Gel Nail Polish Frequently Asked Questions

Builder In A Bottle aka BIAB™ is a range of soak-off builder gels ideal for creating strong overlays and used as a strengthening barrier for natural nails. The GelBottle Inc was the original inventor of builder in a bottle and its patented, best-seller formula that is loved by nail techs across the world. The best part of BIAB™ is that it’s an all-in-one primer and base, which helps to add an extra layer of protection to the nails.

Our line of GelPot builder gels consists of hard gels that can be applied to the nails with a brush. GelPot builder gel is ideal for sculpting, and creating natural, thin-looking extensions with the strength of acrylic. It can be used over tips, natural nails, or with forms. This product is for advanced nail technicians used to working with a thick gel consistency. Unlike our BIAB™ range, this product needs to be filed off rather than soaked off.

The last coat of clear gel polish you apply in order to achieve a perfect silky-velvet matte finish. Our upgraded Matte Top Coat is non-wipe and stays matte for longer.

The last coat of clear gel polish you apply to achieve a crystal-clear finish. Our Extreme Shine Top Coat is a carefully-formulated long-lasting top coat which instantly transforms colors giving them a shiny glass effect. Designed to last 4+ weeks this product makes every color pop. Remember to cap the free edge to make your gel manicures last longer. This product is non-wipe.

A very strong and thick topcoat. It is ideal for encapsulating chunky glitter, building the last layer of nail extensions (for filing purposes, if nails are intended to be left opaque nude), or to simply finish off gel manicures. Always remember to apply a thicker layer and allow it to self-level before curing. The TGB Rubber Gel Top Coat is our strongest top coat yet and it’s a non-wipe product.

Rubber base gel adds an enhanced elasticity and flexibility to the nails. Rubber base provides extra strength to flaky, brittle, thin, or splitting nails. Our Clear Rubber Base is thicker than regular base gels and it’s designed to bend together with the nail.

Rubber base can last up to 3 weeks.

Nails foils are ultra-thin nail wraps or stickers that can be used to transfer an intricate design or finish, such as cheetah print or metallic-effect, onto the nail. The GelBottle Inc nail foils are very easy to use. All you need to do is apply the FoilX Foil Gel wherever you want the foil to transfer. Tap the foil of your choice over where the gel was applied and pull away to find the foil design transferred onto the nail.

Blooming gel is a type of effect gel polish that helps effortlessly create watercolor, airbrushed, marble, stripe, flower and other nail art by allowing gel polish colors applied on top of it to spread in an artistic way. The TGB Blooming Gel can be applied over any GelBottle colors or bases.

Yes, The GelBottle Inc sells everything a new nail tech or a salon owner could need to start out with professional gel polish products. Our range of nail tools includes everything from nail files, and buffers to nail caps and even e-tools to cover all of your filing and curing needs.

The short answer is formulation and application process. The process of working with gel nail polish usually consists of applying gel-based products onto the nails and curing them with a UV/LED light. On the other hand, regular lacquer can dry naturally or with a top coat. To put it simply, no curing is involved with regular lacquer polish. It can be removed with acetone or nail polish remover. On the other hand, gel nail polish either needs to be filed off or soaked off. Because of these differences, most gel nail polish can only be applied by professionals with a nail tech license to operate the tools necessary for application and removal.

Yes, all TGB products are for professional use only and require a valid beauty certificate to purchase them. However, you can head on over to our sister brand, Peacci, to shop our gorgeous variety of TGB-matched regular lacquer nail polish!

There are benefits to both gel polish and lacquer polish - it really depends on what your client desires. If they’re someone who has strong natural nails and likes to change colors often, lacquer polish is a great option for them. If they have weak nails and want something to help strengthen their natural nails, then gel polish is the best option for them. If you have a client looking for low-maintenance nails, gel polish is definitely the right option since it doesn’t chip and can last some people up to 8 weeks.

Our gel nail polishes are 100% safe, vegan, and cruelty-free. They are also non-yellowing, non-shrinking, and highly pigmented.

On average, gel manicures last about 2-4 weeks. After the initial 2-4 weeks, you would need to head to your manicurist or nail tech to do an infill or gently remove your polish without damaging or stripping your natural nails. Make sure to never peel gel polish off of your nails.

With over 500 gel nail polish colors and counting, we have a variety of top sellers based on seasons, trends, and occasions. Check out some of our current best-sellers including Hubba Bubba, Destiny, After Party, Private Collection, Last Night, Double Denim, Secret Entrance, Queen Bee.

