Centenary student’s work in cosmetic chemistry garners international attention
Centenary College junior Manasi Desai (’27) and Dr. Joshua Lawrence, associate professor of Chemistry, are getting international attention for their research in cosmetic chemistry. Desai and Lawrence developed a nail polish that turns a fingernail into a touchscreen stylus.
Their goal was to create a clear, nontoxic polish, and they tested hundreds of combinations before finding something that worked. Desai and Lawrence presented their findings at the 2026 meeting of the American Chemical Society last semester.
The ACS meeting was held in March, and since then news organizations have shared their research around the globe. Some of them include Live Science, The Register, ScienceDaily, SciTech Daily, Mirage News in Australia, and Rasayanika in India.
Dr. Lawrence reflected on the surprising nature of their discovery. “It took us about two months to really believe that what we were seeing was real because it was such a specialized compound, at first,” said Dr. Lawrence. “I would say, ‘This can’t be magic. We just have to figure out how to prove it’s not magic.’ And it just kept getting stranger and stranger until we eventually cracked it.”
Desai considered many colleges before deciding that Centenary College of Louisiana would be the best place for her. She said that Centenary supported her in pursuing a dual undergraduate degree in pre-med and psychology and that professors would fuel her interest in cosmetic chemistry.
“I had an interest in cosmetic chemistry, but I wasn’t planning on pursuing it. I didn’t even really know that it was a career path that people could take,” said Desai. This summer, she is learning more about the cosmetic industry during an internship with L’Oréal in New Jersey.
Desai and Lawrence’s prototype is not yet ready for store shelves. Right now, it works only for a few hours, and there are some other inconsistencies. Ultimately, the goal is to hone the product, get a patent, and license it to cosmetic companies. Desai and Lawrence will pick up their nail polish research again in the fall.
"Centenary is proud of the research that Dr. Lawrence and Ms. Desai have conducted,” said Dr. Karen Soul, Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost. “The extraordinary outcomes are a testament to their knowledge and skills as well as the rigorous undergraduate research opportunities that the college offers."
For more information about Centenary’s Chemistry department or other Health Sciences offerings, please contact the office of Admission at admission@centenary.edu or call 318.841.7243.
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