Connect with us

Beauty

How to Make Your Own Nail Polish

Published

on

How to make your own nail polish

Making your nail polish is a lot easier than you might think, and there are several great reasons to create it yourself. By making your own, you have the freedom to experiment with color–to come up with that perfect shade you’ve been hunting for in the beauty aisle and have never been able to find.

Along with creating your shades, by making your polish, you have the option of concocting a “green” or earth-friendly polish. Another good reason to go for do-it-yourself polish is that you’ll also stand to save some money.

Commercially sold nail polish can be quite pricey depending on the brand you buy–and with a few simple ingredients, you can make a fabulous nail polish right in your kitchen. Here are some simple nail polish recipes to try at home that will keep your nails looking better than ever.

Create-a-Shade Nail Polish

You can make almost any nail polish color imaginable with this basic recipe, and since it’s not a polish made from scratch, it’s quick and easy to drum up. First, you will need to choose a powdered eye-shadow that you want to use to tint the polish.

Place the eye-shadow in a seal-able plastic bag, close it up, and use a rolling pin, mallet, or small hammer to break it up until it’s a fine powder. Be sure to break it up on a protected surface–a cutting board works well to protect your counter or tabletop.

Next, pour some clear nail polish into a small glass bowl and slowly mix in the crushed eye-shadow until you have the exact shade you were going for. If the polish gets too thick, add a few drops of nail polish remover to it until it’s the right consistency.

Using a funnel, you can pour your personalized shade into a small glass bottle or a recycled nail polish bottle for safe-keeping.

Henna Nail Polish

If you want to make a natural nail polish that contains color, you can make it with henna. Henna has been used for ages to tint beauty products for the hair, skin, and nails–and it’s an excellent alternative for anyone who wants to make chemical-free polish.

You can make henna nail polish by adding a 1/2 tablespoon of henna powder to one tablespoon of cold-pressed olive oil and mixing it until you have a nice paste-like consistency.

Use a tiny paintbrush or an old nail polish brush to apply the paste to your nails and leave it on for up to an hour, removing the excess glue from the nails once you’ve achieved the desired color.

The longer you leave the henna paste on your nails, the darker the color will turn. While you wait for the henna to tint your nails, moisten the paste every ten to fifteen minutes using a cotton swab dipped in warm water.

Clay Nail Polish

If color isn’t your thing and you want to add some shine to your nails, you can make a clear nail polish that’s completely natural by mixing 1/2 tablespoon of kaolin clay or white clay with one tablespoon of cold-pressed olive oil.

Read more: Are Gel Manicures Bad For Your Nails?

Apply it to the nails the same way you would the henna polish and leave it on the nails undisturbed for approximately fifteen minutes. Remove the paste from the nails to reveal a beautiful natural shine along with some well-moisturized cuticles.

Alkanet Root and Beeswax Nail Polish

Another all-natural nail polish can be made by heating three tablespoons of olive oil and 1/2 teaspoon of alkanet root in a double boiler. After the two ingredients are well-mixed and hot, remove the mixture from the heat source and allow it to sit for about five minutes.

Line a colander with cheesecloth, and place it over a glass bowl. Carefully pour the mixture into the strainer, straining out the alkanet root. Place the oil back into the double boiler, add 1/4 teaspoon of beeswax, and heat it again until the wax has melted.

Add two to three drops of vitamin E oil to the mixture and stir it well. Once it’s thoroughly blended, use a small paint brush or a recycled nail polish brush to paint it on your nails. Wipe away any polish that gets on the skin immediately as it will stain.

As you can see, making your nail polish at home isn’t just easy, it’s fun, too. Your nails will look marvelous sporting your unique, handcrafted polishes–and you’ll feel good knowing you created them yourself.