How to replace nail polish remover: best methods

To remove nail polish, special liquids have been created that quickly and safely remove decorative paint. However, such a tool is not always available. Especially, ironically, at times when the coating needs to be removed immediately. Resourceful fashionistas come up with many answers to the question of what can replace nail polish remover. They use practical and safe methods for this purpose using home remedies that can be found in every home.

How can I replace nail polish remover?

Thrifty representatives of the fair sex very rarely lack nail polish remover, or rather, not regularly. The best thing to do is buy the liquid and use it. If this is not possible, you can replace the special product with analogues available to everyone.

The safest substitutes are special wet wipes that are soaked in a compound that instantly removes the color coating from the nails. For the same purpose, products that can be found in every home are suitable: toothpaste, peroxide, perfume and even deodorant. To prevent such products from damaging the nail plate and causing damage to the skin of your hands, follow the safety rules when using them:

Before attempting to remove the coating with a new product, perform a skin sensitivity test. The product is applied to the wrist and left for several minutes. If there is no irritation or discomfort, the product can be used.
To protect the skin of your fingers from aggressive influences, before the procedure it is recommended to apply a rich cream or oil-based products to the areas near the nail.
After using available products, you must thoroughly wash your hands and use caring cosmetics, rubbing them into the skin and nail plate.

Homemade versions of store-bought nail polish removers are less effective and remove paint much more slowly. Therefore, the coating removal procedure often has to be carried out 2-3 times. In some cases you have to make an effort. It is important not to overuse pressure on the nail plate, otherwise it will be damaged and require long-term rehabilitation.

Lemon juice and vinegar mixture

There is another method for removing nail polish without special liquid.

Please note that this method may be somewhat painful if there are wounds around the nails.

It involves the use of vinegar and lemon. Vinegar has a high degree of acidity, so it quickly copes with the task. To increase the effectiveness of this method, you can add lemon juice to it.

You need to proceed as follows:

Squeeze 2 tsp into a small container. lemon juice, and add 2 tsp. vinegar.
For each nail, take a piece of cotton wool or a cotton pad.
Soak each of the pieces in vinegar and lemon juice and place them on each nail so that it is completely covered.
Wrap each finger in foil.
Wait 15 minutes and smoothly remove everything from your nails in a circular motion.
If the polish remains, take any unnecessary washcloth and gently rub your nails for 1-2 minutes.
If this does not help, repeat the same thing several more times or use the following method.

Toothpaste

A safe and even useful nail polish remover is toothpaste. To make the coating removal process more effective and faster, it is recommended to use a whitening product that does not contain crystals or additional dyes:

Apply the product to the nail plate and leave for 2-5 minutes.
Rub the coating vigorously with a napkin, brush or cotton swab.
If necessary, repeat the procedure, then remove the remaining paste.

Due to the peroxides contained in whitening pastes, nails get rid of not only the coating, but also the yellowness. In addition, the product restores the shine of the plate and strengthens it, making it stronger, stronger, and more resistant to external influences.

If you have a lot of nail polish on your nails and it takes too long or is difficult to remove, add baking soda to the paste. This composition helps to remove the coating even faster and easier.

Alcohol-containing products

Products containing alcohol are considered more effective and time-tested nail polish removers. The higher its percentage, the faster and easier the coating is erased. The undisputed leader is pure alcohol. A cotton pad is soaked in it and used to wipe the nails. The remaining varnish is carefully removed with a manicure spatula.

If pure alcohol is not available, you can use vodka or other strong alcohol.

The drink is poured into a convenient container, where the fingertips are kept for 5-10 minutes. After such a bath, the varnish is easily removed with a napkin or cotton wool.

White Spirit paint solvent will remove the coating from nails aggressively but effectively. The product degreases and cleans a variety of surfaces, making it widely used for household purposes. It can handle such a simple task as removing nail polish.

Good news for car enthusiasts - the coating can be removed with gasoline. The liquid must be applied to the fabric and rubbed on the nail, getting rid of the imperfect manicure.

Remember that solvents, alcohol or gasoline are aggressive agents that negatively affect nails and skin. Therefore, you can resort to such methods of removing varnish only in extreme cases.

