What Can You Use Instead of Top Coats or Base Coats
Both Base Coats and Top Coats are essential for having long-lasting, durable, and gorgeous manicures and pedicures.
And I highly recommend using them but if you don’t have them, they are other options. So in this article, we are gonna explore some easy alternatives that you can use instead of Base Coats or Top Coats.
Alternatives to Base Coats
1- Use a Dehydrator & a Nail Primer
Nail primers and dehydrators are amazingly effective at bonding nail products such as nail polishes and acrylics to your natural nails.
Now primers and dehydrators are primarily used for acrylic and gel application but they can be used for nail polish. And with them, your nail polish will last much longer but they also tend to be a bit harsher on your nails.
A nail dehydrator works by removing any moisture from your nails allowing your nail polish to adhere better.
There are different types of nail primers. Some work by making microscopic holes on your nail plate allowing the nail polish to grip onto the nails better. Whilst some primers work like glue bonding the polish to your natural nails.
You can click here to read my article on Nail Primers Vs Base Coat.
Recommended Nail Primer & Dehydrator
I recommend Mia Secret Nail Primers, they are affordable yet effective. You can click here to see the price for the Mia Secret Nail Primer and Dehydrator combo set on Amazon.
2- Use White Nail Polish
A plain solid white nail polish can be used as a base coat. The white color helps to show up the color of your nail polish and prevents your nail’s natural color from showing through.
This is kinda like how you use whiteboards to write on with colored markers.
A coat of white nail polish will also prevent your polishes from staining your nails. This is because the white polish is less likely to do so and will prevent the pigments from your colored polish from reaching your natural nails.
3- Clean & File Your Nails Properly
A Base Coat’s main purpose is to make your nail polish adhere better to your nails.
Now one of the easiest tricks to keep your nail polish onto your nails is to properly file and clean your nails before applying your nail polish.
Proper cleaning removes any oil and moisture which would hinder your polish from bonding to your nails. Whilst filing preps the surface of your nails to allow the nail polish to bond better.
- First, I recommend filing your nails with a medium grit nail file.
- Then wash your hands thoroughly and then let it dry completely.
- Next, use cotton pads soaked with pure acetone to wipe your nails down
- Finally, once the acetone is completely evaporated you can proceed to apply your nail polish.
Alternatives to Top Coats
1- Use a Fast Drying Top Coat Spray
Fast-drying top coat sprays are the best alternative if you don’t want to use top coat.
They will make your nail polish dry really fast and make your nail polish look extra glossy just like a top coat.
Fast Drying Top Coats are great if you or your clients are in a hurry.
I recommend OPI Top Coat Drying Spray, you can click here to read my full review of the product.
But the drawback with these sprays is that the amount of protection that they offer for your manicure is significantly less than top coats in their regular polish form.
Now you can also DIY your own polish spray too by using cooking oil or hair spray but this comes with a lot of risks, you can click here to learn more DIY Nail Polish Spray.
2- Buff Your Nails With Cuticle Oil.
One of the easiest ways to make your natural nails nice and glossy without using a top coat is to buff them with cuticle oil.
- The first thing that you need to do is apply cuticle oil over your nails.
- Next buff your nails with using the finest grit on your nail buffer, I recommend using a 240 grit.
- Finally, apply some more cuticle oil and then continue to buff your nails.
This method is not to be used as an alternative for a top coat over nail polish but as a way to make your natural nails shiny without a top coat.
For a good nail buffer, I recommend Onsen Pro Buffer.
With the Onsen, I usually buff my nails first with the blue side and then finish with the white side. You can click to see the price of Onsen Pro Buffer on Amazon.
For a good cuticle oil, I recommend Bliss Kiss Cuticle Pen for easy application, you can click to see the price of one on Amazon.