why does nail polish “dry” (harden?) faster when run under cold water?

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why does nail polish “dry” (harden?) faster when run under cold water?

In: Chemistry

2 Answers

Anonymous 0 Comments

I will add to the explanation: this can also be observed with cyanocrilate based glues, for the same reasons

Anonymous 0 Comments

It doesn’t dry, it is simply makes the top thicker from the cold but what’s under that top surface is still wet nail polish. Polish does not dry per se, the solvent in it the liquid portion evaporates. What’s left is the pigment and binders. The one thing that dries regular nail polish is time. Time to allow the solvent to evaporate out. You want to know if your nails are dry? Use your nose. If they smell like what nail polish smell like, they’re still wet, when the smell is gone they’re dry.