Popular methods

Before you wipe off the varnish without using liquid, you should note that you can only remove regular varnish yourself, since the gel coating or gel polish contains polymers that can only be removed by mechanical action.

Nail polish remover contains acetone, which quickly breaks down the formaldehyde contained in regular nail polish solution.

When using common improvised means to remove decorative coating, make sure that they do not harm the quality of the nail plate, since many aggressive components can lead to its damage.

Most often, instead of liquid, the following methods are used:

Regular varnish. To remove the previous coating, it is recommended to apply a dense layer of new pigment on top of it, and after a few seconds, use a cotton pad to remove all attached layers. It is recommended to use a polish of the same color or a clear one to prevent the colors from mixing, since some of the dye will still remain on the girl’s fingers. However, keep in mind that the varnish should be used of the same brand that was used to apply the previous layers, because a mismatch in composition may reduce the effectiveness of the procedure;
Hair fixation spray. Hair fixing product can also be used to remove manicures or pedicures. To do this, spray the spray onto a cotton pad and wipe the nail bed with it. However, be careful - you should not touch the periungual area, since an aggressive spray can damage the sensitive skin of your hands. If this happens, wash your hands thoroughly with soap;
Deodorant. A roll-on or dry deodorant will not work; you need to choose a product in the form of a spray and apply it as in the previous version, carefully soaking a cotton pad with it. Manipulations should be performed in a well-ventilated area;
Perfume. Men's cologne is more suitable for this technique because it is more concentrated. Saturate the cotton wool with it and treat the surface;
Medical alcohol. An aggressive but effective way to remove nail polish. Cleaning can be done in 2-3 minutes, but after this it is recommended to lubricate the nail with essential oil to restore the water balance of the matrix. There is no need to treat the periungual area;
Hydrogen peroxide. It has a more gentle effect, so cleaning takes longer. To do this, saturate cotton wool with peroxide and fix it on the tip of your finger for a minute. Remove the compress and remove the soaked varnish composition.

Often, after you apply the nail polish remover at hand, a small amount of pigment remains on the plate, and sometimes it gets on the skin. To remove it, you can use vegetable oil, which gradually dissolves formaldehyde.

Methods should be combined to speed up the process of removing decorative manicure. But be careful - strong pressure on the nail can affect its health.

Acetone

Another remedy that will help out those who do not want to use gasoline is acetone, but only diluted! This product instantly removes even the toughest coating, including gel polish, which is why it is included in many manicure removal liquids. However, concentrated acetone can corrode not only the paint, but also the nail itself. When using it, follow some rules:

It is important to apply a small amount of acetone to cotton wool or a napkin.
You should not overexpose the product on the nail - as soon as the coating begins to come off, the acetone is immediately washed off along with the paint.
After using the product, you must wash your hands thoroughly, and then treat the skin and plate with nourishing cosmetics.

To remove the gel coating, acetone is diluted with water in a 1:1 ratio. The resulting solution is moistened with cotton wool, which is fixed on the nail with foil. After 3-5 minutes, the varnish is cut off using a manicure tool with a hard surface. If itching, burning or other unpleasant sensations occur, the compress should be immediately removed, the composition should be washed off the skin and hand cream should be applied.

Hydrogen peroxide and wine vinegar

If a special product is not available, you should try a different coating remover - a homemade mixture will remove nail polish from your nails in a matter of minutes. Hydrogen peroxide and vinegar are mixed in equal proportions, diluted with water (in a 1:2 ratio with respect to the active ingredients) or combined as follows:

peroxide - 1 tbsp. l.;
lemon juice, squeezed from a large wedge;
vinegar - 1 tbsp. l.

All ingredients are mixed in a convenient container. You need to dip your fingers into the resulting solution, hold for 4-6 minutes, and then quickly remove the varnish with a cotton pad.

The products will help you get rid of nail polish individually. If one of the main components is missing, you can wipe off the coating using cotton wool soaked only in peroxide or wine vinegar (it is allowed to replace it with table vinegar).