We can’t speak for all gel polishes, but for The GelBottle, one 20ml bottle can achieve up to 110 sets and our mini 7ml bottle can achieve up to 40 sets.

Our gel nail polish can only be purchased if you are a professional nail technician. If you are a professional, please create an account on our website and upload your certificate. Your account should be approved for “Pro” status within 10 minutes of uploading the document (during business normal hours). After that you will be able to add our gel nail polishes to your cart. If you’re not a professional, shop our line of TGB color-matched regular lacquer polishes with our sister brand, Peacci.

The main reason gel nail polish is so popular is that it lasts longer than traditional lacquer manicures and has a higher, lasting shine. It also prevents your nails from breaking easily and has been reported to help your nails grow longer!

In order to remove gel nail polish safely, soak your nail in 100% acetone for 10 to 15 minutes. Please note that soaking times may vary depending on the products used, nail art elements on the nails, glitter ratio in the gel, and the number of layers. During soaking and for best results, start removing one nail at a time, while keeping the rest in acetone. If taken out all at the same time, the gel will begin to reset and harden again. For a more detailed overview of the removal process, we have created a step-by-step guide.

Manicures and pedicures are perfectly safe for you while pregnant, as long as you're careful about having them applied and removed. Our gel nail polishes are non-toxic and vegan, so that you can get amazing nails without a single worry. If you want to learn more about getting your nails done while pregnant, you can read this helpful guide.

Orders/Delivery Frequently Asked Questions

Our TGB Ship Team cannot wait for you to receive your order! Orders ship within 1-3 business days from time of order.

An email confirmation with detailed tracking information will be emailed to you once your order ships, please allow up to 24 Hours for the carrier to update the tracking information.

Please contact our Customer Care Team as soon as possible by phone at (+1) 510-736-5757 or by email at [email protected]. Please note shipped orders cannot be modified.

Discount codes and vouchers are only available to use on full-price products and might be deactivated during sales.

Academy Frequently Asked Questions

First things first - it helps to be on the right website! Find all things TGB Academy including the list of educators under our “Educator” tab on the Academy website. Search on the map under our "Courses" tab to find the closest location to you.

Yes, you will need the complete kit for our courses. If you already own some or all of the TGB products listed in the course kit, you can select “Create your own kit” at checkout and only purchase the remaining products you require to complete the kit. It’s imperative to have the full kit upon starting the course to ensure you can train properly and leave the course fully qualified.

The GelBottle Inc is not to be held responsible if you cannot complete the course due to not purchasing essential kit products.

Your kit as well as a full course manual will be sent directly to your Educator. For your convenience, you will then receive this on the first day of whichever course you signed up for. All the materials included in the course are for you to keep.

All courses are non-transferable and non-refundable. We understand that sometimes things come up, so you may contact our Customer Service to see if we can accommodate a change at 510-736-5757 or [email protected].

If our Educator does not reach the minimum number of students, then there is a possibility the course will be rescheduled for a different date. You will be given the option to rebook for an alternative date, course, or Educator at your convenience - using the account balance which is credited for the amount paid on the original course.

You can pay by logging on to your student account on the TGB Academy website. If you have any issues with your booking, please call our Customer Service team at 510-736-5757. We are open Monday to Friday 6:00 AM - 5:00 PM Pacific Time and are always here to help. There is no such thing as a silly question and it is our job to support you throughout your entire TGB education journey.

You can purchase all courses and products using a credit or debit card. We accept all major credit cards including MasterCard, Visa, Maestro, Discover, and American Express.

No, unfortunately we don’t currently provide finance on any courses or training. You have the option to use PayPal Credit if paying with PayPal. See PayPal website for details.

We offer in-house training of the highest standard to all salons, providing there are at least 5 members of staff taking part. In-house training with TGB Academy is a great investment as it ensures your staff has the strongest skill set in your area and gets the best results with our products. By providing in-house training you can transform your employees from talented nail techs to TGB experts, meaning you can offer a full range of TGB treatments at the highest level.

In-house training can take your salon to the next level and allow you to offer the latest trends, and best application techniques, as well as provide the most up-to-date social and marketing skills. Not only will it increase the skill range and professionalism of everyone within the salon, but in-house training is also a fun, upbeat, and completely immersive experience that encourages team-building skills and boosts staff morale and motivation.

No, but you can check with your Educator if they want you to bring a model. The only courses that may need a model are:

TGB Gel Polish Beginners Course

TGB Gel Extensions Beginner Course

Full TGB Course

For the remaining courses, your Educator will provide training hands to work on.

