Katie Barnes
Katie Barnes

Is it ever OK to mix nail brands?

By Katie Barnes | 27 July 2021 | Expert Advice, Feature

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You’ve probably heard that you aren’t supposed to mix nail brands – as in, a powder from one brand and the liquid from another or one gel polish base from one brand and the colour from another. But does it really make a difference or is it just an overcautious recommendation and sales generation from manufacturers?

Now, you can mix products from different brands. But, do I recommend this? No. A brand has vigorously tested its products to work entirely and safely with each other. The brand is therefore able to provide troubleshooting, advice and a wealth of knowledge on its products. Throw a different product into the mix, and if you are experiencing issues, neither brand will be able to knowledgeably assist because they do not have experience with that product and the new chemical reaction, like they do their own.

As a consumer, you will never know the formula of each brand. This is something, understandably brands keep confidential. While some brands may have the same formulas, many will not. This is where issues can then occur as there can be an imbalance of the chemical ingredients.

If we look at liquid & power acrylic as an example, each liquid is formulated with a unique % of DMT (Dimethyl terephthalate) to match the % of BPO (Benzoyl Peroxide). If the ratios of these ingredients are not correct, then polymerisation times may be affected which could result in shrinkage or not fully polymerising at all. Both can result in service breakdown. While using another brand, does not mean that the ratio won’t work, it hasn’t been specifically designed to work at its optimum.

When working with gel polishes, while mixing brands can look good, I would always recommend sticking to one system or brand for longer lasting and more durable nails. While brands use a similar formula to each other, just like liquid & powder acrylic there will always be small differences.

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I understand that sometimes, it might be too tempting, convenient, or possibly financially viable to mix and match products from various brands.

While it is necessary to keep a complete system to one brand only, this does not necessarily extend to other products used in a treatment such as nail files, cuticle oils, hand creams, nail art items etc. When I refer to a system, I mean a liquid and powder acrylic from the same brand or a gel polish base, colour, and top coat from the same brand. This also doesn’t mean that you need to use only one brand for all your treatments. I love many different brands, and each have their own benefits for the task at hand. For example, I love one brand’s liquid & powder for salon nails and another for extreme lengths. When I use these different brands, I ensure that I use the complete system for each treatment.

While you may have found that your own concoction of products works for you, the underlying issue which is then imposed is your insurance.

Insurance policies state that you must follow manufacturer instructions to the letter. These instructions will always state that you must use the complete system. If you do not, your insurance will simply become void. Many companies complete vigorous testing to ensure their products work together and last and create their instructions and recommendations from this. When they test these, they of course, only use their own products.

While some products may have the same or similar formulas, many brands will have different curing times and requirements for UV & LED lamps. In a previous blog for Scratch I reveal how it is not always visible to identify incorrectly cured products.

On the flip side, there may be times when mixing different branded products is OK. Now you may have found a combination that works perfectly for competition nails or creating mixed media work and such like which is fine because it isn’t being used on a client. It doesn’t need to be durable and customer allergy concerns aren’t an issue. I always recommend wearing gloves as a tech whether working on a client or on nail tips. Sometimes when creating this kind of creative competition work, you need the products to work in a different way to how they are meant to for the desired results.

Love Katie B x

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