How to Make Nail Polish Last Longer: The Real Secrets You Didn’t Know

Nail polish can be a great way to add a pop of color to your outfit and make your hands look more polished. However, one of the biggest challenges when it comes to nail polish is making it last longer. It can be frustrating to spend time painting your nails, only to have the polish chip or fade within a day or two. If you’re tired of constantly having to touch up your nail polish, here are some tips on how to make it last longer.

How to Prep Nails for Manicure

Preparing your nails before a manicure is essential to achieve a long-lasting, polished look. Here are the steps to follow to prep your nails for a manicure:

Remove any old nail polish: If you have any old nail polish on your nails, remove it using a gentle nail polish remover. Use a cotton ball or a pad to gently wipe off the polish.

Trim and shape your nails: Use a nail clipper to trim your nails to your desired length. Then, use a nail file to shape your nails. File your nails in one direction to prevent any damage or splitting.

Soak your nails: Soak your nails in warm, soapy water for a few minutes to soften the cuticles and make them easier to push back.

Push back cuticles: Use a cuticle pusher to gently push back your cuticles. Be careful not to cut them, as this can lead to infection.

Exfoliate your hands: Use a gentle scrub to exfoliate your hands and nails. This will remove any dead skin cells and leave your hands feeling soft and smooth.

Moisturize your hands: After exfoliating, moisturize your hands and nails with a good quality hand cream. Massage the cream into your hands and nails for a few minutes to help improve blood circulation.

Cleanse nails: Finally, use a cotton pad soaked in alcohol to cleanse your nails and remove any oil or residue.

Following these simple steps will ensure that your nails are ready for a perfect manicure.

How to Make Nail Polish Last Longer

Start with Clean Nails

Before you apply nail polish, make sure your nails are clean and dry. Use a nail polish remover to remove any old polish, dirt or oils. Wash your hands with soap and water and dry them thoroughly. This will help the polish adhere better and last longer.

Apply a Base Coat

A base coat helps the nail polish adhere better to your nails, and also prevents staining. Apply a thin layer of base coat and let it dry completely before applying your color.

Use Thin Layers

Instead of applying thick layers of nail polish, apply thin layers. And choose good quality, long-lasting products such as DND, Nu, KIA, OPI nail polish to ensure your nails are best protected. Thick layers take longer to dry and are more prone to smudging or chipping. Apply two thin layers of nail polish, allowing each layer to dry completely before applying the next.

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How to Decide Between Gel Polish and Dip Powder

When it comes to achieving long-lasting, chip-free nails, two popular options are gel polish and dip powder. Both techniques have their pros and cons, and choosing the right one for you depends on several factors. In this article, we’ll discuss how to decide between gel polish and dip powder.

What is Gel Polish?

Gel polish is a type of nail polish that is cured under a UV or LED lamp. It typically lasts up to two weeks and provides a glossy, durable finish. Gel polish is available in a wide range of colors and can be applied to natural nails or used to extend the length of nails with the help of tips or forms.

Pros of Gel Polish:

Long-Lasting: Gel polish colors can last up to two weeks without chipping or peeling, making it a great option for those who want long-lasting results.

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Seattle Refined Feature

Beauty Meets Science at Kirkland-Based Clean Skincare Company

This article appears in Seattle Refined on January 16, 2021.

See original post by Kim Bussing , Seattle Refined and KOMO News

Rachel Ho’s introduction to beauty was through experimentation. In her childhood kitchen, she would mix together green tea powder, honey, water and clay for a face mask, or play around with honey, henna and brewed black tea to make masks to dye her mother’s hair.

“When I was young, I would experiment with at-home masks and at-home ingredients. I really found a passion in the skincare world,” said Ho, the founder of Kirkland-based skincare company Rho Cosmetics. “When I went to college, I did biochemistry as my major and found a lot of interest in the science behind creating skincare, combining things, thinking about how that all works.”

It was going into science that gave her the opportunity to explore the alchemy behind ingredients.

“Being a biochemist, we would study a lot about how things work in the human body. When we work with ingredients, we learn how ingredients react with the skin,” she said.

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10 Reminders for Your Skincare Stash

Astart of a new year means a fresh start in the beauty department. It’s time to evaluate and declutter our beauty collection. We’ve narrowed it down to our top 10 tips to make better use of the products we’ve all been holding on to for possibly way too long.

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3 Summer Skin Cravings

Summer is finally here! Following the warmer weather, we’re inclined to change basic parts of our daily lives without much thought. We see a gradual transition in wearing lighter clothes to changing routines and diets. But what about our skincare? With warmer weather, increased humidity, and longer periods of daylight, our skin can face more challenges that require our attention. Today, we’re here to shed some light on tips for improving your summer skincare routine.

