Driven by the influence of social media, the growth of home solutions and the rising demand for higher-end nail care products and healthier formulations, the nail market has become a dynamic innovation playground for brands and suppliers. Here is an overview.
According to Kantar Worldpanel, 15.8% of French people aged 15+ purchased at least one nail polish product over the past year, which means 8.3 million people spent €12.6 in a year on average in this market.
“On the global scale, Euromonitor estimates the nail market at 5.6 billion euros in 2024, which represents 5.4% growth compared to 2023. These dynamics are driven in particular by the nail care category, which accounts for 14% of the total value. Current beauty trends play a key role in the progress made in this sector. For example, there is a rise in skinclusivity, i.e. the inclusion of all types of consumers, hyper-customization, as well as skinification, which consists in applying skincare logics to all body parts, including nails. Consumers also seek sensorial and emotional experiences, while adopting Lazy Beauty, a trend focused on simplicity and quickness,” explains Candice Jagut, Marketing & Innovation Director of Fiabila, the leading global supplier in this sector. “These changes lead to rising demand for long-lasting manicures, in particular UV gels to be used at home, and to the premiumization of products including nail care, and even nail polish removers,” she adds.
UV gels are now market drivers
If standard nail polish remains essential, it is now challenged by the gel polish – semi-permanent nail polish – technology popular for its long wear and professional, shiny look. These technologies are based on different formulations, application methods, and uses.
Standard nail polish uses a technology involving the evaporation of volatile solvents, as well as pigments and resins. It dries in the open air in a few minutes and offers a quick, accessible solution without the need for special equipment.
UV gel is based on the cross-linking technology. Its formula features photosensitive polymers which harden under a UV or LED lamp. Each layer – base, color, top coat – is catalyzed separately for a smooth, ultra-shiny finish, and up to three-week resistance. Removal is done by soaking in acetone or using foil wraps, or even drilling the nail surface, which can weaken the nails over time. Initially reserved for professionals, it has gradually become widely used, as DIY kits containing portable LED lamps emerged, allowing for application and removal at home.
The recent domination of the gel technology comes with new challenges, for example to find solutions to aggressive removal and its effects on nail health, and deal with the environmental concerns related to formulas.
“On the global level, nail care and UV Gel manicures at home are booming. UV gels and new technologies like strips, as well as effects, are very popular in the US. In Brazil, colors and effects remain in the top 3, which they now share with nail care products. In Japan, science remains the main reference to support a hybrid product market,” emphasizes Jagut.
Towards healthier technologies
As soon as 2020, French brand Manucurist launched Green Flash, the first biosourced semi-permanent nail polish available on the mass market. This solution developed with its partner Fiabila offers an alternative to be removed the same way as standard nail polish, combining 12-day-long wear and a formula free from controversial ingredients. Five years later, the brand boasts 600,000 Green Flash users across the world, three million bottles sold, and a 50-million-euro turnover.
“We aimed to work on risk-free formulas, both for beauticians and users. We launched the Green Biosourcé range in 2014, and then Green Flash, the semi-permanent nail polish version, in 2020. In the middle of the pandemic, when consumers sought home solutions and a cleaner approach, this product ticked all the boxes, and there soon was a craze for it,” explains Camille Naud, PR & Influence Manager of the brand.
A pioneer of biosourced formulas, Fiabila now dedicates 10% of its global workforce to R&D in its laboratories. It has also just welcomed dermatologist and nail expert Dr. Bertrand Richert as part of its scientific committee.
The company made a rigorous selection of actives which, incorporated to its color and daily or specific nail care polish formulas, target healthy nail growth, nutrition, repair and solidification, antioxidation, damage prevention in general, as well as keratin prevention.
This year, the quest for advanced solutions led to the launch of My UV-Gel@Home, the first gel to be applied yourself and that is both compliant with regulations and designed for retail sales, with up to three-week-long wear.
“This technical and regulatory feat meets the strong demand for gel polish to be applied at home, offering the same high performance as the products used in salons, but for a more affordable price. In addition, the formula is mainly composed of oligomers to prevent any sensitization risks”, says the Marketing & Innovation Director of Fiabila.
The solution also offers easy, one-step removal, thanks to the Pro’Nail Gel Remover. This travel-size nail polish remover comes in a refreshing gel which effortlessly removes all types of nail polish, from standard products to long-lasting UV gels, for a quick experience anytime, anywhere.
As a matter of fact, removal is one of the main obstacles to the semi-permanent gel trend. Manufacturer IL Cosmetics, also one of the main global suppliers, actually focused on rethinking this removal step.
