“When people say they can’t work with gloves, aren’t they really saying they won’t work with gloves?” asks industry chemist Doug Schoon. “After all, everyone with at least one hand can work with gloves if they choose. So this is like saying, ‘I can’t drive the speed limit,’ or ‘I can’t eat healthy.’ Wearing gloves is a choice they just aren’t willing to make!”

Schoon’s advice? If you can’t consistently keep uncured nail coating products (of any type, including UV gels, liquid-and powder, and wraps/glues) off of your skin, then you should be working with gloves. He recommends nitrile gloves because latex gloves contain a protein that can cause allergic reactions. “Also, latex gloves don’t provide nearly as good protection as nitrile gloves,” he says. Schoon also discourages the use of powdered gloves. “The powder may help keep hands drier, but the powder is corn starch, an ‘all natural’ substance that causes skin allergies,” he says. “To keep hands dry, wear a thin cotton liner inside the nitrile glove. Use disposable gloves and put on a new pair for each customer.”

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