What is the difference between Base Boost and a regular base coat?

Standard base coats apply as a thin adhesion layer between the nail and color. Base Boost has higher viscosity that allows you to build a slight apex and add structural support for weak or flexible nails. It sits between a standard base coat and a full structure gel like Re-Cover Plus.

What is the difference between Base Boost and Base Plus?

Base Plus is a standard adhesion base coat. Base Boost is a reinforcing base with higher viscosity that builds a slight apex for structural support. Use Base Plus when the client's nails are healthy and just need adhesion. Use Base Boost when the client's nails are weak, thin, or flexible and need reinforcement under gel polish.

What is the difference between Base Boost and Re-Cover Plus?

Base Boost reinforces weak nails under gel polish with a slight apex. Re-Cover Plus is a structure gel that extends 1-5mm past the free edge, holds filed shape between fills, overlays thin nails, and repairs chips. Use Base Boost when the client needs reinforcement under polish. Use Re-Cover Plus when the client needs extensions, structural overlays, or chip repair.

Can I build extensions with Base Boost?

No. Base Boost is a reinforcing base coat, not a structure gel. For extensions 1-5mm, use Re-Cover Plus. For extensions beyond 5mm, use hard gel.

Do I still need a base coat if I use Base Boost?

Base Boost is the base coat. It replaces your standard base coat for clients who need reinforcement. Apply PREP, Optima UV Primer, then Base Boost, then color. No additional base coat layer needed.

Can I soak off Base Boost?

Yes. Base Boost is a soak-off product. Apply Optima UV Primer to the entire nail plate for longer wear, or to the free edge only for easier soak-off. File the bulk of the product, soak in acetone until softened, and gently remove. Do not force removal.

Why do my client's nails keep lifting with regular base coat?

Flexible nails bend under normal pressure. This bending creates stress at the enhancement edges that causes lifting. A standard base coat does not absorb that flexion. Base Boost provides reinforcement that moves with the nail without transferring stress to the bond line. If lifting persists, check prep, bulb age, and cure time before swapping product.

How long does Base Boost cure?

30-60 seconds under the Pro Arch Rival Nail Lamp.

What is the difference between rubber base and builder gel?

Rubber base (reinforcing base coat) is flexible. It moves with the natural nail, prevents lifting on thin or bendy nails, and provides structural support without rigidity. Builder gel is rigid. It holds shape, supports extensions, and resists deformation. On flexible nails, builder gel can crack or pull away because it does not bend with the nail plate. Use a reinforcing base like Base Boost when the client needs support under gel polish. Use builder gel or Re-Cover Plus when the client needs extensions or structural overlays.

Why does my gel polish lift after a week?

The base coat is the most common cause of early lifting, not the gel polish. If your client has thin, flexible, or oily nails, a standard base coat may not provide enough adhesion or flexural support. The nail bends under daily pressure, the rigid base coat cannot move with it, and the product separates from the nail plate. A reinforcing base coat absorbs that flexion instead of transferring it to the bond line. Check prep, cure, and base coat selection before blaming the color.

What base coat should I use for thin weak nails?

A reinforcing base coat with higher viscosity than standard base. Standard base coats apply as a thin adhesion layer. On thin or weak nails, that thin layer does not provide enough structural support to prevent flexion-related lifting. Base Boost has higher viscosity that builds a slight apex and reinforces the nail without the rigidity or bulk of a full builder gel. For clients who need extensions or structural overlays beyond reinforcement, use Re-Cover Plus instead.

Why does builder gel crack on flexible nails?

Builder gel cures into a rigid structure. Flexible nails bend under normal pressure. The rigid builder gel cannot move with the nail plate. When the nail flexes, the builder gel resists, creating stress at the bond line. That stress causes cracking, lifting, or complete separation. For flexible nails, use a reinforcing base coat that moves with the nail instead of fighting it. Reserve builder gel for nails that are strong enough to support a rigid overlay.

Can I use rubber base instead of BIAB?

Different products for different nail types. BIAB-style systems provide rigid structure for overlays and extensions. Rubber base (reinforcing base coat) provides flexible support under gel polish. If your client has flexible nails that lift with BIAB, a reinforcing base may hold better because it moves with the nail instead of pulling away from it. If your client needs extensions or structural shape retention, BIAB-style products or Re-Cover Plus are the right choice. Match the product to the nail type.

Do I need a different base coat for weak nails?

Yes. Using one base coat for every nail type is where most lifting problems start. Healthy nails with good structure work fine with a standard base coat. Thin, weak, or flexible nails need a reinforcing base that provides structural support and absorbs flexion. Base Boost is designed for that client. Applying a standard base coat on weak nails and expecting the gel polish to compensate is asking the wrong product to do the wrong job.

