How to Remove Gel Nail Polish at Home

What are you supposed to do if you have leftover gel polish on your nails but you can’t go to the salon? You may need to experiment. For example, regular nail polish is removed with citric acid and sunflower oil, and if you need to remove gel polish, you’ll need a solution that contains dish detergent and salt.

We at Bright Side want to share some ways to remove polish from your nails at home.

Dish detergent and salt

What you need:

• Dish detergent
• Salt
• An orange stick
• A glass or ceramic bowl

How to do it: Pour some warm water into a bowl, add a few drops of dish detergent, and 1 tsp of salt. Mix it together. Put your hands into the bowl for 15-20 minutes. Use the orange stick to remove the polish. Repeat the procedure if needed.

Gel polish removal wipes

What you need:

• Gel polish removal wipes

• An orange stick

• A nail file

• Vaseline or cream

How to do it: Use a nail file to remove the upper layer of gel polish. Put vaseline on the skin around the nail. Take the bag with the removal wipes inside and put one on your finger. Do the same with all your other nails and wait for 15 minutes. Remove the bags and remove the polish with the orange stick. Use a file to get rid of the remains. Repeat if necessary.

Tinfoil and something that contains acetone

What you need:

• Nail polish remover with acetone
• Cotton swabs
• Tinfoil
• A nail file
• Vaseline or cream

How to do it: Use a nail file to remove the upper layer of gel polish and put some vaseline on the hands. Then, cut out pieces of cotton swabs that are shaped like nails. Soak them in the nail polish remover and put them on the nails. Take the tinfoil and cut it into small pieces before wrapping the nails with them, shiny side up. Leave them there for 15-20 minutes, rubbing the nails from time to time. Remove the foil and repeat the procedure if needed.

A product containing acetone without tinfoil

What you need:

• A product with acetone
• An orange stick
• 2 bowls of different sizes (glass or ceramic)
• A nail file
• Vaseline or cream and moisturizing cream

How to do it: Pour hot water into a big bowl and put a smaller bowl into the water and fill it with acetone. Go around the nail with a nail file. Put vaseline on the hands and put them in the acetone product for 10-15 minutes. Then, use an orange stick to remove the polish. After that, put a lot of moisturizing cream on your hands.

How to take care of your nails after removing gel polish

• Cut your nails short and use a soft nail file to round the edges. Polish the nails carefully.

• Don’t neglect moisturizing: rub on some cuticle oil a couple of times a day and put moisturizing hand cream on.

• Don’t cut the cuticles for a few weeks: it protects the growing nail and lets it grow strong and healthy.

• For a few weeks, don’t use even regular polish and only use strengthening products. Wipe your hands dry after washing them and wear gloves if it’s cold outside.

How to remove regular nail polish with what you have at home

• Put some lemon juice on a cotton swab and rub the nails with it until the polish is removed.

• Put some sunflower oil on the nail and let it rest for 15-20 minutes. Then remove the polish with a cotton swab.

• Put some hair spray or deodorant on the cotton swab, then rub the nails with it. Wash your hands well and use some moisturizing cream.

• Mix sparkling water and vinegar in a plastic or glass bowl and heat them up a bit. Then put your fingers there for 5 minutes. Wash your hands, dry them with a tampon, and remove the polish.