Continue to Moisturize

Although the skin can feel more greasy in the summer, it’s important to keep the skin moisturized. As the weather changes, the skin can react differently to these environmental changes and stressors. Oily skin or increased sebum production may be a sign that the skin is dehydrated. When dehydrated, the skin can overcompensate and produce more sebum.

During the summer months, try swapping out traditional moisturizers with a light-weight option or a gel textured product. Even those with dry skin can experiment with moving away from thick creams. Instead, pair your favorite moisturizer with a few drops of facial oil in the final step of your routine.

When in Doubt, Apply SPF

Summer is all about soaking up the extra sun, but don’t skip out on wearing sunscreen. Before heading out, be sure to apply a broad spectrum SPF of 30 or higher. The skin is the largest organ of our body and is the first line of defense to the environment. Wearing a broad spectrum sunscreen will help protect the skin against harmful ultraviolet rays such as UVA and UVB.

What’s the difference between these ultraviolet rays? UVAs are ultraviolet radiation that can cause damage deep into our skin, while UVBs can cause the skin to turn red and burn. Overtime, UV exposure can cause irreversible damage to the skin. Start with prevention by using SPF instead of relying on treatments as a backup to skin concerns in the future. Your skin will thank you.

Refresh by Exfoliating

Keeping the skin feeling refreshed can mean more than applying aloe vera gel or cucumbers all over the face. Exfoliation is nothing to shy away from, especially in the summer months. Chemical exfoliators such as beta hydroxy acids are oil loving ingredients that work to help loosen and remove oil and dead skin cells from clogged pores. The most common type of BHA comes in the form of salicylic acid which can also be used to help redness, inflammation, and acne related issues.

Like with any type of exfoliation, it’s important to follow up with sunscreen. Exfoliation can speed up the skin’s natural renewal process. During this time, it’s paramount to protect the skin from the sun damage, which means being consistent with applying a broad spectrum sunscreen.

Skin Type + Products 101

With an abundance of skincare products on the market, choosing products that will incorporate seamlessly into our routine can be tricky. Based on skin types and specific skincare needs, we can narrow down on a few products that will that pair well with the skin’s chemistry.

Normal Skin

Normal skin type describes those who have well-balanced skin and wouldn’t usually experience dryness, flakiness, or oiliness.

For those with normal skin type, use products that keep the skin hydrated and radiant. Start by washing the face with a cleansing gel followed by a moisturizer. Moisturizers come in all types of textures from gels to thick creams. Don’t be afraid to experiment with your choices such as a lightweight moisturizer during the day and a richer cream during the night. With that said, look for a moisturizer with soothing ingredients such as hyaluronic acid and aloe.

Normal skin can also benefit from chemical exfoliation once a week. Alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) and beta hydroxy acids (BHAs) including lactic acid and salicylic acid respectively can work to gently exfoliate the skin while leaving radiant results.

Dry Skin

Dry skin is often tied to the feeling of tightness on the surface of the skin. Those with dry skin can experience flaky skin and a dull complexion due to less sebum production compared to normal skin.

For dry skin, opt for an oil cleanser, cream cleanser, or micellar water instead of the traditional foam cleanser or gel cleanser. Products that foam or lather up can lead to further dryness on the skin as natural oils and sebum are washed away. To combat dryness, apply a heavier moisturizer or cream to help improve the feeling of dry skin. Still looking for an extra boost in hydration? Consider trying a cream based overnight masks to help hydrate the skin throughout the night.

Light-weight oils such as jojoba oil or squalane can also help nourish the skin. These can be found in existing products or as stand alone facial oils. Other additions in products including ceramides and hyaluronic acid also work well to help the skin retain moisture as these ingredients are natural components of our skin’s barrier.

Combination Skin

With combination skin type, it’s typical to experience oily areas surrounding the chin, nose, and forehead area while feeling dry on the remaining areas of the face.

The best practice for combination skin type is to divide and conquer. After washing the face, choose a light-weight or gel moisturizer as a base product. For areas that are dry, try layering a hydrating serum or a face oil such as jojoba oil or squalane. In contrast, for oily regions apply a clay mask once a week to once every two weeks.

Exfoliation for combination skin can be slightly complex as dry skin and oily skin have different needs. Although both skin types can benefit from chemical exfoliation, dry areas work well with alpha hydroxy acids, while oily regions work better with beta hydroxy acids.

Oily Skin

Those with oily skin type can experience greasiness and shininess on the skin. Oily skin can occur when the skin produces too much sebum.