Is Base Boost HEMA free?

Yes. Base Boost is HEMA-free and TPO-free. Removing HEMA is not a safety guarantee. Allergic sensitization can happen with any methacrylate when uncured product touches skin or when the product is not properly cured. We label HEMA-free as a fact, not a safety claim.

Do I need a special lamp for Base Boost?

Base Boost is formulated and tested for proper cure under the Pro Arch Rival Nail Lamp. We cannot confirm proper cure with other lamps because we have not tested against them. Proper cure depends on the lamp's diode count, diode quality, and actual output, not the wattage printed on the box. Wattage is an electrical input number, not a measure of what reaches the nail. The Pro Arch Rival Nail Lamp runs 53 diodes at 30W. Using a different lamp means unknown cure conditions, and undercured product causes lifting, dullness, and skin sensitivity.

How do I prevent Base Boost from lifting?

Lifting traces back to skipped or incomplete prep, oil or moisture on the nail plate, skin contact during application, undercured product, or mixing products from different brands whose chemistries were not designed to work together. Run through prep and cure first when troubleshooting, and use Arch Rival PREP, Optima UV Primer, and the Pro Arch Rival Nail Lamp end to end.

How long does Base Boost last?

Standard fill schedule is every 3 to 5 weeks. The product lasts until the next fill. Regrowth creates mechanical imbalance at the cuticle area that leads to lifting at the proximal end. The product does not break down. Variables that affect wear are tech technique, client nail plate condition, proper prep, and proper cure with the Pro Arch Rival Nail Lamp.

How do I store Base Boost?

Room temperature, out of direct sunlight. UV exposure breaks down photoinitiators in the bottle and shortens shelf life.

What is the shelf life of Base Boost?

Sealed bottle shelf life is 24 months from manufacture date when stored at room temperature out of UV exposure. Once opened, expect 12 to 18 months of working life with proper storage.

Is Base Boost vegan and cruelty-free?

Yes. The Base Boost formula contains no animal-derived ingredients, and the product is not tested on animals at any stage. Animal-derived ingredients are rarely used in nail products. Animal testing for cosmetics has been banned across the EU since 2004 and across 42 countries globally. We list these as facts, not differentiators, because they are the legal baseline.

Where is Base Boost made?

Base Boost sources raw materials from specialized chemistry suppliers. Photoinitiators come from Germany. Monomers, oligomers, and polymers come from Japan. Cosmetic-grade pigments from established global manufacturers. Manufacturing meets GMPC certification (Good Manufacturing Practices for Cosmetics). Every Arch Rival product is registered with the CCNB (Canadian Cosmetic Notification Board) for the Canadian market.

Is Base Boost certified or registered with regulatory bodies?

Manufacturing meets GMPC certification (Good Manufacturing Practices for Cosmetics). All Arch Rival products are registered with the CCNB (Canadian Cosmetic Notification Board) for sale in Canada. The formula is HEMA-free, TPO-free, vegan, and not tested on animals.

Is Base Boost 7-free or 10-free?

The X-free arms race (3-free, 7-free, 10-free, 21-free) is fear-based marketing. Most ingredients on those lists were either removed years ago for regulatory reasons or were never present in the concentrations implied. We list what the formula IS (HEMA-free, TPO-free, GMPC certified, CCNB registered) instead of inflating an X-free count.

Is Base Boost hypoallergenic?

No. We do not make that claim. Hypoallergenic means below average allergy potential, not no allergy potential. A 2017 study published in JAMA Dermatology (Xu et al., Northwestern University) found that 83 percent of products marketed as hypoallergenic contained at least one known allergen. The term has no regulated definition. All gel products, including ours, are methacrylate chemistry. Sensitization can happen with any methacrylate when uncured product touches skin or when the product is not properly cured.

HEMA Free | TPO Free | 15ml

Your new solution for weak, fragile nails.

Your problem clients lift with regular base coat because their nails flex and the base cannot move with them. Base Boost absorbs that flexion instead of fighting it. Higher viscosity for apex creation. Soft enough for a comfortable overlay. Soak-off. HEMA-free. TPO-free. 30-60 second cure under the Pro Arch Rival Nail Lamp. One product for the clients your current base coat fails on.

Your problem clients just became your regular clients.

Arch Rival Base Boost

Quantity

Use within our matched and tested system

Outside of the continental US? Use our international orders page.

Your new solution for weak, fragile nails.

Arch Rival Base Boost

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