Arizona State Board Nail Technology Practice Exam

Cuticle removers typically contain sodium or potassium combined with which ingredients to counteract drying skin?

1. Alcohol

2. Glycerin

3. Mineral oil

4. Aloe vera

The correct answer is: Glycerin

Cuticle removers often contain sodium or potassium, which are alkaline ingredients that help in softening and breaking down the cuticle. However, these alkaline substances can lead to skin dryness if not balanced with moisturizing agents. Glycerin is an effective additive in this context because it acts as a humectant, attracting moisture to the skin and helping to prevent dryness. By binding water to the skin, glycerin supports hydration and maintains the health of the cuticles, making it an ideal companion to the more potent active ingredients in the remover. While other options like alcohol, mineral oil, and aloe vera have their own properties, they do not serve the same purpose in this specific application. Alcohol can be overly drying, mineral oil may not effectively provide moisture, and while aloe vera has soothing properties, glycerin is specifically recognized for its ability to pull and retain moisture, thus offsetting the drying impact of the alkaline ingredients in the cuticle remover.