What’s in Nail Polish?

filed under: chemistry, video
Image credit: 
YouTube // National Geographic

What’s in nail polish? And can you make it in your kitchen? Chemist George Zaidan answers both questions in this delightful Ingredients video posted by National Geographic.

Nail polish is an inherently complex substance, full of contradictions. The liquid has to be thin enough to make an even coat, but it can’t be drippy (or it’ll fall off the applicator brush). It needs to be resistant to washing off…but also easily removable with nail polish remover. Oh, and it (usually) needs to be colorful—uniformly, earnestly, brilliantly colorful. So how do chemists make nail polish meet all these requirements? Zaidan digs in, and even tries making it from scratch. Enjoy:

If you’re curious about the citations, check the YouTube description for more.


October 15, 2016 – 8:00pm

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