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The history of manicure — why the Chinese invented nail polish
Today, nail polish is commonplace. A manicure adds neatness to the hands and reflects a person’s taste. However, the original purpose of nail polish was entirely different. It was invented in China, but not for beauty.
Novyny.LIVE provides a more detailed account of this.
Why nail polish was invented
Nail polish originated over 500 years ago in China. The material was made from lacquer tree sap. However, it was not invented for beauty. At that time, the Chinese believed that nails should be pink or red. For them, a manicure symbolized elitism and something divine.
In China, long nails were a sign of wisdom and greatness, so both women and men admired manicures. The longer the nails, the further a woman was from manual labor, and a man with long nails was considered stronger and nobler than others. In contrast, in Egypt, nails indicated a person’s social origin. The lower classes painted their nails in light shades, while the upper classes chose deep red colors.
In addition, in China, manicures were used for ritual purposes. They were required on the hands during celebrations or even sacrifices. This was considered a way to emphasize a person’s divine and magical connection with higher powers.
Nail polish was made from beeswax, gelatin, plant-based dyes, and gum arabic, a hard, transparent resin from the sap of acacia trees. Nails were coated with this mixture for several hours and then left to dry. Depending on the ingredient composition, the color ranged from pink to red.
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