Hi! My name is Shirley - I am Parkway's newest resident Nail Salon & Nail Care packaging expert. I am here to try and answer any questions you may have about finding the right plastic jar and cap combo for your dipping powders, acrylic powders, crystal powders, solar powders, UV gels and acrylic gels.

I have headed up the Quality Control department here, among other things, for years. So why was I given this additional honor? Because I am a FANATIC when it comes to getting my nails done. In fact, I am getting my nails done tomorrow. Yahh!

I get my nails done at SX Nails in Fords NJ by Van, the Nail Salon Owner. Van does some really great nail designs. If you want to check out some of the awesome designs that she has done for me in the past go to Instagram and search the hashtag #nailsbyvan. As you can see I am obsessed with Nail Dip Powders and all things nails! 

The only thing that I am obsessed with more than nails (and Mickey Mouse), is finding you the best 1/2oz, 1oz, 2oz, 4oz, 6oz or 8oz plastic jars and caps to package your nail powders or gels in and to make sure that the quality of those jars and caps is nothing short of outstanding! :)

There are lots of products on the market today, and I am pretty sure that I have used them all.... Whether it is artificial nails or tips, acrylic nail powder, gels nails, UV gels, silk or linen nails, crystal clear gel powder or solar powder... If you are a salon owner, you know this is a HUGE industry with tons of repeat business and lots of turnover and it is crazy how many products there are... As a result, it is super important that your product stands out on the shelf. So, your choice of packaging manufacturer is really important. Not only do they have to be able to keep up with your volume, but they have to be able to be price competitive, offer short lead-times and exceptional service. At Parkway, that is exactly what we do!

Let me break it down for you....

• "Acrylic is a liquid & powder mixed, applied with a brush that will harden (cure) with no lamps in 2 minutes or less.
• Gel is, in basic terms, pre-mixed acrylic in a gel-like state, that almost always needs to be cured under a UV or LED lamp, Acrylic usually has an odor while gels are odorless. Gels often will cost slightly more than acrylic.
• Silk (interchangeable with fiberglass and sometimes linen) is applied with resin (glue) and sometimes glue & acrylic powder (Dip System).
• Acrylic Dips is the use of resin applied tot he nail, then dipped or sprinkled with acrylic powder
• Crystal nails are any type of enhancement done with CLEAR acrylic, gel or resin either with clear tips or sculpted.

All of the above systems can be applied:

• Directly on your nail (overlay)
• On tips that have been applied to your nail with resin (glue) or acrylic
• Sculpted on using a paper, plastic or metal form.

All of the above types of services can be finished with a UV gel top coat to protect the enhancement. The UV coating is applied either with a brush or similar to polish and is "cured" under a UV or LED lamp for 2-3 minutes. UV top coats are very protective to the enhancement and will need to be filed off at your next appointment. There might be a slight additional charge for this extra.

• A "French Manicure" can be done using several different techniques - #2,3,4 are also referred to as "Pink & Whites" or "Permanent French" - #3,4 will usually cost more:
1. Using polish over any type of enhancement or natural nails
2. Applying white tips with a clear or sheer pink acrylic or gel, or resin with fiberglass or acrylic powder.
3. Applying natural colored tips with white acrylic or gel, resin with fiberglass or acrylic powder in the tip and clear or a sheer pink on the nail bed.
4. Using a "form" and sculpting the white tip using acrylic, or gel and clear or a sheer pink on the nail bed.
• Airbrushed over any enhancement or natural nail

Because of the Nail CRAZE, there are also scams that pop up from time to time so you may also hear these buzz words in the industry...

SOLAR NAILS - Solar Nails is a BRAND of acrylic manufactured by Creative Nail Design. It is one of the original brands. It is a true acrylic and nothing more.

GEL NAILS - which are actually acrylics with a UV gel top coat

CRYSTAL NAILS - simply a clear tip with clear acrylic overlaid on the entire enhancement

PORCELAIN NAILS nothing more than acrylic or gels possibly with a UV gel top coat

DIAMOND NAILS - the reason these are "more expensive" is because they are hard like diamonds

SHELLAC - Shellac is a brand of Gel Polish manufactured by CND. If you do not see a bottle labeled "Shellac" that is not what you are getting.

• BAIT & SWITCH - salons will have three jars on the table, possibly hand labeled, one says acrylic, one says gel and one says fiberglass. They are all acrylic, but the consumer will be told fiberglass and gel are better for their nails and cost more
• Special Top Coats - it is also common for some salons to apply a normal air dry top coat, put you in the UV or LED lamp to dry - this does NOTHING except keep you still for the time in the lamp. The salons that engage in this dupe will charge you extra for the special lamp top coat.
• NONE of the above services are anything special, nor should they incur any additional cost but they often do." ¹

According to the Revel Nail website:

"Dip Powders are a brand new trend taking over the nail industry...

What are Dip Powders?

Dip Powders started as a safe, healthy alternative to traditional acrylics and gel polish. The smell, the time to apply, and the effects on the nails all left customers wanting more. Dip Powders have no odor monomer odor when applied, can be done in about a third to half the time as acrylics, and soak off easier than gel polish, leaving the nail healthy and beautiful after removal.

