Organic Chemistry: Nail Polish Remover and Nail Polish “The Perfect Duo”

Amare R. Castillo

St. John’s College Junior College

CHE 234-1: Organic Chemistry

Ms. Lucero Cob

July 7th 2020

 Cosmetics are products that are used to enhance the aesthetics and visual appearance of

the body. The emphasis on the use of skin-friendly products has come as a major opportunity to

become exceptional in the fragmented cosmetics market. The massive global demand for

cosmetics has created the structure of the market. Not to mention the sudden existence of many

large scale companies the industry has now grown in a lucrative sector of organic chemistry.

Chemists examine changes in the skin in response to metabolic and environmental factors,

formulate products to address skin problems and enhance beauty, and even analyze how

cosmetics interact with the skin and other products. Throughout the years the image of beauty

has evolved and changed to where it has become more demanding and has led to stress for many

women and men. Despite the unnecessary drama these people are still drawn to the love for it

and still have it done. I’ve seen it in my very own household with both my mom and dad. My

dad would have his hair trimmed and my mom would always have her regular hair and nail

appointments on saturdays and my sister would tag along. This was the usual thrice a month and

would last for a while however things took a turn when the pandemic reared its ugly head. When

in quarantine all that changed, they couldn’t go anymore to have their little appointments so what

did they do?They did it themselves. It wasn’t as strange as i thought it to be, the only thing that

mostly bothered me was the smell of a certain product. It was nail polish remover, the strong

chemical smell made its way straight into my room and would immediately alert me that my

mom was painting her nails. This was quite often and then I started to think, all this acetone can’t

be good for anyone and then I did some research and found out that no chemical reaction was

involved. Acetone is an organic solvent that is found in nail polish removers. The formula is

C3H6O. It is made up of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms combined. It is a chemical that is
found naturally in the environment and is produced in factories all over. However some acetone

is man-made. Basically what the remover does is melt the dried nail polish and get it back to its

liquid state. Acetone is an amazing and popular solvent due to its molecular structure (shown

below).

When studying science the saying ​"like dissolves like"​ is commonly used again,

in this situation it is referring to the fact that, polar molecules (which contain oxygen,..)

are good at dissolving other polar compounds while non-polar molecules (molecules with

lots of C-H bonds) are good at dissolving non-polar compounds. This can be shown with

water and acetone both polar, with water’s oxygen being partial negative and its

hydrogen being partial positive, this gets the attention of acetone’s partial negative

oxygen and partial positive methyl group. The opposite attractions attract due to the

dipole and dipole interaction. This means that the nail polish and nail polish remover

must be similar in makeup. The size of acetone is very small, which makes it easily

integrable into the spaces of the larger molecules in nail polish. When the polish is

applied to a nail, the acetone evaporates quickly, and the polish becomes dry. The large

molecules in the polish now interact more stronger with one another and become solid.

The interaction between acetone molecules and polymer molecules is stronger than that
between polymer molecules, and the polymer turns from solid to liquid. Once it has

become a liquid, it is easy to be wiped off.

With this reflection I've gained a deeper awareness of the effects of organic

chemistry on everyday life. I’ve come to realize that outside of the classroom, the

simplest of things can reflect teachings. Also, I must acknowledge the greater

appreciation I have for scientists in the cosmetic industry, as they are the reason we can

look great, feel great and be safe all together. I am more educated in the workings of the

world and ready to share my findings with my friends and family. To conclude Painting

your nails with nail polishe may not look like a complex process, but there is much more

in it than what meets the eye.

 References

Sturgill, K. (2000, December 07). How does nail polish remover remove nail polish? Retrieved

September 08, 2020, from ​http://www.madsci.org/posts/archives/2000-12/976306105.Ch.r.html

Chemistry of Nail Polish. (2018, May 29). Retrieved September 08, 2020, from

https://www.worldofchemicals.com/637/chemistry-articles/chemistry-of-nail-polish.html

Acetone Properties & Uses: Chemical Safety Facts. (2020, May 07). Retrieved September 08,

2020, from ​https://www.chemicalsafetyfacts.org/acetone/

Collett, K. (n.d.). The Chemistry of Nail Polish Remover. Retrieved September 08, 2020, from

https://www.chemistryislife.com/the-chemistry-of-nail-polish-remover

Johnston, A. (Director). (2016). ​Organic Chemistry in Daily Life: Nail Polish and Nail Polish

Remover​ [Video file]. Retrieved September 7, 2020, from

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lUZ99RvrtkM&t=621s