Don't miss: Survival Guide

How to Keep Nail Polish From Getting Thick

May 1, 2011 / By Cynthia Measom

post comment

Pin It

Make the right move after using nail polish and screw the lid on tight.

Photo: Paul Tearle/Stockbyte/Getty Images

When you pull your fave bottle of nail polish from your beauty stash only to find it has turned into a thick, gloppy mess, it can put a damper on your nail styling session. Unfortunately, air and nail polish don't play nice together -- the air takes its toll on the polish, causing it to dry out. Fortunately, you can take steps to keep the polish from morphing into good-for-nothing blobs with some attention to prevention.

Soak a cotton ball in nail polish remover and give it slight squeeze so it doesn't drip all over the place.

Wipe the neck of the nail polish bottle to remove any excess polish that can cause sealing problems once it dries.

Screw the lid on the nail polish bottle with as much strength as you can muster to tighten it and keep the outside air out.

1.Cotton ball

3.Enamel solvent

2.Nail polish remover

Try stashing the nail polish in the fridge to keep it fresh. Just make sure the top's on tight.

Some sources say to use nail polish remover in the place of enamel solvent as a thinner. Heloise, household hints guru and author "Heloise Around the House," says not to go there. Nail polish remover contains oils and fragrance that can wreak havoc on your polish.