Folk remedies

If you don’t have solvents and liquids on hand that will help you quickly remove nail polish, you can use folk recipes. As a standard, they are not as effective as the previous options, but they are safer, which prevents negative effects on the nail plate.

Vegetable oil

This method can be used to gradually break down the dye, but it takes quite a lot of time compared to other options.

Soak several cotton pads in vegetable oil, then apply them to the nail and secure with gauze/adhesive tape. After 15 minutes, remove the compress and use a clean cotton pad to remove any remaining dye. For convenience, you can take an orange stick. The oil can be applied to the skin next to the nail, since it is absolutely safe and has a restorative effect, strengthening the condition of the nails and epithelial cells.

Vinegar

Instead of a special liquid, vinegar is also used quite often. But keep in mind that you need to use table, wine or apple cider vinegar, since the essence is too aggressive on the delicate area. If you only have essence, you must first dilute it with water (1 tablespoon of essence per 7 tablespoons of water).

Mix vinegar with citric acid:

2 tablespoons liquid;
A tablespoon of citric acid.

Cotton wool is soaked in the solution and applied to the plate for 10 minutes. After this, the remaining varnish is removed, as in the previous method.

The liquid can be used to completely remove pigment after other methods or to completely clean the stock (then the procedure will need to be repeated twice).

Vinegar can also be used in combination with sparkling water. To do this, the liquids must be mixed in equal proportions and used as a bath for the fingertips, which must be carried out for 10-15 minutes. After applying the liquid, it is recommended to use a moisturizer.

Additional layer of varnish

To remove colored manicure, you can resort to an effective but troublesome method. All that is required is to apply another coat of polish to your nails. The fact is that such products contain solvents that evaporate as the decorative paint dries. Due to this component in the composition, the old coating is softened:

apply a thick layer of new nail polish;
quickly remove the coating using a lint-free cloth;
remove the remaining varnish with a nail file or a stick with a blunt end;
If necessary, repeat the procedure until the coating is completely removed.

For the procedure to be effective, follow some rules:

The varnish intended to dissolve the old layer must be liquid and long-drying. Otherwise, the composition will instantly fix on the plate, and it will be even more difficult to remove the manicure.
It is important that the bottle does not contain glitter or other decorative additions, which also complicate the process of removing the coating.

Each finger is treated separately, since even varnishes that take a long time to dry quickly lose their solvent. Therefore, the longer the time passes from the moment of applying a new varnish, the less effective the method of removing the old coating becomes.

Consequences of using aggressive agents

If you decide to get rid of old varnish by using aggressive compounds, you should think about the consequences. Thinner, white spirit and gasoline can cause serious skin diseases. Such compounds are toxic and poison the body, causing an allergic reaction.
Do not forget that volatile compounds have a detrimental effect on the respiratory organs. If you decide to carry out such a procedure, you should prepare for it. Open all the windows in the room wide and proceed with manipulation with caution.
When using aggressive products, you should always protect your skin. Wrap your hands in a towel or cling film. Often after the procedure, the skin turns yellow from exposure to chemical compounds. It is difficult to get rid of such consequences.
Remember that non-standard use of hot ingredients is very harmful to the body. It is prohibited to carry out the procedure during pregnancy and near people who suffer from respiratory diseases and allergic reactions.

To remove the effects of a manicure, you can resort to improvised means. Carry out the procedure with extreme caution if you use aggressive compounds. If possible, use targeted means. Otherwise, the nail plate will have to be restored for a long time at much greater expense.

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other methods

Any coating, even the most durable one, can be removed using a nail file. Available products containing solvents or alcohol are also suitable:

deodorant spray;
hairspray;
perfume or cologne;
lemon juice or acid;
liquids with a disinfectant effect.

It is safe and even useful to remove color coating using baths of any vegetable oils. Hands should be kept in the product heated to a temperature of +40...+45°C for half an hour, and then wipe off the coating with a lint-free cloth.

Pregnant and nursing mothers, as well as women with thin or damaged nails, are not recommended to resort to aggressive nail polish removal methods, which negatively affect the plate. The best and most effective methods for correcting manicure remain special wipes for removing the coating, cosmetics with oils, nail polish remover and other specialized products intended for this purpose.