Functional properties and physicochemistry
Nail polishes: substrate characteristics, physicochemistry and formulation

Consumer demands, coupled with regulations, have made it possible to identify the essential properties that a varnish must have, namely: color, homogeneity, consistency, odor, spreadability, appearance, drying, filming, opacity, gloss, durability and, more recently, human and environmental safety. These properties are referred to as sensory or applicative, and derive mainly from how the person using the product feels about it. Figure 14 summarizes the applicative properties of nail polish and the constituents that have the greatest impact on each of these properties.