how to remove gel nails without acetone

How to Safely Remove Gel Polish at Home Without Acetone

Gel Polishes are extremely durable and long-lasting when compared to regular nail polishes. But at the same time, gel polishes are much more difficult to remove.

This is why most individuals soak their gel polish nails in acetone for long periods of time.

But prolonged exposure to acetone can be very damaging to your natural nails. You see acetone is a very strong chemical and will severely dehydrate both your nails and skin. Citation.

Now, thankfully they are other removal methods you can use. So in this article, I am gonna walk you through several different ways to easily and safely take off gel polish without using acetone.

4 Ways How to Remove Gel Polish at Home Without using Acetone are:

Filing away your gel polish – (Quickest removal method)
Use a Gel Polish Remover – (Uses a non-acetone based solution)
Soaking your Gel Nails in a mixture of soap, oil & warm water – (Most natural removal method but only works on worn out manicures)
Peeling away the Gel Polish – (Only works if the polish is already peeling & can damage your nails if done incorrectly.)

1- File Away Your Gel Nail Polish

The quickest way to remove your gel nail polish is to file it away. And if you file your gel polish off correctly it won't cause any damage to your natural nails.

You see it can be safer because filing physically removes the gel polish from your nail plate which allows you to be in control. This is unlike using acetone which chemically dissolves the gel polish and at the same time affects your nails and skin too.

I usually recommend filing off gel polish only when you have used a base coat during application. You see a base coat protects your natural nails from getting filed excessively allowing just the colored gel polish to be removed.

Now to file your gel polish off you would need either a nail file preferably a 100/180 grit or an electric nail file.

How to File Your Gel Polish Off

The first thing you are gonna need to do is use the 100 grit part of your nail file to file away the colored part of your gel manicure
Next, once the colored polish has been removed and you can see your natural nails, use the 180 grit part to buff and smooth out your nails.
Buffing will also remove most of the base coat
Finally, wipe your nails clean with rubbing alcohol and apply some cuticle oil.
You can check out the video below for a more detailed guide.

Video of How to File Off Gel Polish

Recommended Nail File

You can click here to see the current price on Amazon for a great 100/180 grit nail file.

Now if you want even a faster removal, you can use an electric nail file. You can click here to see the price for a beginner-friendly electric nail file on Amazon that will easily remove any brand of gel polish.

2- Gel Polish Remover

A gel polish remover is a specialized non-acetone solution that is used to break down gel polish.

They are relatively new to the market and are very potent. These removers work faster and better than acetone, allowing you to remove your gel polish within 5-6 minutes. Citation.

Now even though Gel Polish removers are very effective I don't use them on my nails or my clients' nails. This is because these removers are extremely harsh on both your skin and your nails. And in my opinion, they are terrible for the health of your nails, worse than acetone.

You see the remover is so harsh that if your nails are brittle the remover can actually cause the nails to bend and warp. And if some of the remover goes on your skin it can cause a stinging sensation and can lead to severe skin irritation.

These risks are why I dont use gel removers, but if you are curious and still want to try them I am gonna guide you on how you can use them somewhat safely.

How To Use Gel Polish Removers

The first thing that you are gonna need to do is file away the top coat of your gel polish.
This allows the remover to work faster and reduces the amount of time that your nails and skin needs to exposed to the remover.
Next, apply some petroleum jelly on the skin around your nails.
The petroleum jelly acts like a buffer protecting your skin from the remover.
Then apply some the remover onto your nails and let it sit for 5-6 minutes.
After 5 minutes you should see the gel polish swelling and breaking up.
Now, once you see this use a cuticle pusher to push off the gel polish from your nails.

Video Of How to Use Gel Polish Removers

Where to Get Gel Polish Removers

The Aliver brand of Gel Polish Remover is the most widely sold and popular brand, you can click here to see the price for a bottle on Amazon.

3- How to Remove Gel Polish With Soap, Oil & Water

If your gel manicure is lifting and peeling you can remove them by soaking them in a mixture of very warm water, soap (detergent), and oil for 10-15 minutes.

This technique won't work on a gel manicure that is in good condition so I won't advise trying it on a freshly done set.

Now I found a great video that will guide you through step by step how to use this mixture to remove your gel polish.

In this video, she was removing Polygel Nails but it would work also with gel polish as well.

4- Manually Peel Your Gel Polish Off

In most instances, I don't recommend using this method unless you are truly in a hurry. This is because when you forcefully peel off any kind of manicure you also peel away the top layer of your nails making your nails brittle.

Now if you need to do this method apply an ample amount of oil & then slowly use a cuticle pusher to peel away your gel manicure.

This method will only work when your gel manicure is already peeling this only happens when it is very old and worn out.