Vanessa Cruz Nail Polish Durability
Purpose Statement
The purpose of this experiment was to rate nail polish on its durability, how long it lasts when being used. I became interested in this experiment because I want to see which polish stays the longest. The information gained from this experiment will help others make choices when buying nail polish.
Research
Nail polish is a lacquer applied to the human nail for decoration or protection. It’s history dates back to 3000 BC and originated in China. There are many different formulas for nail polish, but most have the same basic parts: film forming agents, resins and plasticizers, solvents, and coloring agents. Ingredients are tested in labs by chemists to find the best mix of ingredients; as new and better ingredients are found, older ingredients are no longer used. For example, formaldehyde used to be an ingredient in nail polish, but is rarely used now.
The main ingredient in nail polish is nitrocellulose; it creates a film that holds things together. It is made of liquid mixed with small cotton fibers. Nitrocellulose must be mixed with other ingredients to form a good coating. To add flexibility and resistance to soap and water to the polish, the nitrocellulose is mixed with resins and plasticizers. There is not any one type of resin or plasticizers that is used; each manufacturer chooses what they think works best. The next ingredients added are the color pigments held together by solvents. The nitrocellulose works to reduce the brittleness of the polish and to help it adhere longer, the plasticizers keep the polish flexible and durable helping to make it chip resistant.
Hypothesis
My hypothesis is the Broadway Nails Gel Strong Nail Polish will stay on better than the others. I base my hypothesis on the fact that a gel manicure from the nail salon stays on better than regular polish.
Materials
Broadway Nails Gel Strong (Blackest Black)
LA Colors Color Craze (Bloomerang Purple )
Sally Hansen Hard As Nails Xtreme Wear (Dabbler Light Blue)
Sally Hansen Insta-dri Fast Dry (Snappy Sorbet)
Jamberry Professional Nail Lacquer (Sweet Sangria)
5 Clear Plastic Cups
Nail file
Hand soap
Dish soap
IV: Types of Nail Polish
DV: Durability of Nail Polish
CV: Type of Cup, Person Doing Experiment
Procedures
1. Gather Materials.
2. Paint one stripe of Polish on the top of each cup. Let dry.
3. Label each cup with a task, one on each cup: Control, Dishes, Dirt,
Hand-Washing, and All 3.
4. Do task listed on each cup once a day.
5. Observe and record observations daily.
6. Measure durability after 10 days.