If you can't find a model, do not panic! Speak to your Educator directly and they will either help you source a model, provide a training hand or allow you to work on each other. If you are advised to work on each other, please come to the training course with bare nails unless requested otherwise.

TGB - MSDS Data Sheets

Account Frequently Asked Questions

First things first - don’t panic! Check the spelling of your email and password. Don’t let an extra character or a misspelled email domain get in the way of you and new gel polish colors.

If all the information is correct, then you can request to reset your password and follow the link sent to your inbox.

You can reset your password by heading to the “Login” page and clicking on the “Reset Password” link. An email will then be sent to your inbox providing this is the email address you used to register your account (i.e a business address rather than a personal address or vice versa). Still need help? Contact our amazing Customer Service at 510-736-5757 or [email protected].

On a Computer or Mac:

See the little gray circle in the top right corner with a small “person” inside? That’s your guy! Click on this icon and then you will see a white “Log Out” box which you will be able to click on.

On a Mobile Device or Tablet:

Top left-hand corner this time. Can you see the hamburger drop-down menu with three lines on top of each other? (We never knew it was called that either!)

Click on that and you will get a drop-down menu full of account actions - please select “My Account” and there you will find the “Log Out” option.

You can upload your certificates by going to “My Account” via the icon in the top right-hand corner (or top left on phones and tablets). There, you’ll find a white tab that reads “Certificates” - select this, and then select “Upload Certificates”. Any photograph or scan of a beauty certificate or qualification will suffice.

Your account should be approved into “Pro” status within 10 minutes of uploading the document during normal business hours.

Please remember to save the submission using the “Save” button on the page, and refresh your browser before attempting to place an order as a professional account holder.

No, we only sell to qualified beauty professionals - no exceptions. This protects salon professionals as it ensures all the treatments are safe and cannot be replicated by home users.

For any disappointed home users, we’re really sorry to let you down! You can head over to Peacci for the world’s best regular lacquer for your at-home manis.

No, there is no order minimum. Here at TGB, we believe in our products enough that we don’t feel the need to impose a minimum order, ever. We want you to have the opportunity to try our products at all times and at any time in your career progression or circumstances. Trust us, even if you only purchase one or two bottles to start with, you too will get swept off your feet with “Love at First Coat” which will result in many more orders with us in the future!

To block your account from being able to receive or place orders please contact Customer Service at 510-736-5757. Your request will be forwarded onto our IT team who will be able to assist you further.

If you no longer want to purchase the best gel polish on the market (okay, okay, we know we’re biased) you can contact our Customer Service at 510-736-5757and we will be able to close your account for you right away.

P.S. We’re sorry to see you go! You can come back ANY time!

You can edit your profile details by clicking on the gray icon in the top right-hand corner, then clicking “My Account” and “My Details”.

Here, you can change your name, email and password r as many times as your heart desires.

You sure can! To do this, give that top-right icon a click (or left-hand drop-down menu from a phone or tablet) and select the “Addresses” tab. You can then select “Edit” to change your address. Just make sure you hit “Save”!

Please note that changing your address will not edit or affect current or past orders. If you want to edit your address for delivery, please make sure you do this BEFORE placing an order.

Distributor Frequently Asked Questions

Unfortunately not. All distributors have fixed, exclusive rights for their country, meaning it is only possible to have one distributor per country.

We currently have distributors in Australia, Benelux, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Malta, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Singapore, Slovenia, Sweden, Trinidad and Tobago, and the UK.

Here at The GelBottle Inc, we are operating at the very forefront of the industry and we are experiencing rapid expansion into different markets. If you think you have what it takes, get in touch to become part of #TeamTGB.

A business history

Marketing experience

Relevant social media platforms

A list of all business links

Yes, you can! We are bringing on many B&M distributors in North and South America.

Please contact us if you are interested at 510-736-5757 or [email protected].

To declare an interest, please contact us via our “Contact Form” or by emailing [email protected]

We will support you for a successful launch, provide some marketing assets and will always be happy to share on our social media. However, all marketing and promotions in the country you will be distributing in will be your own responsibility.

Shipping will be paid by the distributor. However, we can't provide the exact costs until we receive your first order and your shipping address.

Your order will be delivered to the address and county where you distribute. We can also ship to any freight-forwarder you choose.

