The Science Behind Magnetic Nail Polish

Self Magazine
Courtesy of Sephora
Courtesy of Sephora

By Shannon R.,SELF magazine


Nail art is one of the hottest trends of 2011 and magnetic polish is the latest newcomer to join the polish party! I recently picked some up and did a little research to figure out what made magnetic polish work.

What is magnetic nail polish?
Magnetic polish gives your nails a textured effect by using metallic particles in the polish that can be "activated" by a magnet that is included in the cap of the nail polish.


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How it works?
This is actually a pretty cool example of using simple science to create a really new innovation in nail care. The nail polish formula contains really small metal particles that are attracted to magnets. Remember elementary school when you had one magnet with a positive charge and one with a negative charge and they stuck together? Well, that is how this polish works! When you place the magnet over the wet nail polish (the polish must still be wet to work), the metal particles rise towards the magnet. The metal particles are darker than the polish color which gives the nails a "textured" look plus the magnet has a wave pattern in it (this just means that only part of the magnet is "magnetized") that creates a cool wavy effect on your nails.


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Tips for a success
1) First apply the polish to all of your nails and let dry.
2) Working one nail at a time, apply a second coat of polish and immediately hold the magnet over your nail for about 10-15 seconds. This is the trickiest part - you want to hold the magnet close to your nail without actually touching it - I had a few smudges the first time I tried this.
3) You will notice a really cool wavy, textured effect which you need to let completely dry and then finish with a top coat for a glossy look and to protect the pattern.


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Bottom Line
I'll admit to being a bit skeptical about this product but I am actually pretty impressed. Try it out and you'll be instantly drawn to this come-hither look!



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