We speak to CEO of Ciaté London Charlotte Knight on how to minimise the damage from wearing gel nail polish and make the most out of long-lasting chip-free manicures.
It is common knowledge that gel manicures, as pretty, long-lasting, and chip-free as they are, are not the best way to treat our nails. Most of us know the brittle, weakened nails we are left with after we take off the shiny, vibrant sheen with perfect finish.
“It is not the gel formula itself that is damaging to nails,” reveals Charlotte Knight, CEO of Ciaté London. “Rather, it is the thick coating of gel polish that restricts your nails from receiving oxygen which keeps them hydrated. Dehydration causes the ugly yellow marks on your nails that most people find upon removal after a gel mani. After gels, your nails can also feel more flexible, bendy and thinner overall.”
We got her to share with us some steps to take to minimise that damage so we can continue wearing our favourite gel manicures.
Make it an infrequent treat
"Make sure that your gel mani is an infrequent treat rather than a bi-monthly necessity. Leave at least 2-3 weeks between gel manicures to allow nails to breathe, recover and re-oxygenate. Never leave your gel mani on for longer than 2 weeks."
Always use treatment on your nails pre- and post-gel
"I always use Ciate Nail Goddess which contains Pro Vitamin B-5 and Marula oil to nourish and hydrate tired nails for a healthy base for my manicure. Upon removal of gels, I coat my nails in Ciate Knight in Shining Armour for an overnight mask of marula oil enriched goodness!"
Never pick at your chipping manicure
"The pesky picking process is also a big no-no for gel nails! Though it is so tempting to pick off your gel mani when it starts to come off, removing the gel polish this way also removes layers of your nail and this kind of damage takes months to repair naturally."
Make Ciaté’s Geltox your new best friend
"The Geltox system makes at-home gels infinitely easier to apply and remove – the kit comes with a top coat which is 4 times thicker than a regular clear top coat. Scientifically developed by Ciate, the topcoat freezes colour and smoothes, plumps and exaggerates your regular nail polish whilst protecting it from smudges and damage.
The gel formula doesn’t actually touch the nail, rather sits on the surface of the nail polish, limiting the damage caused. Also, as there is only one layer of gel which acts as a high shine protective topcoat the removal process is minimal trauma to the nails, which is soaked off in just 10 minutes with our Detox kit."
Ciaté London products are available at all Sephora outlets.
(Photos: Ciaté London)
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