All too often, in the world of beauty, words get thrown around carelessly. Words like retinol, acid, and peel, for instance, have come to mean a plethora of things in addition to their actual definitions. Retinol seems to have become a term used for any retinoid (factually, it’s not that), acid appears to include any sort of exfoliant, from enzymatic to scrubs (not all exfoliants have to be in acid form), and as for peels? Well, a peel quite literally causes your skin to peel—it’s not just a name for an aggressive exfoliating technique.
And while all of these terms losing their meanings very much irks me as a beauty editor, I find nothing more confusing than how the term Shellac has come to mean any and every gel manicure. Because the truth is, there are some key differences between a Shellac manicure, a gel manicure and a traditional polish manicure. Want to know which one might be best for you? Keep scrolling to discover exactly what Shellac nails are and how they differ from other manicures.
Tagged: nails