Why are Dip Powders so popular?

Compared to acrylics, Dip Powders are faster to apply and don’t have an odor. They leave the nail bed healthy and undamaged. Dip Powders are more durable than gel polish and just as durable as acrylics, and can come in any color, with glitters and other color effects. You can get the same appearance as gel polish and also the perfect pink and white with same durability as acrylics. Salon owners love dip powders because they can charge $5 more per visit than a typical gel polish application and in return, the clients are getting a product that is healthier for their natural nails and more durable than gel polish. Dip powder can stay on natural nails for 8 weeks (providing if you want to let it grow out that long), good luck with just getting two weeks with gel polish. Other reasons why salon owners like dip powder are that it replaces doing traditional pink and white with acrylics, because dip powder is just as durable as acrylics and you can get the perfect pink and white. Salon owners typically charge the same price for pink and white for dip powder as they do with acrylics. Since the process is faster than acrylics by a third or half the time, this means more clients in your chairs. Clients love wearing dip powder because it’s a faster application (not that they like sitting in your salon for so long), they get a product that feels more natural and healthier for their natural nails.                         The application time for dip powder is very similar to gel polish, but dip powder is easier to remove than gel polish.

Why are Dip Powders Healthier?

To answer this questions, let us address the issue with gel polish and traditional acrylics. Traditional acrylics and gel polish contain ingredients called methacrylate and methacrylate known for weakening/softening nails beds. Have you ever worn traditional acrylics and gel polish for a long time and had to them removed and you noticed that your nail beds are extremely soft and weak? Well,... it’s the methacrylate in the formulation that weakens and soften your nail beds. People say that it’s because your nails can’t breathe, which is not true because your nails do not breathe at all!

Traditional acrylic monomer uses EMA( Ethyl Methacylate) and some salon even use MMA (Methyl Methacrylate – banned by FDA) as the main ingredients. Gel Polish contains some higher molecular weight methacrylates such as HEMA (2-Hydroxyethyl Methacrylate), HPMA (2-Hydroxypropyl methacrylate), Bis-GMA (bisphenol A-glycidyl methacrylate) as part of their formulation. These methacrylates weaken/soften nail beds.

There are studies that have shown that roughly 25% of the population shows sign of being allergic to methacrylates and being a nail tech, you will run into some of these people because they develop noticeable signs around their nail beds. You might think that 25% seems too high, but chances are a lot of people that are known to be allergic to methacrylate got their nails done once and it will be their last time because of it.

Dip powders do not use any methacylates in the formulation. The liquid is based on Cyanoacrylate, which is similar to crazy glue or glue that is used in the hospital to seal a cut rather than getting stitches. Although the hospital uses Octyl Cyanoacrylate, the nail industry uses Ethyl Cyanoacrylate because it is harder and more durable.

People that are allergic to methacrylates can wear dip powder without any issue. Try it out on something that you know is allergic to traditional acrylics or gel polish. Since dip powder does not contain methacrylates, your nail beds do not soften at all. Your clients will notice how strong their natural nails are after the first application, especially after wearing it for an extended period of time."²

All good food for thought and these are the items that get you the base and length of your nails. Here at Parkway, we package dipping powders and nail products frequently, in addition to other Salon products including lotions, and scrubs.

But as a consumer, my favorite part of getting my nails done is coming up with the design. Colored or glittered acrylic powders and dipping powders can be used for all kinds of design effects and/or nail art. Some people prefer the simple white and pink look of a French Manicure, but me, I prefer color. If you like color, the way I do, then you will be happy to know that Dipping Powders come in tons of colors!! That is why most dipping powders are packaged in Thick Wall Styrene Jars. Our thick wall styrene jars really let the colors of your dipping powders shine through.

When it comes to getting my nails done, I don't mess around. I'm always on the hunt for a great nail art design. What base color do I want? What kind of design? Do I want lots of colors or something simple with only 1 or 2 colors? The color and design of my nails depend on my mood or Holiday/special occasion coming up. Whether it's the middle of June and my nails are neon pink or it's October and my nails are neon orange. I love bright colors and my designs are usually very busy with lots of colors.

My nails are a true reflection of my personality, bright and colorful.

It's so cool working for a plastics manufacturing company that manufactures plastic jars and caps! Parkway's plastic jars are a perfect fit for packaging nail dipping powders, uv gels, etc.. Not only do I occasionally get free samples :), but I get to work with customers on projects in an industry that I truly love and am passionate about. If you are starting to package your own nail dipping powders, acrylic nail powders or the like please call me as I would love to help you!! I can't tell you what a huge smile it would put on my face to see your products in our jars the next time I go to the salon.

Looking forward to working with you!

Shirley Alvarez
(800) 881-4996 x 124
shirley@parkwayjars.com

Sources:

1. http://www.beautytech.info/Q2A/index.php?qa=15

2. http://www.revelnail.com/all-about-dip-powder/