It’s always hard to say goodbye to good nail art. However, when the time has come to move on from your manicure, the best thing you can do for your nails is to ensure that your gel polish gets removed safely, without damaging your natural nails.
Although it can be tempting to tear, pick or peel at your polish, we don’t recommend this method. Many tutorials will also recommend soaking the nails in acetone but this can be a very aggressive method and is not appropriate for dry or sensitive skin. If you prefer to avoid stripping and damaging out the delicate layers of your nails, you might be left wondering what to do.
To help you out, we’ve compiled some easy tips for removing your old polish and keeping nails healthy for your next new look.
Here are a few our favorite tricks to try:
Give your nails a soothing soak first
To really loosen gel polish and make it easier to remove, it can be very helpful to first submerge your nails in a bowl of warm water. Experts recommend keeping your nails soaking for at least 20 minutes. You can also add a few drops of dish soap and a bit of salt to the water to help things along. For extra stubborn polish, a tip we love is to apply a bit of olive oil or your favorite cuticle oil to soften the nail beds and lift the polish.
Buff or file away remaining polish
If your polish is already onto the chipping stage or if there are still bits of polish remaining following soaking, your next go-to tool is your nail file. Using the coarse grit side of the file, you will want to evenly file away at your gel polish until you reach your natural nail. Always be mindful not to file too quickly or aggressively, so as not to damage your nails. Next, use the fine grit side to buff and smooth out any remaining gel still clinging to the surface.
Nourish your nails and moisturize the skin
For best results following removal of your gel manicure, it’s important to pamper your hands a bit with a good lotion or oil to replenish lost moisture, condition the skin, and strengthen your natural nails. It also helps prevent breakage and promotes healthy regrowth, leaving the nails soft and ready for your next polish.
Tools we love for polish removal
At Lagunamoon, our mission is to provide you with everything you need to execute a professional quality manicure, including removal. For easy at-home removal of gel polish we recommend the following tools:
100/180 Grit Manicure Nail File - Perfect for filing away gel polish using the file and buff method and just one simple tool. 100/180 files are made with top quality emery board material and adhesive, so they are able to withstand even the toughest polish.Stainless
Steel Gel Polish Remover Tools Cuticle Scraper Stick - If you’re using the soaking method to loosen up your gel manicure but want a bit of extra assistance around the edges, this simple yet effective tool works like a cuticle stick to loosen and remove polish.
Nail Care Rose Cuticle Oil Pen - Cuticle oil works wonders to not only soften the nail beds and assist in polish removal, it also moisturizes and conditions the skin of your cuticles, making it the perfect dual-purpose tool to have in your nail treatment tool kit.
References:
How to Get Gel Nails Off Without Acetone by WikiHow
https://www.wikihow.com/Get-Gel-Nails-Off-Without-Acetone#
How to Remove Gel Polish at Home — Without Completely Ruining Your Nails!
By Anna Quintana
https://www.lifeandstylemag.com/posts/how-to-remove-gel-nail-polish-146626/
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