A skincare regimen for oily skin consists of washing the face with a cleansing gel or foam cleanser followed by an alcohol-free toner and a light-weight, oil-free moisturizer. Although it’s been said that oily skin types can skip the moisturizer. Finding the correct moisturizer can benefit the skin and help balance sebum production. For those with an already established routine without a moisturizer, it’s understandable to have some hesitation when adding a new product to the lineup. If the current routine works well. Then great! If not, then try something new. During this transition and trial period, try using a milky serum instead.

There are additional steps that can help maintain balance when it comes to oily skin type. The introduction of exfoliation can be a great option to refresh the skin. Exfoliation using products containing salicylic acid can help remove build-up found in pores, which can help clear up potential breakouts.

Sensitive Skin

Sensitive skin generally refers to those who may experience irritation from products, redness, uneven skin tone, tightness, itchiness, or dryness.

Sticking with a gentle routine that consists of an oil cleanser, cream cleanser, or micellar water is a great start. Follow up with a toner and moisturizer containing soothing ingredients such as aloe vera, squalane, chamomile extract, and panthenol (vitamin B5).

Like most of the skin types mentioned previously, sensitive skin types can also benefit from chemical exfoliation. Instead of using glycolic acid or lactic acid that’s meant for less sensitive skin, try products containing lactobionic acid or gluconolactone acid. These ingredients are considered to be more gentle on the skin. With sensitive skin, work slow and build up a tolerance to once a week exfoliation.

All Skin Types

Not all product recommendations for are limited to specific skin types. Regardless of skin type, sun protection can help maintain healthy skin and youthful looking skin in the long run. During the day, use a SPF 30 or greater sunscreen to protect the skin. All skin types can also experience dehydrated skin, which is different from dry skin type. Dehydrated skin occurs when the skin lacks water, which can contribute to excess sebum production, the feeling of tight skin, and irritation. To combat dehydrated skin, keep the skin hydrated by using a moisturizer, cream, or even a milky serum.

The Truth Behind: Pore Clogging Ingredients

On the search for the next big game-changing product to elevate your skincare routine? For most, finding the correct skincare products can be quite a challenge. Introducing new products that are not compatible with your skin type can aggravate the skin and cause unwanted breakouts.

While some swear by keeping it simple with coconut oil or shea butter, others steer clear of these “pore-clogging” ingredients. So what ingredients cause clogged pores and should you avoid certain ingredients? First, let’s take a deeper look into comedogenicity. Ingredients or products that are said to be comedogenic tend to cause breakouts by blocking pores of the skin. Through a series of tests, scientists scored ingredients for comedogenicity from a scale of 0 to 5.

    0: Non-Comedogenic
    1: Slightly Comedogenic
    2-3: Moderately Comedogenic
    4-5: Highly Comedogenic

As part of the tests, suspected pore clogging ingredients were applied onto the inner ear of rabbits. The ears were then examined and given a ranking based on how clogged the pores were. Alternative testing was also done on humans by rubbing the ingredient in question on the backs of test subjects. Again, the results were examined and evaluated for clogged pores. From these results we should have a list of ingredients that we should avoid at all costs, right?

Although these seem like easy tests to determine whether an ingredient will clog the pore, in reality determining comedogenicity is more of a grey area. Let’s break down some of the flaws with the tests.

1. The skin on our face is different from the skin on the inner ear of rabbits. Rabbits ear skin is generally more sensitive than human skin which can lead to false rankings.
2. Similar to what was mentioned above, the skin on our face is different from the skin on our backs. The pores on the back tend to be larger and can be more prone to breakouts.
3. Although scientists try to maintain testing factors from person to person, maintaining consistent testing conditions outside of the lab is not always possible. For example, there was no guarantee that test subjects did not contaminate the testing area with other products when at home.
4. In an ideal scenario, testing for pore clogging ingredients would be done on all skin types and on a large group of test subjects. However, the tests were done on small groups of people.

Comedogenic testing can show which ingredients are least likely to be comedogenic but not necessarily determine which ingredients are definitively comedogenic. Further testing showed that although ingredients were rated to be comedogenic, at diluted concentrations, they become non-comedogenic in a product as a whole.

Many factors including skin type, environmental stressors, hormonal changes, and diet can play a role in breakouts, not just what we put on our skin. As with any new skincare product, the best option is to give products a chance. When in doubt, try a small patch test and observe the reaction based on your skin’s chemistry towards a new product. Those with oily skin or tend to break out more often can try to stick with products of lighter consistency such as gels or gel-creams rather than thick creams and moisturizers.

Myths of Skincare Trends

Whether you’re new to skincare or simply just starting out, we’re oftentimes bombarded with the latest skincare trends, advice, and miracle ingredients. With a sea of information, it can be hard to discern what’s a valid suggestion or simply a bust. Let’s discuss some of the hot trends swarming the internet.