“There is strong demand from retailers to offer a gel polish technology directly to final consumers. But when users are asked about their expectations, they rank removal at the same level as long wear and shine performance, ease of application, and formula safety. So, we meant to offer a solution offering the same performance as gel, but with an innovative removal step,” explains Aurélie Ignaccolo, Marketing Director of the group IL Cosmetics.
The innovation, called Gentle Gel, lies in the possibility to remove semi-permanent gel, not with acetone and foil wraps, but with water and an oil drop. The user soaks their fingers for three minutes in warm water at 38 °C (100 °F), applies nourishing oil, and then peels off the gel layer on the nail surface with a stick.
“The film on the nail surface cannot be peeled off without the stick mechanical action, so having a bath or washing dishes has no effect on the gel polish. This solution offers natural removal at home, preserves nail health, and makes it possible to change manicures as often as desired, without any fear,” highlights Ignaccolo.
She also puts an emphasis on nail care expectations for nails weakened due to the increasing use of semi-permanent polish: the manufacturer responds with new carefully designed preparations.
“Given the demand for products that help revitalize and restore nails, we have developed a Nail Care selection, including a serum powered with a strengthening, hardening action and designed with a focus on comfort and performance. Hybrid products are also in high demand, so we offer a color and care range. This 2-in-1 nail care-polish product combines a subtle color and conditioning actives for both beautified and strengthened nails. And with trendy sheer nude finishes or multiple reflections, it offers a bright, highly sophisticated effect evoking Nail Glow,” she says.
Nail polish and care are going hybrid
The beauty market is embracing a holistic approach with increasingly premium skincare products, and this trend has spread to the world of nails. To Fiabila, this category represents about 14% of the global nail market, and already accounts for 28% of its turnover.
In line with this shift, a new generation of standard, hybrid polish mixing color and nail care is emerging. The brand Kure Bazaar, one the pioneers in clean nail polish, has turned to technical formulas and just launched a collection of nail serum-polish available in 14 shades, called Remarquable Therapy Cosmetics. These natural formulas combine three actives, silicon, keratin, and calcium, which are known for fortifying, protecting, and strengthening nails, as well as hibiscus, chestnut, buckwheat, samphire, and for the first time in the world of nail polish, Centella Asiatica, for its anti-ageing benefits.
“The approach is revolutionary: you can have fun with beautiful colors, while taking care of your damaged nails with natural formulas. It is the nail polish of the future,” claims Christian David, the brand’s founder and trailblazer of natural nail polish.
The range is featured in amber bottles to protect the formulas from light. A base and top coat are available, but more especially, a selection of 14 colors ranging from pastels to orange tones and bright red. As a complement, six specific nail care products target nails and cuticles.
Last autumn, the brand opened Maison Kure Bazaar at 165 Rue Saint-Honoré, in the heart of Paris: spreading across two floors, the place offers both collections and therapeutic nail treatments. Kure Bazaar is distributed in concept stores and available in about 15 countries.
Nail polish patches
Key trends also include nail patches, which come in stickers to be directly applied on the nails. These thin, pre-cut films usually made of gel or flexible resin, are easy to adjust on the natural shape of the nails. Much popular in the US, Asia, and in particular Korea for their accessibility, some versions can be catalyzed under a LED lamp for a semi-permanent effect, and removed with foil wraps and acetone.
Always striving for optimization and in response to the Lazy Beauty trend, Fiabila and Incoco have developed an exclusive collaboration to launch the Wear Ever collection. This travel-size, ready-to-apply, 100% real nail polish manicure requires no drying. It comes in strips to be affixed on the nails, cut simply by pressing on the nail contour, and then slightly filed for a professional finish and up to ten-day-long wear. The manicure can be easily removed with a standard nail polish remover.
“These strips are actual cosmetic products; they comply with the FDA’s and REACH regulations and the adhesive base is gentle on the nail. They are composed of four layers: a gentle, skin-friendly adhesive base which primes and preserves the nail surface, a base coat to enhance hold, a standard nail polish layer with rich and intense colors, and possible patterns, and a top coat to fix the color, provide shine, and long wear,” explains Jagut.
Customization and inclusiveness
To meet the demand for customized products, beauty’s flagship trend, Kirker, an American nail polish manufacturer, recently invested in Blank Beauty and its AI technology for automated nail polish production in stores or online. Blank Beauty claims to be able to create 40,000 polish shades with devices measuring less than 0.38 square meters to be installed in points of sale. Online, users can connect to the Blank platform to create customized colors in just a few minutes, and then be delivered at home.
When it comes to inclusiveness, Fiabila has just launched Universel Nail Cure, the first undetectable, gender-neutral perfector designed to regenerate, protect, and strengthen the nail surface, while creating a subtle, natural matte finish without a polish effect.
