Wednesday Wonderings: Base Coats!

Hey everyone!

This is a series that I am starting called “Wednesday Wonderings” where every Wednesday I will delve deeper into a product or ingredient in a product.  This is a series for all those people who are curious about the products that they use and want to know what makes them work and why we even use them in the first place!

This week I am going to be talking all about base coats for your nails!

What do they do? How do they work? And is it worth it to use them?  Keep reading and I will answer all of these questions!

Base coats, in the simplest words, help your nail polish stick to your nails.  They also protect your nails from the damaging effects nail polish can have and, depending on the type you buy, even out the texture of your nails.

There are two basic types of base coats you can buy—plain and ridge-fillers.  Plain base coats protect your nails and help the nail polish stick, while ridge-filers use a thicker formula to also fill in lines, ridges, and grooves in the nails to make them look and feel smoother.

Seche Clear's Crystal Clear Base Coat and Essie's Ridge Filling Base Coat

So how do base coats accomplish all of this? 

Base coats are made up largely of cellulose chemicals.  These chemicals make the base coat sticky and act like a double-sided tape that adhered to both the nail and the polish.

Base coats are also made with substances such as protein, vitamin E and calcium. These ingredients help keep nails healthier and prevent breaking, splitting and peeling by strengthening the nails.  They also act as a moisturizer for drier and flakier nails.  Who knew you needed to moisturize your nails!!

This next thing is what I find super interesting!  The actual human nail bed undergoes a lot more motion that one would assume.  Our nail beds are actually in a lot of motion throughout the day without us even realizing it.  To deal with this, base coats have things called plasticizers in the formula that allow for flexibility and movement so that the polish doesn’t crack once it dries!

So is it worth it to use a base coat? The answer is YES!

Base coats extend the life of your manicure,  and strengthen and protect your nails.  Strength and protection are essential for having beautiful, healthy nails!  So even though it may take longer to complete your manicure, use a base coat! Your nails will thank you later!

My personal recommendation for a base coat is OPI's Ridge Filler.  This was the best base coat I've owned and I'm out of it at the moment so I definitely need to pick some more up!  For people like me who have noticeable ridges in their nails, this product works beautifully to really even out the nail's appearance.  10/10 would recommend!

Much love,

Rachel