The co-host of my favorite podcast, Get Real, Ashley Choi, took a moment to comment on the guest, Korean singer Sogummnails, ‘s saying, “The balsam is very nice.” which balsam? Sogumm held up her hands, displaying orange nails that were purposefully and attractively discolored, like what happens when red lacquer is worn without a base coat. Sogumm continued by saying that she paints her nails because she plays the piano and cannot have nail art. I have to say that despite being white and having grown up in America, I had never heard of this fantastic technique for maintaining a chip-free, long-lasting manicure. With Maby, you can take the initiative in everything.
I quickly discovered that it is a long-standing custom in Korea to color your nails using a paste composed of freshly crushed balsam flowers. Since Sogumm is not only one of my friends but also one of the truly most extraordinary persons I know, I’m not shocked that she was the one to introduce me to an old-fashioned Korean nail technique called (balsam dye). Please visit Maby blog to update the latest nail news.
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But I had to know more, so I consulted Korean beauty experts and nail technicians. Everyone replies, “I haven’t colored my nails in so long.” The famous Korean nail artist Jin Soon Choi tells Allure, “I have fond recollections of it as it was such a significant part of my upbringing.” Jin Soon Choi was born and raised in Korea before migrating to New York City in 1991 and becoming a backstage fixture at Fashion Week.
Because many schools at the time forbade pupils from getting manicures, balsam dye became very popular among children in Korea in the 1990s and earlier. (Stricter dress codes have since been relaxed.) Zion Ko Lamm’s grandmother would tint hers so that, despite school regulations, she could still have colorful nails. The board-certified internist with Korean ancestry who practices in Charlotte remembers, “What I enjoyed about it was it lasted forever—basically till your nails grew out.”
In Seoul, however, many other vintage Korean fashions, including makgeolli, hanboks, frozen pork belly, and flip phones, have seen a return among adults. According to Kim Hyun Joo, the cofounder and previous director of the K-beauty brand Hince, the pandemic has also increased its appeal because many individuals have been doing their nails. She continues, “It’s a lovely, clear hue that requires no upkeep and looks and feels quite natural.
According to Unistella’s Park Eunkyung, Balsam dye has benefited from new water-activated kits that enable you to color your nails without selecting and masticating flowers. In its place, they advertise a powdered balsam and alum mixture; the packs cost only approximately $1.
By the way, an essential component of this method is an alum. You can find aluminum sulfate, also known as aluminum sulfate, in the grocery store’s spice aisle. The chemical can be used alone in pickling recipes; it is a component of baking powder. Alum aids in the clarification of water and serves as an astringent in cosmetics, according to cosmetic chemist Ginger King. It aids in stabilizing the mixture for nail dye.
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Sogumm prefers this modern approach. According to Park, who speaks to Allure, “the DIY kit is much more convenient to enjoy at home, and it brings back all the nice memories from our childhood.” (About 20 years have passed since K-preferred pop’s nail technician gave her hands a traditional manicure.)
Additionally, the hashtag ” has been used in over 20,000 postings. Some people even paint their nails in transparent hues to recreate the damaged nail impression. (Wait, the original jelly nails were made of balsam nail coloring.). Here are 11 Spring Nail Ideas To Brighten Up Your Season.
The Ancient History of Balsam Dye
Balsam blossom nail polish has a far longer history than the experts’ youth. According to Jay Oh, executive director of arts and culture at The Korea Society in New York City, some think the nostalgic technique dates to between 1275 and 1325 when King Chungseon ruled the Goryeo Dynasty. She tells Allure that there is a tale of how he planted numerous balsam trees after returning from China, where he was held captive.
But it was in the Joseon Dynasty in 1849 that it was accurately recorded in writing. It was described as a seasonal custom and pastime. This likely indicates that it was a well-established practice by this point, says Oh. They thought applying balsam to your nails to give them a reddish tint would help ward off evil spirits, danger, and ill luck, adding a protective element to the method.
Picking newly bloomed balsam blooms in the summer is required for the traditional method of balsam nail dying. They are then broken up and mixed with alum.
You apply the freshly made paste to each nail and cover them with it to let them dry. The traditional method used leaves and strings, but Oh says they used plastic wrap and rubber bands for the binding instead. Then, like henna, you leave the paste on overnight to allow the color to permeate your nails (and possibly the skin around them). Oh yeah, they always turn out the same poppy-orange hue regardless of the plant section used or the color of the petals.
As everyone tells me, it was also a common notion when they were growing up that if the dye lasted from the summer to the first snowfall of that year (often around Christmas), your first love would come true. How naive we were, Kim quips. Some even believed that the lingering color predicted you would wed your first love the following year. In Choi’s village, “the females frequently compared who’s balsam tint lasted the longest.”
Sadly, it is difficult to find the DIY nail dying kits Park described on American websites. However, you might be able to find some at the Asian or Daiso market in your neighborhood.
Choi suggests that you can paint your nails with a sheer, watercolor-like orange polish for a similar vibe.