Do you hate to attend for nail polishes to dry? I SO do. That’s why I nearly solely use Mavala nail polishes as of late. I paint them on, and a few minutes later, I can get on with my life. However most nail polishes can take 5 to 10 minutes, if no more to dry. That will appear a really brief time, however belief me, it’s PLENTY of time for me to utterly smash my manicure. That’s why I really like fast dry drops.
Admittedly, my first foray into fast dry drops was a catastrophe. The drops had been too liquidy and I used to be too clumsy, so my total fingers had been utterly soaked within the factor. However, I’m beginning to get the cling of it now, and actually admire how helpful they’re. So, how do they work?
How fast dry drops work
Nail polishes comprise solvents that must be drawn out, if you would like them to dry rapidly. The commonest ones are butyl acetate, ethyl acetate, and isopropyl alcohol. These are all fatty molecules that don’t like water. So, how do you dissolve them?
Through the use of the “like dissolves like” precept. Or, in plain English, with a fatty substance that doesn’t like water, too. Normally, meaning silicones. Silicones are fatty, and are ready to attract out the solvents to the floor of the nail polish, to allow them to evaporate quicker. The quicker they’re drawn out, the faster the nail polish dries. Fairly cool, huh? However, there’s slightly issues. Silicones are nice at drawing out solvents from the final layers of nail polish, however are sometimes not capable of attain these on the very backside.
So, if you happen to like to make use of the usual 3 layers of nail polish (during which case, I commend you, as a result of something greater than 1 layer is wayyyy an excessive amount of work for me), it might nonetheless take a couple of minutes to your manicure to dry utterly. However, it’ll dry quite a bit quicker than it could by itself, so it’s nonetheless price utilizing them.
Why Do Some Polishes Nonetheless Really feel Cheesy Even After Utilizing Fast Dry Drops?
Fast dry drops aren’t magic. They pace issues up, certain, however if you happen to’ve slapped on thick layers of polish, the surface may really feel dry whereas the within continues to be delicate. That’s how you find yourself with these annoying “sheet marks” whenever you go to mattress – your nails regarded fantastic however they had been secretly nonetheless moist beneath. The repair? Skinny layers. At all times. The drops work manner higher once they’re not making an attempt to combat by means of a mountain of polish.
Fast Dry Drops VS Fast Dry Sprays VS Fast Dry High Coats
They’re all “fast dry,” however they don’t work the identical. Drops are often a mixture of silicones and oils that sit on prime of your nails, pull the moist stuff to the floor, and make it evaporate quicker. Sprays do the identical factor however hit all of your nails directly – quicker, but additionally messier. Fast dry prime coats are an entire totally different beast: they add one other layer that hardens on prime and type of traps the polish beneath. Good for shine, not so good if you happen to already painted thick, as a result of that’s the way you get bubbles. Drops are the lightest choice and the least prone to mess along with your end.
Do Fast Dry Drops Harm Nails?
Nope – at the least, indirectly. They don’t penetrate the nail plate or strip oils the best way pure acetone would. The one potential draw back is that the silicones and oils could make nails really feel slippery if you happen to attempt to do one thing fiddly proper after making use of them. That’s not nail harm, although – only a non permanent slick floor. As at all times, utilizing a nourishing cuticle oil often will maintain nails wholesome between manis.
The Backside Line
The underside line: fast dry drops are a life-saver if you happen to’re impatient, susceptible to smudging, or simply don’t have half-hour to sit down completely nonetheless. They work greatest with skinny, even coats of polish and might shave worthwhile minutes off your drying time – with out wrecking your manicure within the course of.

