How to Thin Nail Polish

Like many other beauty products, nail polish degrades over time after exposure to air. Old nail polish tends to become thick, clumpy, and harder to apply. Luckily, there are a few tricks you can use to extend the lifespan of your polish. To thin the nail polish, try warming the bottle by rolling it between your palms or dipping it in hot water if the polish has just started to separate. If the polish has been sitting unused for too long and doesn’t respond to warming, adding a small amount of nail polish thinner can help. Storing your nail polish properly can also prevent clumping in the future.

Flip the bottle upside down to mix the pigments together. Continuously shake the bottle up and down for two to three minutes. Sometimes, this is all you need to restore the consistency of your nail polish bottle.

Roll the polish bottle between your palms for a few minutes. The warmth from your hands will thin the polish, making it easier to apply on your nails. Avoid shaking the bottle as it will create tiny air bubbles.

Submerge the polish bottle in hot water for two minutes. Be sure to tightly close the bottle and hold it by the cap to prevent burns. The hot water will warm up the polish, making it thinner and easier to use.

Test on one nail to check the consistency. Wait for the first coat to dry before applying a second one. If the polish is too thick or lumpy, continue reading to find out what to do next.

Open the bottle and add two or three drops of polish thinner. Use an eyedropper to measure each drop. You can purchase nail polish thinner at beauty stores.

• If you want to thin gel nail polish, make sure to use a thinner specifically designed for gel formulas. Gel polishes contain a UV-reactive layer, so general polish thinners may affect their quality.

A last resort is to use acetone or nail polish remover. Both of these can damage the polish and cause it to crack once it dries. If you use acetone or nail polish remover, there's a high chance you'll need to discard the bottle after only a few uses.

• Do not use acetone or nail polish remover to thin gel nail polish.

Close the bottle tightly and roll it between your palms to mix the thinner with the polish. Avoid shaking the bottle, as it will create air bubbles. If the thinner doesn’t mix well with the polish, try flipping the bottle up and down a few times.

Repeat the process if needed. If the polish is still thick, open the bottle and add two or three more drops of thinner. Close the bottle and roll it between your palms to mix the thinner with the polish.

Let the thinner sit in the polish for a while before mixing. If the polish is very thick and you've already tried this method several times without success, try letting the thinner sit in the polish for a while. Open the bottle, add two or three drops of thinner, close the lid, and wait for about an hour. After that, roll the bottle between your palms to mix the thinner with the polish.

Clean the brush in acetone. Pour acetone into a glass or ceramic cup. Avoid using a plastic cup, as acetone can melt plastic, and do not use a cup that you plan to drink from later. Dip the brush into the acetone and swipe it back and forth. The dried polish will dissolve and separate from the brush. If there’s still residue, use a paper towel to wipe it off; avoid cotton swabs or pads. Once done, close the bottle. The remaining acetone on the brush will help thin the polish in the bottle.

• Acetone can damage nail polish, so only do this when the polish bottle is nearly empty.

What to do if the polish becomes too thin. If you’ve accidentally added too much thinner, all you need to do is open the bottle to let some air in. First, remove the brush from the bottle and clean it with nail polish remover. Wrap the brush in plastic and leave the bottle open in a quiet spot. Check the polish again after a day. The air in the room will help thicken the polish.

• Sometimes, you may need to leave the bottle open for several days. The waiting time depends on the temperature, humidity, and air quality in the room.

Learn how to store nail polish to prevent it from drying or clumping. Nail polish will eventually expire, but there are ways to extend its lifespan. This section will provide tips for properly storing nail polish to slow down the drying process.

Use a cotton pad soaked in acetone to wipe the neck of the bottle before sealing it. This step helps remove excess polish from the neck. If you skip this step, dried polish on the neck will make it difficult to close the bottle tightly. As a result, air will get trapped inside, causing the polish to dry out more quickly.

Store nail polish in a cool, dry place. Avoid keeping nail polish in the bathroom, as the temperature there fluctuates frequently. Instead, store it in a drawer.

• Be cautious when storing nail polish in the refrigerator. While cold air can extend the shelf life, the fridge is an enclosed space. If a bottle breaks in the fridge, you risk a fire hazard due to the fumes from the polish.

Always keep the polish bottle upright, never horizontal. When storing nail polish, it’s important to keep the bottle standing. Laying the bottle on its side can cause the polish to spill into the neck, where it can dry and make it harder to open the cap.

Always close the bottle after use. Don’t leave the cap off while waiting for the polish to dry on your nails. Nail polish dries when exposed to air, so minimizing exposure to air is key to keeping it usable.

• Avoid using acetone or nail polish remover to dilute the polish.
• Do not shake the nail polish bottle to prevent the creation of air bubbles.
• Sometimes, nail polish can become damaged beyond repair and cannot be salvaged.
• Nail polish can expire. Do not use polish that has separated, thickened, or developed an unpleasant odor.
• Thinners may not work with glitter nail polish. In most cases, glitter nail polish cannot be restored and should be discarded.

• Nail polish thinner
• Cotton pads
• Paper towels