Nail prep products make enhancements and polish stick: a dehydrator removes oil and moisture from the nail plate, and a primer or bonder bonds the product to it. M1 Nail & Beauty Supply stocks dehydrators, acid and acid-free primers, bonders and 4-in-1 prep from BeBeauty, ibd, CND, Gelish, OPI, Young Nails, Aprés and more, from 0.5 oz brush bottles to 32 oz salon refills.
| Type | What it does | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Dehydrator / pH balancer | Removes oil and moisture from the nail plate. First step of every service. | ibd Dehydrate, BeBeauty Nail Bond Aid, Gelish pH Bond, CND NailFresh, OPI Bond-Aid, Young Nails Swipe |
| Acid primer | Methacrylic acid primer that gives acrylic its strongest grip. Dries chalky white. | BeBeauty Nail Primer, ibd Stick Primer, ibd Natural Nail Primer |
| Acid-free primer / bonder | Leaves a tacky layer that works like double-sided tape, for gel and acrylic. No acid burn. | Gelish ProBond, Young Nails Protein Bond, CND NailPrime, OPI Bondex, ibd PowerBond, BeBeauty Non Acid Non Burn, Aprés Non Acid Gel Primer |
| 4-in-1 prep | Dehydrator, bond and non-acid primer in one bottle, for gel, acrylic and dip. | BeBeauty 4in1 Nail Prep |
| System bonders | Made for one gel system or for soft gel tips; some are cured in a lamp. | ibd LED/UV Bonder, CND Plexigel Bonder, ONME Primer, Aprés Gel-X Prep, DND Soft Gel Tips Primer |
What order do nail prep products go in?
Push back the cuticle, buff off the shine and remove the dust. Apply the dehydrator and let it evaporate, then apply the primer or bonder to the natural nail only. A 4-in-1 prep replaces the dehydrator and the primer, not the cuticle work and buffing.
Acid primer or acid-free primer?
Use an acid primer under acrylic when a client keeps lifting. Use an acid-free primer for gel and builder gel, and for clients with thin or sensitive nails. Gel polish usually needs only a dehydrator, because the gel base coat does the bonding.
Full comparison, product by product: Nail dehydrator vs primer vs bonder: which nail prep do you need?.
Related: acrylic powder, acrylic liquid, builder gel, gel base coat.