There are two crucial steps in a manicure that unfortunately many women overlook. First is the removal of the naturally occurring oils within the nail plate. The nail plate needs to be dehydrated to allow proper adhesion of the polish to the nail. 

The nail can be dehydrated in various ways. Since I always have pure acetone around the office I always end up using that. I soak a cotton ball/pad in the acetone and wipe down the nail. Make sure to apply the base coat within a reasonable time frame and not to touch the nails with your fingertips after otherwise you will be reapplying the oils you just removed! 

If you do not have any acetone handy you can always use a nail dehydrator or rubbing alcohol to do the trick. 

After removing the oils applying a base coat is the next crucial step in a manicure. A base coat acts as a glue that helps the nail polish stick to the nail plate. The polish will never last as long as it should without using a base coat. 

Base coats come in different varieties. Some have extra benefits such as strengthening while some are ridge filling. Ridge filing base coats even out the nail plate to make the nail plate smoother for the application of nail polish. The end result is an even nail with beautiful color coverage!

Strengthening base coats (like our Maxus Base Coat) protect the nail plate from breaking and peeling. They will never be as potent as using a strengthener since a base coat is only being applied once a week, while a strengthener is continuous use. But it is a good product to use in the interim while strengthening your nails.