Your first order will include the full order that's been agreed with the TGB distributor team. Our IT team will build a distributor-specific and fully functional TGB website for your launch. You will get support from the IT team with any ongoing website issues you might encounter. <p>We will also help launch and promote your business on our social media, giving our followers a link to your page and website to follow and bookmark.

Gel Polish Application Frequently Asked Questions

We strongly advise against double top coating. As with all non-wipe top coats, your second layer will most likely peel off due to having no tacky layer to adhere to.

For best results and even application don't put any unnecessary pressure on the brush and let the color glide through the nail. Some glitters and builders should be applied thicker to achieve full coverage of the nail bed.

It is possible to over-cure a gel polish. When this happens, the gel nail polish can discolor and lose gloss. In the majority of cases the effects of over-curing depend on the gel and the curing UV/LED light.

Yes. You can apply gel polish to press-on nails the same way that you would on natural nails.

Gel nails or gel products will not dry or cure without either a UV or LED drying process. Both ways will start the process of polymerization which will allow the product to harden.

No, due to how acrylic nail polish has a different drying time and is made out of slightly different ingredients.

To properly cure TGB products you need any lamp of at least 48 Watts.

The GelBottle Inc x SunUV "Light The Way" Nail Lamp is 48 Watts and is optimized for use with TGB products. It has a low heat setting to minimize heat spikes and an exclusive addition of back-wall bulbs to ensure tips are 100% cured. Most importantly, the TGB exclusive all-white design looks gorgeous in any salon and oozes professionalism and high-tech, which is a great recipe for a top level customer experience from start to finish.

TGB "Light The Way" Nail Lamp can cure TGB gel perfectly in just 60 seconds with the lamp’s power being up to 48 Watts.

BIAB™ should be buffed first and then soaked off using acetone. This can take between 10 and 12 minutes but this time may increase if extensions are longer or if a higher apex is built.

Absolutely! BIAB™ extends beautifully over nail forms and creates a strong, restorative extension that does not damage the nail, and actually enhances its strength and growing capabilities. Win win, right? We recommend only using BIAB™ for short to mid-length extensions. For anything longer than this - Gelpot is the way to go!

Absolutely! We understand that when transferring brands it is not always possible to complete an immediate transfer between your old brand and TGB. However, we cannot guarantee the results TGB advertises for our products when mixed or applied with other brands or products.

DesignEx Pro™ Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, you can infill once and within three weeks of the initial application using your choice of BIAB™.

We do not recommend more than one infill. The further the apex moves as the nail grows, the more difficult it will be to rebalance the tip.

Flash cure under the USB Flash Lamp for 10-15 seconds per tip for application. Then cure fully in the "Light The Way" Nail Lamp for 60 seconds

With the range of shapes and sizes, there is likely to be the perfect tip for each client. If you would like to use this product on clients with severely bitten nails, then there must be enough healthy nails on the nail bed for the tip to attach to. Professional discretion is advised.

Yes, All-in-One BIAB™ can be used with other gel polishes in our collection, or as a top coat if the tacky layer is removed with a lint-free pad and isopropyl alcohol.

Yes, All-in-One BIAB™ has a multipurpose self-leveling formula that can be used to create overlays and a strengthening barrier, supporting natural nail growth just like our other soak-off BIAB™ bottles. You can also use our clear soak-off All-in-One BIAB™ to secure and encapsulate nail decorations and embellishments. Unlike other BIABs™, All-in-One BIAB ™ can also be used as a top coat if the tacky layer is removed with a lint-free pad and isopropyl alcohol.

This varies depending on the tip shape. To see the characteristics of each tip, check the tip description on our website.

Should you wish to know if your insurer covers you for this without additional training, you will need to contact them directly. If your insurer requires you to do additional training to be covered, you can purchase our Academy course at www.thegelbottle-academy.com.

We allow anyone with a professional TGB account to purchase the DesignEx Pro™ system. When in doubt, additional training is always recommended and offered at TGB Academy.

We’ll release information soon!

Yes, you can easily customize the tips by shortening or reshaping them. We do not recommend shortening the tip by more than half of its original length as this will result in the loss of structure.

The USB Flash Lamp has been designed specifically to flash cure DesignEx Pro™ tips and small nail art. For regular polish curing, use the TGB "Light The Way" Nail Lamp.

The USB Flash Lamp is necessary for flash curing tips during the application process making it easier, faster, and more comfortable for both nail technicians and clients.

This lamp has been designed and tested to cure TGB products. As such, we cannot recommend using any other branded system as compatibility has not been tested or verified.

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