Brought to me by a waterless manicure. Polish: Dazzle Dry in Red Hot Chili
After four months (yep, you read that right), FOUR MONTHS of going au naturel with my nails, which has resulted in a whole new at-home hand- and foot-care routine and the strongest nails of my life, I was ready for some color. Intrigued by nail salon Varnish Lane’s modern-day ethos of clean, healthy and eco-conscious practices, including going waterless (but what about that pedicure?!), I was lured me into the nail spa’s bright, modern space in Atlanta. Here’s what I discovered about a waterless mani-pedi.
Trading Places
The 12 waterless stations at Varnish Lane’s Atlanta location.
Instead of a comfy massage chair with a foot bowl or jetted tub, the comfy massage chair came with a foot rest. I reclined to an almost snoozy level as my nail tech (the sweet store manager) began the service by applying an all-natural oil cleanser to my feet followed by a hot towel wrap. Next, she dripped on a cuticle oil and pushed back my cuticles. Then, a warm wax callous remover was applied to my heels and after a few minutes, a pumice wand (with a changeable flat exfoliation strip for cleanliness) was used to shave any dry spots off. A natural sugar scrub and foot rub came next, followed by more warm towels, and then the polish. A similar sequence without the callous remover commenced for the manicure. My heels and typical dry areas were noticeably still hydrated almost a full week after the pedicure. Could it be because…
Hydrated When Dry
Indeed the philosophy here is that the nail soak is counterintuitive to the result you want from your manicure and pedicure. The H20 actually prevents skin from absorbing moisturizers, creating dryness, and so hydrators are used instead of water to soften callouses and smooth dry parts. Additionally, I learned that when immersed nails naturally soak up water, making them more prone to chip. The experts at waterless nail salon Maalou in L.A. explain, “Soaking actually ‘bloats‘ the nail, compromising the polish adhesion. A soakless (dry) manicure is the best cure for chipping nails!”
Water-Free = Less Germy
My tootsies in Dazzle Dry’s polish that doesn’t contain nine of the most toxic nail polish chemicals.
Waterless nail spas ditch the biggest infection offender in nail services: water. (If you’ve ever had one, you know those are no fun.) Regarding pedicures, The Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology states, “Whirlpool footbaths—although seemingly safe—are difficult to clean and filled with city water, which may or may not be free of germs. Even though nail salons disinfect their tubs, research has shown that germs can be trapped in the equipment and have been linked to infections.” Yuck.
Environmental Pros
Varnish Lane owner Lauren Dunne estimates that more than 2 million gallons of water have been saved across their now seven locations since the first location opened in Washington D.C. in 2015. That figure makes an eco-conscious customer’s heart happy and may just be the way of the future. GlossLab, which has numerous locations around the country, thinks so, too.
Bottom line: If you love the environment and are up for sacrificing the soak to reap the potential benefits, then give a waterless nail service a try.
Now for something you might not know about gel manicures and skin damage… Read this.
