5 reasons your nails want breathable nail polish in 2024
01 January 2024 – 3 min read
What if your manicure could make your nails healthier? Sound too good to be true? Please let us introduce you to the amazing benefits of breathable nail polish.
What is breathable nail polish?
Breathable nail polish (or the more technically suitable term 'water permeable') is a type of nail polish formula that allows water and oxygen to pass through to the nail via a staggered molecular structure that creates (really) tiny holes. It is different to traditional nail polish formulas that have a tight molecular structure that puts a solid film over each nail so nothing gets through. This process of placing a solid film over the nail with traditional nail polish formulas is thought to weaken nails, especially for people who wear nail polish for long lengths of time or who have frequent manicures.
That's where breathable nail polish can really work its magic; by creating beautiful long-lasting manicures with shades like Catcher In The Raw above without damaging your nails.
Shop breathable nail polish
Why is breathable nail polish better?
It’s a good question, because nails don’t actually need to ‘breathe’. They get all their nutrients from the blood flow to the nail bed underneath.
There are some amazing benefits to breathable nail polish however and it goes beyond promoting good nail health. We've compiled a list of 6 of the best benefits of breathable nail polish.
5 totally-worth-it benefits of using breathable nail polish
1. Goodbye toxic chemicals
True fact: many nail polish formulations contain known toxic substances, like formaldehyde, camphor and toluene. At Kester Black we think that's mildly terrifying. Whilst no nail polish formula can ever be totally chemical free, our formulas are officially 12-Free, which means we steer clear of aforementioned substances plus similarly difficult-to-say chemicals.
2. Healthier nails
Did you know that nails are oily? Yep, your nails are actually moisturised by their natural oils. It’s what keeps them flexible and healthy. Traditional polish can trap these oils and weaken the nails. Breathable nail polish allows the natural movement of oil through and then off the nail. This means your nails stay beautifully moisturised but don’t become overly soft or weak.
3. Manicures for days
While we’re talking about oils; when you have a build up of oil on your nails your polish can’t ‘grip’ to it. And when you’re nail polish doesn’t grip, you get chips. Lot’s of them, frustratingly quickly. Breathable polish makes for a stronger, longer lasting manicure. Kester Black nail polishes last around 5-7 days without chipping. Incidentally, this is also why we recommend using a nail cleanser (isopropyl alcohol) before applying your polish. Who doesn’t love a durable manicure?
4. Quick dry time
It turns out that, if air can penetrate through your nail polish, the dry time is drastically reduced. Crazy, huh? Less time to wait. Less time for smudges to happen as you get bored waiting. And if you use quick dry spray, then we’ve totally got rid of an extra product AND another step in your routine. Did we mention the easy application?
5. Massive social impact
You know we’re all about social equality here at Kester Black. Well, water permeable (breathable) nail polish makes it possible for our Muslim audience to perform Wudu and maintain a set of beautifully polished nails. Wudu is a religious purification practice that Muslims perform multiple times a day in preparation for prayer. The practice involves completely cleansing the hands, including the nails, which wouldn’t be possible if the participant was wearing regular, non-breathable nail polish. With this tiny change on a tiny level, nail polish is suddenly way more equitable.
