For many observant Muslim women, manicures
have long posed a religious problem. With prayers five times a day, and a
pre-prayer ritual that includes washing the hands and arms, traditional
fingernail polish has been mostly off limits because it prevents water from
making contact with the nails. Though the Quran does not specifically address
the issue of nail polish (so not specified Halal nor Haram), some Islamic scholars have
said that water must touch the surface of the nail for the washing ritual to be
done correctly.
A craze built up with Muslim women around Inglot,
when the news of its O2M breathable polish spread quickly over the Internet
after an Islamic scholar tested and approved its use. The research involved
putting the O2M polish and a standard polish on coffee filters, letting them
both dry, and then putting water drops on top of each and seeing if the
moisture seeped through. In the case of the traditional nail polish it did not,
but it went through the O2M polish and even wet a second filter below. This meant
the nail polish was permeable and therefore permissible to wear during the
washing ritual (as water would reach the nails).
I have not seen the scholar’s test, but
have watched many others online including one by Inglot themselves. It seems
even though this isn’t a new topic, there is still some confusion and questions
surrounding the permeability and reliability of the tests. So I decided to
conduct one of my own. All the videos I watched online, use only ONE layer of
the polish, with no base or top coat.
For my test I was more realistic and
applied two coats of the polish, which is how I would apply it to my nails. I did
not use a base or top coat. There are many water permeable and breathable nail
polishes on the market these days but for my experiment, I compared Inglot’s
O2M with Tuesday in Love and a standard nail polish. I did it on normal paper
and a paper towel. The photos are below.
With no rubbing:
-Didn’t pass through standard polish.
-Didn’t pass through Inglot.
-After a long time it eventually passed
through Tuesday in Love.
With rubbing:
-Didn’t pass through standard polish.
-Didn’t pass through Inglot. The water
rolled right off it as if on a non-stick pan!
-Passed through Tuesday in Love.
I did the test twice just to be absolutely
sure.
 |
| Notice how the water just stays there. |
I know there are a lot of ladies out there
who trust and use Inglot. If you don’t have any doubt, it is completely your
choice. Inglot created this nail polish because breathable polish is healthier
for your nails. They were not targeting Muslim women and did not even predict
this kind of response. But they appreciate the patronage and are working on
making the product better. A recent trial of theirs may reveal that not only
water vapour but even a droplet can permeate a single layer of O2M polish but
it’s not confirmed. They are also working on permeability with multiple layers.
So keep an eye on them.
As far as full proof water permeable polish
goes, my conclusion is to use Inglot only if you are applying one coat with no
base or top coat. Otherwise use Tuesday in Love (which only requires one layer),
also without a base and top coat. But please read my post on Tuesday in Love first, online here.
Now go getch yo nails did!!!
♡, Sana xx
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