DIY Nail Polish Remover – What Can You Use Instead of Acetone?

Do you like to change your nail color polish often? Are you a nail color addict? Do you want to have attractive nail arts? And you change them frequently? Well, if you answered yes to these questions, you probably use a lot of acetone as well. It is widely regarded as the most common nail polish remover. Acetone is actually a chemical which commercial nail polish removers contain. But we’ve adopted the term to use for all nail polish removers. Today, we would like to show you a couple of recipes of DIY nail polish remover.

If you want to avoid acetone-based nail polish removers, or you want to try some cheap alternatives, read on. All of these recipes are easy to make, and easy to use. But more importantly, they are healthier for your nails, safer, and of course, cheaper.

Lemon

Lemon is a natural ingredient that can be seen in many manicure and nail polish recipes. But it is also a way to remove nail polish naturally. The best part is, you do not need to spend a lot of time. All you have to do is rub a slice of lemon on your nails, and that is it.

1. Start by soaking your fingers with nail polish in lukewarm water for 5 minutes
2. Rub lemon slices on your nails to soften the nail polish. After a minute, the nail polish will come off easily
3. Follow up with a moisturizer or natural nail oil to ensure health of your nails

Vinegar

The acidic content of vinegar will also help you break down nail polish. And being that most of us have vinegar at our homes, it is practically free alternative to acetone.

1. Start by soaking your nails in warm water for 15 minutes. This will prepare your nails for the nail polish removing treatment
2. Mix equal parts of lemon juice and vinegar. Stir the mixture, and then soak a cotton ball in it
3. Press the cotton ball onto your fingernails, and hold it for 20 seconds. The mixture will dissolve the nail polish, and it will fall off easily
4. Use a clean cotton ball to wipe the nail polish off. If there are several coats of nail polish, it will take longer to remove it
5. Apply moisturizer to add hydration to your clean nails

Toothpaste

There are so many uses of toothpaste. As a bleaching agent, you can use it to whiten your teeth, or you can use it on your skin for acne, and evening the skin tone. But you can also use it on your nails to remove nail polish.

1. Apply a small amount of white toothpaste on each nail
2. Use an old toothbrush to scrub the nails
3. Once the nail polish starts falling off, use a clean washcloth to wipe it off. You can also use cotton ball

Alcohol

Alcohol is also a natural way to remove nail polish. And while some might consider it harsh, it is less harsh than chemicals like acetone. If you are suffering from nail infections, alcohol will be even more beneficial, as it has antibacterial properties.

1. Soak your nails in a bowl with lukewarm water for 10 to 15 minutes
2. Dip a cotton ball in alcohol, and use it to wipe off the nail paint
3. Follow with a moisturizer or nail oil to ensure health of your nails

Deodorant

Deodorants contain solvents that are great for removing nail polish. And in the same time, they are less harsh on your skin than say, acetone and other ingredients in commercial nail polish removers. You just have to make sure you are not allergic to spray deodorants.

1. Grab your deodorant, and spray it over your nails from a close range
2. Wipe it off immediately using a cotton ball

Warm water

If you have just a light coat of nail polish, you can remove it using only warm water. Now, this method might not be effective for those with several layers of nail polish. But it is worth giving a try, as it is the most natural way of getting rid of nail polish.

1. Pour warm water in a bowl, and then soak your fingers in it
2. Wait for the nail polish to become soft, which usually takes between 20 and 25 minutes
3. Take your fingers out of the water, and rub the nail with a dry piece of cloth
4. The nail polish should come off effortlessly. If it doesn’t, you need to try another DIY nail polish remover

Hand sanitizer

As you can see, there are a lot of products you can use to get rid of nail polish. A useful DIY hack for removing nail polish is to use the hand sanitizer you have in your bathroom.

1. Squirt little hand sanitizer on your nails, and immediately rub a cotton ball over them
2. Repeat the process until the nail polish comes off
3. Once you are done with the nail polish, wash your hands thoroughly

Nail polish

This might sound strange, but you can actually use nail polish to remove nail polish. You have to understand the process of how nail polish works. Nail polish dries because of evaporation of solvents. These same solvents can also soften the polish. That is why applying nail polish on your existing nail polish can help you remove it.

1. Apply any old nail polish that you do not mind wasting on your nails. But make sure it is not a fast drying one
2. Immediately use a paper towel to wipe it off
3. Repeat it few times until the nail polish cleans away completely

Tips and precautions

Are you are ready to skip the commercial, acetone-based nail polish remover? Well, in order to maximize the DIY nail polish remover, we have a couple of tips for you.

– When using natural ingredients, do not forget to moisturize your nails afterwards

– Use ingredients that do not dry quickly

– Wipe off ingredients off your nails while they are still wet