1. Natural and organic skincare are the best for the skin.
2. You should refrigerate your skincare.
3. Preservative free skincare is better.

Natural and organic doesn’t mean safe or effective.

The connotation of natural ingredients is often associated with the freshest, minimally processed ingredients found in nature. If only it could be that simple. Although these ingredients can be minimally processed, this doesn’t guarantee safety or efficacy of the material. Natural earth minerals often used in cosmetics can be gathered from the earth surface. If not processed and purified correctly, they may contain harmful traces of heavy metals and substances.

Likewise, can be said about organic ingredients. Although organically sourced, ingredients that are not properly processed can be harmful in our products. Just because an apple is organic, it doesn’t mean the seeds are free of potentially harmful amygdalin, or cyanide when crushed. More often than not the quality of natural and organic ingredients comes down to the method of processing.

In the world of skincare there’s a benefit to combining different ingredients to achieve a high performance product, not just under the constraints of natural or organic. Naturally-derived modified ingredients and synthetic ingredients serve great benefits when used properly in skincare. With these ingredients, it’s possible to achieve greater ingredient purity, which can lead to safer, results-driven skincare compared to natural and organic counterparts.

The grey area of refrigerating products.

With the rise of popularity of skincare mini fridges, it’s tempting to throw every product under the moon into a chilled cubby. Whether it’s an attempt to enhance the cooling effect of face masks or to promote the longevity of products, it’s important to take a step back and consider the effects of refrigeration on a product’s performance.

Skincare products are typically formulated with the intent of being used at room temperature. Either extremes, hot or cold, can lead to product instability. When products are exposed to cooler temperatures individualized ingredients may crystallize, forming an undesirable rough texture during application. The greater impact of this instability in the product is the lowered delivery potential of skin beneficial ingredients to the skin. Though there are testing measures to combat issues in chilled products, it’s generally not recommended to cool products for extended amounts of time.

Preservatives are essential in skincare.

Product safety is arguably the most important aspect of any skincare product. There’s a reason why preservatives are in products. It’s to protect you, the user from the nasties of yeast, mold, and bacteria. Sure, preservatives free products sound less toxic but on the contrary, skin contamination and infections as the result of unpreserved products can be more harmful to the health. Where there’s water, there’s a humid environment for microorganisms to grow. Therefore, all water containing products should contain some amount of preservatives. It’s also important to note that most products claiming preservative free contains non-traditional preservatives to uphold this claim. Preservatives are in the final product nonetheless.

Seattle Magazine Feature

Bellevue-based Skin Care Brand Balances Organic and Synthetic Ingredients

This article appears in print in the Seattle Magazine November 2019 issue.

See original post by Andrew Hoge , Seattle Magazine

Rachel Ho is on a mission to put the science back into skin care. The chemist and product designer, who previously developed products for brands sold by national retailers, including Sephora and Target, recently launched Bellevue-based Rho Cosmetics to focus on creating effective products that strike a balance of organic and synthetic ingredients.

The organic skincare industry, Ho says, is fraught with brands that promote organic and green skin care as safer, more effective and properly regulated, which she says is not always the case. “I noticed brands promoting negligible ingredients as ‘key ingredients’ and glorifying five to 10 active ingredients that make up less than 0.5% of the product’s overall formulation,” says Ho. A fundamental pillar of her brand is transparency; she explains the function of every ingredient in each of her products through image-driven listings on her company’s website.

Rho Cosmetics launched in June with two products: the Hydra Boost Repair + Balance Serum ($78/1 fluid ounce), created with active ingredients chosen for their ability to help maintain a youthful complexion; and the Hydra Boost Repair + Balance Cream ($48/1.5 fluid ounces), which hydrates and infuses the skin with nourishing, science-backed ingredients.

Bring the Science Back into Skincare

Hydra Boost Repair + Balance Serum

Our velvety soft, milky serum features a blend of age defying peptides, powerful skin hydrating ingredients, and antioxidants to restore a healthy skin barrier.

Hydra Boost Repair + Balance Cream

Our lightly whipped face cream is packed with highly moisturizing ingredients to give plumpness to the skin, while active peptides work against pesky signs of aging.

DESIGN

A light-weight moisturizer provides essential balance to the skin as it's purpose is to deeply hydrate, restore, and protect. The combined action of soothing plant extracts, skin smoothing peptides, and antioxidants, gives the Hydra Boost Cream an extra edge in combating tired, dull skin for a visible improvement of skin's tone and texture.

INGREDIENTS

At Rho Cosmetics, we hope to inspire better beauty choices. Skincare goes beyond just the key ingredients, as all ingredients play a role in our skin's health. Join us as we share the story behind every hand-selected ingredient in our products because understanding your skincare should be simple.