vitaminizes the nail plate.

Soap solution

Nail service specialists believe that it is impossible to replace a degreasing liquid with a soap solution: it does not remove 100% of dirt and grease from the nail due to the technology of use.

Vinegar

Table vinegar eats away dirt, grease film, dries out nails and can replace a degreasing composition for nails. It is not recommended to use it often, since acetic acid dries the skin and nail plate.

Maybe the old fashioned way with alcohol

Really. Why not! Someone else is struggling with how to replace nail degreaser. So here’s a simple solution - medical alcohol (both 75% and 95% will do). Moreover, it also disinfects. That is, alcohol for nails is good.

On a note! If you have any scratches on your fingers, be extremely careful with this “flammable” liquid. If alcohol gets on the wound, it causes a burning sensation.

Some will recommend using vodka. But there is a small nuance here: it contains oil, but we don’t need it.

Soap solution

The soap solution is very gentle on the nails, while drying them and removing dirt. A good option is to use antibacterial soap. After treatment, dry your hands with a towel.

You have already calmed down, found a suitable means at hand and are not worried about what to replace the nail degreaser with.

On a note! When time permits, go to the store and buy a liquid specifically designed for degreasing nails, as it does not harm them and is gentle.

Composition of nail degreaser

The components of nail degreasing products may vary depending on the manufacturer and additional functions of the product. Some components can be replaced, while the list of others remains the same for all formulations.

• isopropyl alcohol;
• purified water;
• flavorings.

Do not confuse ordinary degreasing liquid with professional products: primer, bonder. Both products are also degreasers, but act more deeply, opening the scales of the top layer of the nail above the surface, providing a more reliable fixation of the gel.

Novice craftsmen mistakenly believe that a degreaser can be replaced with a dehydrator or a cleaner, but the latter is used to remove the sticky layer, and the former is used for drying and removing moisture.

What is a degreaser and what is it for?

A liquid such as a degreaser, falling on the surface of the nail, first of all disinfects it, then cleans, dries and removes (no one needs) shine. It is recommended to use it not only before applying shellac, gel polish, but also before nail extensions.

Of course, you can save money and not use a degreaser. In this case, you risk that the applied coating will very quickly become unusable and will look sloppy. The fact is that it is the degreaser that creates a favorable environment for good adhesion of the nail plate to various coatings.

How to degrease nails before gel polish

In cosmetics stores and on online platforms, a wide range of degreasing liquids of various types from different manufacturers is available. Choosing a brand is a matter of experience. If there is none, it is recommended to seek advice from a familiar manicurist and read reviews on forums. You can always replace a degreaser you don’t like with a product from another company.

Degreaser Severina

The Severina company produces degreasers in different volumes and forms: regular bottles, vials with a pump dispenser that ensures economical use of liquid. The Russian company specializes in the development of a wide range of cosmetics, from manicure products to glosses and mascara.

Among the products in the nail aesthetics industry, the company produces degreasers, decorative and gel polishes, nail polish removers, and care products. The most common degreaser among the Severin product line, reviews of which are mixed. Some craftsmen respond positively, considering the product to be good for a low price, while other consumers express a sharply negative opinion, noting that the composition caused harm to the nails.

Kodi nail degreaser

Nail technicians call one of the best nail degreasers a product from Kodi, an American brand that produces manicure products. This is largely due to the fact that the United States strictly regulates quality standards and places high demands on cosmetic products, ensuring the harmlessness of the compositions and excellent results.

Cody's nail degreaser, according to reviews from practicing nail technicians, extends the life of a manicure by a week compared to formulations from other companies, is convenient, economical to use, and non-toxic. Many who have tested the Kodi product once will not want to replace it with another.

Nail degreaser CND

The Creative Nail Design brand is the founder of gel polishes used today by artists all over the world. It was the founder of the company who invented the composition called shellac, which for the first time combined the decorative properties of varnish and the modeling properties of gel in one product.

The company produces a wide range of cosmetic manicure products used to strengthen and extend nails. CND brand shellac degreaser is a composition that has proven itself to be a high quality product.

Among the disadvantages of the master, they highlight the fact that the liquid evaporates from the napkin very quickly, so you need to hurry when working with it or replace the napkin several times.

Advantages - absence of allergic reactions, toxic effects, wide choice of packaging volumes, high quality: manicure using the Creative Nail Design product is durable, peeling is excluded.

One type of CND nail degreaser is pictured below.

Types of degreasers

All degreasers are divided into:

• Primers. The main purpose of this type of product is to make the top layer of the nail plate looser and help raise keratin scales. Primers are divided into: acidic and non-acidic. Acid ones contain methacrylic acid, so be careful when using them. Acid-free ones are used as degreasers for gel polish. They do not cause allergies and are suitable for almost everyone. They are the best for manicure at home.
• Cleaners. As a rule, these are universal products that do not penetrate deep into the thickness of the nail. They remove oil well from the nail surface due to the certain amount of alcohol included in these liquids.
• Dehydrators. They are used to remove dirt and grease. They penetrate into the very bottom layer of the nail plate, thereby drying it thoroughly. As a result, the varnish coating lasts for a long time. In addition, the products quickly restore the acidity and water balance of the nails.

Important! It is better not to use such products for those whose skin is too dry.

What is a nail degreaser for?

Extensions, strengthening with gel polish, coating with regular varnish - these procedures require special preparation of the nail plate, which must be:

• clean, from a mechanical point of view (absence of dust particles, polluting particles);
• cleared of microbes (in the case of extensions, this is a mandatory point, since microorganisms, multiplying under the gel layer, cause the development of infection);
• dry, that is, freed from fat secreted to protect the nail (this is necessary for optimal adhesion of the nail surface to artificial compounds).

To ensure the conditions described above, nail technicians use a nail degreaser.

Health is jeopardized: the proliferation of bacteria and other pathological microorganisms will lead to nail diseases. The manicure will not last long due to the lack of necessary adhesion of the surface to the cosmetic composition.

What is included in the specialized degreasing liquid?

The main components of the specialized degreasing liquid are isopropyl alcohol and H-propanol. They remove dirt and grease in the most delicate way without drying out the nail plate. In addition to these two components, the liquid contains distilled water and various flavorings that serve to block a specific odor.

On a note! Of course, it's nice when it smells good. But don't get carried away with flavorings. Remember: the fewer there are, the better your nails are.

We complete the process

So, an alternative to the degreaser has been found. We continue to do manicures at home. After degreasing the nails, apply the polish, starting with the little finger. And remember: after your nails have been treated with liquid, try not to touch them with your fingers, which may have sweat or epidermal particles on them.

Advice! We recommend, especially for beginners in the manicure process, to first perform the procedure of degreasing and applying varnish on one hand, and then on the other.

How to Apply Degreaser to Nails

Despite the apparent ease of use of nail plate degreaser, its use requires compliance with certain rules.

1. The composition is applied to the nail plate after it has been treated with a file or buff.
2. The surface of the nail must be clean.
3. The liquid is applied using a lint-free cloth.
4. After the procedure, you should not touch the nail with your fingers; you must avoid contact with anything.

After the surface of the nail is degreased, the first layer of coating is applied, depending on the type of manicure, it can be gel, gel polish, or base top.