Polished polymers

Advances in science have improved lives in many ways. Medicines have increased life expectancy, we have been blessed with computers and televisions, and flight has opened up the world for travel.

Cosmetics, the ‘science of looking good’, is no exception. In ancient times, women applied crushed bugs directly to their skin. Nowadays, there is a huge array of products that variously promise to abolish wrinkles, destroy dandruff and restore vibrancy to worn out hair.

Nail varnish has evolved, too. Good old nail polish, which chips easily and has to be constantly reapplied, has been superseded by durable varnishes such as Shellac, which can endure two weeks of hard knocks before they look worn. But just how do these work?